As I sit down to write this blog we are within four hours of the Full Moon starting. She will reach 100% at 5:25 P.M. [MST] At which time, she will be stationed in Aries. By 6:25 P.M. [MST], she will have settled into Taurus. Around 3:25 A.M. [MST] tomorrow --- October 26th, 2026 --- she will no longer be full. 99.9%. Hope the curtains in your bedroom aren't too sheer! She's gonna LIGHT IT UP tonight!
Remember how I said in the blog on Salvia Divinorum that those who bleed with the New Moon are the most 'in sync'? Well, I hope if you bleed with the Full Moon you didn't take that to heart & walk away feeling hurt. Because I'm here to tell you, when I was still a bleeding person, I was PROUD of being a person who often synced up with the Full Moon instead. Bleeding with the Full Moon aligns you with the 'Red Moon Cycle'. This cycle has historically belonged to those considered midwives, healers, wisdom keepers, & magic-makers. Those who bleed with the Full Moon aren't known for using their sexual energy towards tending a home & raising children. In times past [honestly, still to this day], people like this were seen as problematic... evil, even. Rumors would be started about them. Sexual deviants. Home-wreckers. Seductress. Enchantress.
Remember how I mentioned in the blog on DMT that it was Lady Lilith who asked me to share what it means to bleed with each moon? Well, she'd like to be 'very present' in your day to day experience if you find yourself[ves] bleeding today. At the very least, she would like to see you partner with A dark goddess.
Bleeding with a Full Moon that begins in Aries & shifts into Taurus could feel jolting. Essentially, you may find yourself[ves] with an abundance of ideas, as well as, the desire to TAKE ACTION on them. Only to realize... [1] Taking action during a Full Moon isn't necessarily recommended, [2] You're bleeding & need to rest, & [3] You lack the organization, structure, & plans necessary to make your idea come to life.
How FRUSTRATING!
Allow me to give you some advice...
There are three months until January 2027. Rather than diving into a project right now, when we are embarking on a time of introspection & rest, make plans for three to four months out.
What do you want to accomplish in 2027?
Which moon would be the BEST time to initiate each project?
How much money could you make?
How far down the path will this take you?
How can you achieve your goals WITHOUT setting yourself[ves] back?
Who are you taking with you? Who needs to be let go before you take the next step[s]?
Aries aligns with 'The Emperor' in the tarot. And Taurus aligns with 'The Hierophant'. While bleeding isn't tied to your masculine essence, setting long-term goals is. Allow your masculine essence to make these plans while your feminine rests. Keep a journal near by. Take time to think. Maintain a clear head. You could start a full blown revolution in 2027 if you're truly ready to step into your full potential.
"And by now it was that time in the afternoon when the effect of the happy possessor of Khat throughout all Arabia was only too plainly to be seen. The Arab servant who in the morning had been surly and taciturn under the blazing sun was now, with a wad of the vivifying leaves in his cheek, doing his various errands and duties with a smile and a light foot... Everywhere the evasive, apathetic atmosphere of the morning had given way to the valor of sentient life. Chewing the life-giving weed, all were sure that they could perform prodigies of energy and strength, that life was a delicious thing, the days and years of their troubles as nothing." - Theodore Dreiser, 'Khat'
On June 29th, 2026 I gave up my morning cup of joe. I'd been drinking coffee consistently for every bit of twenty years. Not once had I ever given myself[ves] a tolerance break, despite knowing that it is, in fact, an addictive substance that has a significant impact on the central nervous system. The exact system that NEEDS healing after spending an entire life stuck in a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn state. Khat is coffee that is chewed not drank. Though, you can make it into a tea, a gimlet, or use it as an addition to your absinthe.
In Somalia, khat is enjoyed by everyone. Businessmen. Merchants. Farmers. Students. This drug doesn't belong to any one class. Much like coffee, in America, is enjoyed by both the rich & the poor.
The origin stories of coffee & the origin stories of khat have overlapping elements, too. Like the one about the saints who were gifted an herb that allowed them to stay awake all night, stuck in a state of prayer. Or, the one about the shepherd who noticed his goats behaving peculiarly after chewing on leaves, which inspired him to try them, too. His name, Awzulkernayien, is still mentioned in some of the ritual prayers that are recited before chewing khat in the Eastern horn of Africa.
Some say that Alexander the Great encouraged his soldiers to chew khat, which helped to keep them healthy & moving.
The effects are akin to five milligrams of methamphetamine, though when have you ever heard of a person only consuming five milligrams of meth? You likely haven't. Because five milligrams of amphetamine wouldn't produce a long enough or enjoyable enough high to be worth anything to one who is allied with that drug. Those who align themself[ves] with qat, however, find it to be just right. Mainly because they aren't looking to get high. They aren't looking to 'meet god'. They're simply hoping to make it through a work day without feeling like they made it through a work day. Some effects one might see from chat:
Increased concentration
Loquacity [in laymen's terms --- chattiness]
Clear-thinking
Alertness
Less drowsiness
Enhanced imagination
More confidence
Capable of associating ideas
Sounds like those of you who find yourself[ves] bleeding with this moon could use a handful of khat leaves.
You might be wondering how exactly does one consume these leaves? Well, like I said before, you CAN drink them as a tea. But the most accepted way of interacting with this herb is to chew it without ever swallowing it. A bundle that contains up to a pound of leaves & twigs is wrapped in a banana leaf. This is called a marduuf. Inside this marduuf are several smaller bundles, each equalling about fifty grams. These smaller bundles are put inside the mouth, chewed to release the juices, held in the cheek for ten to twenty minutes, & then spit out.
The most active alkaloid found in chat is cathinone. Do you remember the spike around the use of 'bath salts' in 2010? Bath salts are a synthetic version of cathinone. I remember hearing reporters tell stories of people 'eating flesh' & 'behaving erratically'. While I can see the latter happening, cannibalism is a bit of a stretch. Bath salts, like qat, are going to produce a feeling of euphoria & alertness. Some people may feel more agitated, experience paranoia, behave violently as a result, but most will just go to work with a bit more pep in their step. The problem began when people mixed other substances into these synthetic cathinones. At one point in time, one could walk into any head shop, adult bookstore, & even some convenient stores to purchase 'bath salts'. Now, one would have to go in search of them online. Though, you're more likely run into the issue of adulterated drugs doing it that way.
If you live anywhere on the Western side of the United States, you might be better off trying to grow 'The Flower of Paradise' in your personal garden. Sunset publishing company put out a book called the 'Western Garden Book', in which they confirm that qat would grow well in zones: 12, 13, & 16 thru 24. This is essentially the entire west coast of the U.S., as well as, some parts of the Colorado desert.
I may have to look for some seeds to throw into my garden here in New Mexico.
Some illicit dealers sold 'bath salts' under the guise of MDMA, also known as ecstasy. This is quite a stretch because the experience one should have on ecstasy would be much longer than any experience provided by a synthetic cathinone. But the saying goes, "You don't know what you don't know." Additionally, while on MDMA, couples report incredible sexual connection. Male-bodied people are able to last longer than usual. Female bodied people are able to orgasm more than normal. Reports from lovers who expected the same from chat, are not as positive. The men reported premature ejaculation & erectile dysfunction. Not many of them complained about this, however, because they were still able to cause the woman to have multiple orgasms. Something that both partners agree is indicative of 'increased sexual performance'.
Aye! As long as everyone is happy. That's what matters.
Not many reports of run-ins with extraterrestrials, ancient deities, or possessive cats with this substance. But that's not surprising because when has your morning coffee ever sent you into outer-space? It just goes to prove that not all psychoactive herbs are psychedelic, but you can almost guarantee that all psychedelics are psychoactive.
"O, thou blessed that contains no demon, but a fairy!
When I follow thee thou takest me to regions overlooking Paradise.
My sorrows are as nothing. My rags are become as robes of silk.
My feet are shod, not worn and bleeding.
I lift up my head –– O Flower of Paradise!" - Arab song, quoted in Dreiser
Well, maybe I stand corrected. Maybe I also need to look for stronger coffee.
I highly recommend anyone who has consumed coffee nonstop for a serious length of time to set it aside for a while. You don't have to go to the extreme like I did & say, "Catch ya in three months!" But, if you dare to part ways, even for a few weeks... you may be surprised with the results. Khat is a sacred gift by those who call it ally. It is said to be holy. Even though people in Somalia, Africa, & Yemen are interacting with this plant as often as we do coffee, they never cease to pay it the respect it is due. When we lose respect for our plant allies, they become devils instead. They bind us with chains. They stop providing us the benefits they once freely gave, though our egos fail to realize this. They remain convinced that they're 'achieving', 'succeeding', & worst of all 'in control'.
Let's grab an oracle card from 'The Messenger: Guidance from the Animal Spirits' deck to close this blog out, shall we?
Remember how we started this blog out by suggesting that you need not be CONSUMED with 'WHAT DO I DO NEXT?!?'...
Well, this eagle is here to make sure you got the message.
"Even though the eagle is soaring high in the clouds it is still able to focus on detail. The difference is that now it sees the bigger picture and it can be more discerning about what it chooses to focus its vision on." - Sandra Kunz, straight from the guidebook
You are being called to DETACH from the hub-bub of the daily grind. Your perspective could use some shifting. Your eyes could use a break.
Maybe you've been sitting in front of a screen for too long. Maybe you've been staring at a blank piece of paper hoping words would just MAGICALLY appear. Maybe you've been showing up to work EVERY DAY for nine months straight, not once giving yourself[ves] a chance to take some time to rest.
Whatever the case, you need to take a step back.
I'm also getting the notion that this applies to close friendships. Maybe you've gotten SO intimately connected with people that you can no longer distinguish their emotions, preferences, behaviors, goals, etc. from your own. Maybe you've deluded yourself[ves] into thinking these friendships are 'working', when in all actuality they don't feel natural. You won't know until you separate yourself[ves] long enough to hear your own voice.
"Becoming detached does not mean that you do not care, it is just the opposite. This place where the eagle resides there is space to see the bigger picture and it empowers you to act from a place of truth and love."
REFERENCES:
'Pharmakodynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, & Herbcraft' by Dale Pendell, pg. 142 thru 148
https://yogagoddess.ca/red-moon-cycle/
https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/bath-salts
As always,
Be well.
Be you.
Astin Gaël