Abinaka Kishibu Kati (Dance Full Moon)

Abinaka  Kati (Dance Moon)

The Full Moon for February is the Dance or Yaboa Moon  on February 12th.

This has no connection to the Catholic Saint Valentine or the commercial event that takes place on February 14th.

On the Islands this moon is connected to courting, attracting mates prior to the mating season of March - May (with the coming rains of the Taino New Year marked by the heliacal rising of the Pleiades star system).

The Image above depicts two Yaboa (Yellow Crowned Night Herons) engulfed in a courting display.

Courting Yellow-crowned Night-Herons perform display flights, along with a neck-stretching display: the male slowly raises and then quickly retracts his head while fanning his long shoulder plumes. The female will sometimes reciprocate. They form socially monogamous pairs, and some maintain their bonds from year to year.

Among Taino totems the Caiman (Crocodile) also starts the courting ritual during late January into February.

Courtship takes place in January and February, when males attract females to mate. Courting can last as long as two months. During mating season American crocodiles display territoriality by males engaging each other in competition for access to females. Males roar loudly, raising their heads and opening their mouths, displaying their impressive teeth as part of the mechanism to attract mates. Females respond to male roars with roars of their own.Courtship takes place in January and February, when males attract females to mate. Courting can last as long as two months. During mating season American crocodiles display territoriality by males engaging each other in competition for access to females. Males roar loudly, raising their heads and opening their mouths, displaying their impressive teeth as part of the mechanism to attract mates. Females respond to male roars with roars of their own.

Courtship takes place in January and February, when males attract females to mate. Courting can last as long as two months. During mating season American crocodiles display territoriality by males engaging each other in competition for access to females. Males roar loudly, raising their heads and opening their mouths, displaying their impressive teeth as part of the mechanism to attract mates. Females respond to male roars with roars of their own.

Courtship takes place in January and February, when males attract females to mate. Courting can last as long as two months. During mating season American crocodiles display territoriality by males engaging each other in competition for access to females. The mating dance involves almost all the senses. Males begin by bellowing above water, while producing low-frequency infrasound, which humans cannot hear. "You can feel the vibrations traveling through the water and you can even see pressure waves," Britton told LiveScience.

Males may also slap their snouts on the water, blow water from their noses or perform certain arched postures. At closer ranges, they may release an oily musk, which floats on the surface of the water, to further entice the female. Though the male is leading the dance, the female is participating with her own set of auditory, visual and olfactory signals during this time. The pair is in constant communication, Britton said
excerpts from interview with Australian Croc specialist at https://www.livescience.com/28145-animal-sex-crocodiles.html

Spiritual Significance

For our Ancestors the records show that for courting There would be exchange of symbolic items  to signify interest in marriage and also to demonstrate that they are equipped to take care of each other .

Like the plants and animals that are preparing for the coming bounty from the rainy season we too spiritually must court and dance in thought, action and deed to attract the experiences we seek.

All forms of Dance hold aesthetic and symbolic value, they are expression of soul and as we have learned from our animal relatives are able to convey the message that we are ready, we are worthy and we are committed to live our life purpose.

MEDITATION
This Full Moon is a time of expression, a time of commitment a time of attracting what we seek.
I encourage practicing a simple ceremony below to help connect with this moment:

1. Create Sacred Space - Call on your ancestors, your guides, the ways your ancestors would have. Ask them to help focus your mind and heart to the task at hand, so you may be prepared to show yourself worthy for all that you seek, to attract the energy necessary to manifest your desire with the coming seasons of abundance.

2. Place your hands over your heart, right hand over left hand. Take 7 deep breaths and visualise with each inhale energy from Atabey (Mother Earth) going into your heart and with each exhale leaving from your being out through your feet to be grounded into the earth.

3. With your eyes close while standing or sitting on a chair, start stomping your left foot, activating the left side of your body which is connected to the right hemisphere of your brain (deals with creativity). 

4. As you stomp visualise your spiritual guides around you and with each step hands still on heart see them stepping around you in a clockwise circle.  Allow your stomps to get stronger and in your heart ask them what can you do to strengthen your connection with them.

5.When you feel in your heart it is time to give them thanks for their guidance and the energy given to you. Note the guidance they give may simply be telling you some other physical movement to ad  to your dance.

energy is present 2 days before and 2 days after the Full moon so you have time to practice.

Wahil / Guajil Kati (Grouper Moon)

Wahil/Guajil Kishibu KATI (Grouper Full Moon)

Full moon January 13th 

The Nassau Grouper is a predatory fish that lives on the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea and adjacent waters. Its name comes from its historically large populations in the Bahamas.

The Nassau Grouper was originally considered to be a Monandric Protogynous Hermaphrodite, like most other Groupers, with all males deriving from the sex change of adult females (Smith 1971, Claro et al. 1990, Carter et al. 1994). Other characteristics were found to be inconsistent other Groupers such as the strong male/female size overlap, the presence of males that develop directly from the juvenile phase, and the mating system (Colin 1992, Sadovy and Colin).

Caribbean reefs with large numbers of predators, like Nassau groupers, are known to be healthier than reefs with no predators, so this species may represent an important part of the reef food web.  During the majority of the year, Nassau Groupers are reddish brown in coloration, with vertical light bars along the head and body.  During mating, however, males become black on top and white below and females become almost solid black.  Nassau groupers feed by swallowing their prey whole; they do not chew.  They use their very large mouths to create enough negative pressure to suck in whole fishes or lobsters, and they swallow them quickly and efficiently.

Nassau Grouper reproduce in only a few places and during only a few months each year.  These fish always spawn immediately after the full moon during the winter months, when they form very large groups called spawning aggregations.  Throughout its entire geographic range, there are less than 100 known spawning aggregation sites where Nassau Grouper reproduce year after year, and historically these aggregations included hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals reproducing together for a few days before returning to their home reefs.  Individual Nassau Groupers are known to travel several dozen miles and further to form part of a spawning aggregation.  At the aggregation sites, these fish reproduce by a method known as broadcast spawning, where females release eggs and several males release sperm into the water column above deep reefs all at the same time.  This method increases the likelihood that eggs will become successfully fertilized and that fertilized eggs will not be eaten by egg predators on the reef surface.



Spiritual Significance

Our Wahil (Yellowtail Grouper) will have started their journey to spawning grounds and will be reproducing between the Full Moons of December and  January. The Wahil teaches us that we have all the gifts and abilities we need to take on life's journeys, and reminds us to think of the next generation, Imagine you carry the masculine energy of the Sun and the feminine energy of the Earth within you at all times and a balance must be struck for the development and nurturing of your spirit and future generations.
This reminds us of  fertility, feelings, creativity, rebirth, good luck, transformation, health, abundance, serenity, intelligence, happiness, strength, and endurance. Connecting us with the water element, it represents the deeper awareness of the unconsciousness or higher self.

MEDITATION
This Full Moon is a time for clearing, for preparing for the birth that is to come connecting the medicine of the Wahil , it is a time to protect yourself and pray for that safe delivery and transformation during these times.
I encourage practicing a simple ceremony below to help connect with this moment:

1. Create Sacred Space - Call on your ancestors, your guides, the ways your ancestors would have asking them to help focus your mind and heart to the task at hand, so you may be prepared for the pain, work and joy that comes with new birth.

2. Place your hands over your navel and sit in a chair or on a stool with legs apart as in a birthing posture, from here breathe deeply and with each inhale connecting with the moon during this time grounding taking in positive intentions for the future, and with your exhale release to the earth beneath you all that does not serve (Breathe into your stomach feel your hands lifting with each inhale).

3. After 7 Breaths place your hand on the earth beneath you and visualise all the pain and negative energy from your being going deep into the earth and being consumed like compost nourishing a seed that will sprout with the coming days.



4. Give thanks to your guides and teachers.

energy is present 2 days before and 2 days after the Full moon so you have time to practice.