Full Moon In Taurus Ritual

A ritual of release, embodiment, and renewal through movement, breath, and intention.

This ritual is a moving prayer. It brings together somatic intelligence, yogic philosophy, and sacred dance as a way to alchemize Scorpio’s deep transformational energy. It is designed to open the body, clear stagnant emotions, and align you with the lunar current.

🜁 1. Prepare the Sacred Space (5–10 minutes)

In yoga, we honor the outer space (Akasha) as a reflection of our inner space.

• Clear a space where you can move freely.

• Light a candle or incense. Have water nearby to connect to Scorpio’s water element.

• Optional: place symbols at the four directions (earth, water, fire, air) to create a mandala around you.

• Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Close your eyes. Begin to tune inward.

2. Ground and Center with Breath (5 minutes)

Engage in Dirgha Pranayama (three-part breath) to center the nervous system and ground awareness into the body.

• Inhale deeply into the belly → ribs → chest

• Exhale from chest → ribs → belly

• Continue slowly for 10 full cycles.

• With each exhale, visualize shedding layers, tension, roles, and old stories.

Place your hands on your heart and silently repeat:
“I am safe in my body. I release to rise.”

3. Chakra Activation through Movement (20–30 minutes)

Move through the body’s energy centers, inviting intuitive movement to unlock each one.

1. Root (Muladhara)

• Stomp feet, squat low, pulse through the hips.

• Use primal movement: shake, bounce, root into the earth.

• Affirm: “I am grounded, I belong.”

2. Sacral (Svadhisthana)

• Hip circles, figure-eights, fluid waves.

• Embrace sensual, watery motion.

• Affirm: “I flow with emotion and creativity.”

3. Solar Plexus (Manipura)

• Stronger, sharper movement: twists, core spirals, fist pumps.

• Activate your inner fire.

• Affirm: “I own my power.”

4. Heart (Anahata)

• Open arms wide, sweep chest upward, spiral through shoulders.

• Let emotion move: grief, joy, tenderness.

• Affirm: “I am love. I give and receive freely.”

5. Throat (Vishuddha)

• Vocalize: hum, chant, sigh.

• Let sound be part of the dance.

• Neck rolls and open-arm gestures help free expression.

• Affirm: “My truth flows with grace.”

6. Third Eye (Ajna)

• Slow, intuitive movement: eyes closed.

• Let your body be led from within.

• Affirm: “I trust my inner vision.”

7. Crown (Sahasrara)

• Reach upward, spiral, or simply float in stillness.

• Allow a connection with Source or cosmic consciousness.

• Affirm: “I am aligned with divine wisdom.”

4. Scorpio Alchemy: Shadow Dance (Optional, 10 minutes)

Scorpio invites deep release. Let this portion be raw.

• Dance with your shadow: old patterns, fear, grief, anger.

• Move with it. Express it. Use sound, breath, shape.

• This is not performance: it’s medicine.

• End by physically shaking it out.

5. Integration and Stillness (5–10 minutes)

Lie down in Savasana or a supported reclined pose. Place one hand on the heart, one on the womb or belly.

Visualize the Full Moon above you, pouring silver light into every cell. Let yourself receive.

Stay here in quiet, still awareness. You may wish to journal afterward.

Closing Invocation

Sit in stillness. Bring palms to the heart center (Anjali Mudra). Repeat aloud or silently:

“Under this moon, I release what no longer serves.
I trust the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
I dance as a prayer, I move as devotion.
I rise, rooted. I bloom, unbound.”

 Drawing inspiration from the feminine divine, Devadasi & the soul memory of the temple dancer rites. 

Honoring the lineages that create the rooted structure of these practices of many ancestors who have come before. Movement and dance are inherent qualities, not only to humans but to all of nature and the cosmos. From the creation of the universe to the first heartbeat of the fetus in the womb, rhythm and dance have always existed. For tens of thousands of years, humans have used dance as an integral part of ritual, prayer, and reaching other states of consciousness, for healing, and facilitating contact with the Divine. It is believed that the soul of a people is woven into the steps of their dances.

The Origins of “Belly Dance” is extremely old and traces of it can be found up to 6,000 years ago, based in pre-Christian pagan societies who worshipped nature & the feminine divine. This dance was women’s fertility magic & helped in childbirth. The origin of the name ‘belly dance’ comes from the French Danse du ventre, which translates as “dance of the stomach”.

Her-Story

A common thread in many ancient civilizations is sacred dance, dancing before the goddess & god as an essential element in all rituals. The rituals, being of sacred knowledge and origin, are practiced only by women initiated into lineages by their mothers & grandmothers. Within the context of the ancient Hindu temple, a devoted temple dancer, popularly known as a Devidasi, performed for the sole purpose of devotional offerings to specific gods/goddesses. 

These women, also known as conduits & receptors, possessed the ability to manifest within the material body, the heavenly dance of Apsaras. The Apsaras are the celestial muses who incarnated in women's bodies during ritual, yet remained immortal & made of the heavens. Devidasi dancers dedicated their lives to holding the energy of the temples & dancing in devotion to the deities. The antiquity of the Devadasi tradition mystifies its origin. The temple inscription & architecture within the archaeological record provide relevant and significant information regarding this holy tradition. Inscriptions can be found, dating as far back as 611 A.D., in countries such as Egypt, Greece, Assyria, and Babylon. It was customary in many of these traditions for the nobles to employ their unmarried daughters for the service of the Goddess. In Babylon, not a single girl before her marriage could be spared from this duty.  This was a binding obligation; however, the custom of dancing after marriage was not an obligation. In Sumerian times, the Devadasi were a highly respected tradition of Babylon & as Ishtar was the famous deity of Babylon, the Devadasi were appointed as Ishtar herself.

In Egypt, priestesses performed ritual dances that mimed significant events in the story of a god/goddess, they imitated stories of the stars & cosmic creation myths. The Afterlife is a major theme of Egyptian religion & much of one’s life was spent preparing for reincarnation. At Egyptian funerals, women danced to express the grief of the mourners. The Egyptian temple dancers had various initiations to become a temple keepers, many of whom were devoted to the Temple of the goddesses Isis & Hathor.

Vajrayoginī Buddhist tantric deity, She is often described as carrying the nectar of transmutation, "the Dakini who is the Essence of all Buddhas. "She is a female Buddha and a Dakini, a transcendent passion that is free of selfishness and illusion; she intensely works for the well-being of others and for the destruction of ego-clinging. She is seen as being ideally suited for people with strong passions, providing a way to transform those passions into enlightened virtues. She is a tantra deity and her practice includes methods for preventing ordinary death, intermediate state Bard,o and rebirth (by transforming them into paths to enlightenment), and for transforming all mundane daily experiences into higher spiritual paths. Practices associated with her are Chod and the Six Yogas of Naropa.

Throughout all history, the mythic temple dancer appears. In Greek history, the temple dancers were appointed in the temple of Apollo, the Sun God. Many of these rites were performed by the mythological Maenads, whose dancing is devoted to the harvest rites & for the god Dionysus. The connection to priestesses of Delphi & oracular divination was a well-known practice in the temple, and it was honored that these women held deep communion with the spirits & offered dance as a spiritual devotion.

The roots of Belly Dance originated from the Ouled Naïl people, whose women were trained in arts, dance, and song. This tribe of nomadic people brought their traditional arts to the public for performance in exchange for money. Adorned in traditional costumes and jewels, these women were exotic sights. These women would literally wear their entire wealth.

In belly dancing, the term Ouled Naïl refers to the style they are noted for their way of dancing. "Belly Dance" is a Western term describing raqs sharqi, which is the Arabic word for Oriental Dance and the basis of Egyptian, Turkish, and Persian dance.

The traditional dances of the Middle East, also known as Oriental Dance, span a large variety of folk traditions throughout North America, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Mata Hari 1905, Mata Hari began to win fame as an exotic dancer. She was a contemporary of dancers Isadora Duncan & Ruth St Denis became leaders in the early modern dance movement, which, around the turn of the 20th century, looked to Asia and Egypt for artistic inspiration. Critics would later write about this and other such movements within the context of Orientalism.

Belly dancing is natural to a woman’s bone and muscle structure with movements emanating from the torso rather than in the legs and feet. The dance often focuses on isolating different parts of the body, moving them independently in sensuous patterns, and weaving together the entire feminine form. Belly dancing is generally performed barefoot, thought by many to emphasize the intimate physical connection between the dancer, her expression, and Mother Earth. Women often danced with their whole families, including their grandmothers.

Belly dance innovator Jamila Salimpour formed Bal Anat as a truly unique and exciting entertainment experience. She named it for “Bal,” the French word for a dance gathering, and “Anat,” an ancient Mesopotamian mother goddess: Dance of the Mother Goddess. Bal Anat dance troupe Originally created in 1968 for the spectacle and wonder of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Northern California, Innovative Jamila Salimpour’s groundbreaking presentation was the first to integrate dancing with and balancing a sword, a now quintessential belly dance prop. The feminist movement, in the 1970s and 1980s in the USA, rediscovered belly dance as a form of dance that empowers women. All women of any age & background. There is so much more to share on the Her-story & Lineages of this ancient & mesmerizing Art Form.

Belly dancing costumes are often colorful, flowing garments, accented with flowing scarves and veils. Finger cymbals (made of brass and dating back to 200 B. C. as well as exotic jewelry, including intricate belts made of coins that, in earlier days, comprised the family’s wealth so that it might be portable in the event the woman needed to move quickly or flee. Other interesting accessories used during the dance are swords, snakes, large vessels, and even huge candelabras, complete with flaming candles.

This woman is such a great inspiration to me.
At 87, Sashimoni is the oldest surviving Devadasi in Odisa. There is a strange romance associated with the word 'Devadasi'. A romance that only gets more enigmatic what with records saying that the number of Devadasis in Puri has now been seeing a sharp decline from 25 about 100 years ago to nine in the 1956 Gazette of Odisha to four in the 80s to just two who are now alive to tell the tale. Myths abound, and so do memories of the days when Devadasis or Maharis were regarded and respected as those great women who could control natural human impulses, their five senses and submit themselves completely to God.
By: Rajan G Srikrishnan

You can see how I have been totally inspired & devoted my life’s path to learning & now sharing these sacred practices.

Thus far, my life experience & training have taught me the marriage of yoga & dance, as well as including the ancient sister science to yoga, Ayurveda ritual & practices. These 3 ancient pathways have come together in such profound ways. They are the core triad of all my offerings.

“The Priestess and the Performer

The priestess in ancient times was integrated into her community. With time priestesses as keepers, and dancers of ritual disappeared. The altars, which had been centered in each family’s hearth, were moved out of the temples & into the church.

Churches replaced the communal worship grounds and centers. Temples were now viewed as separate edifices to a distinct institution of priests. Ritual became to be the domain of only select individuals on behalf of the community in place of community participation and self-expression. Organic rituals became prescribed religion. Dance as an integral part of women’s spiritual practice shared a parallel fate with the priestess.

As many religions forgot their roots and were forced to conform, the priestess now in secret led communal nature dances. But the sacred dancer was now made the servants of the temple and its priests. The momentous split between artistic forms of worship in a devotional setting. The social division of priests and worshippers now made masters and servants, brought about a split between the sacred and the profane. 

Devotional dances gradually became commissioned works for the enjoyment of paying ruling spectators, for provocative entertainment. Dance was transformed from religious art and rite to a work of art intended for observation and subject judgment by the observer. From these shifts arose a culture of dance and theatre as entertainment.

The universal feminine principle of spirit-matter connection was transformed into the duality of seductress/virgin, priestess/midwife these roles were considered black magic. This is primal exotic illusions appear. Repeating itself over and over in history.

Sexuality and procreativity were split from a concept of belonging to nature and the flow of seasons. In addition the sacred dance became a spectacle and only entertainment. Another major transition occurred when men gradually began emulating and then taking over women’s roles in dance. Increasing the propaganda against her and her rituals. Men dressed as women and danced for their kings.

The few remained dancing in the priestess's steps. She is the lens focusing for the others the higher energies. The sustaining life that constitutes and defines earthly existence. She acts as the transmitting agent of divine emanations. Her dance is a system of movements, gestures, prayers, and devotion to the invisible forces of life. The function of the priestess is to facilitate the groups and gingival process to teach and remind how to be receptive". ~Unknown