every year during the first full moon in october i travel to teotihuacan, méxico for a divine feminine prayer called moon dance just beside the ancient pyramids

the mexica people have so graciously welcomed me into their traditions and culture, reminding me of the power of my own indigenous blood + ancestors

indigenous earth-based cultures have been guardians and protectors of this planet for thousands of years, knowing how empowered we are when we join in community for song, ceremony, prayer + dance

and i have seen what some may call magick in sacred indigenous ceremony

adorned with our flower crowns and uniforms, we gathered in our formations, dancing our way into the spiral prayer circle to the beat of tribal drums

during both years of moon dance, on night 1 the sky was blanketed by thick cloud cover and we couldn't see the moon

after opening the circle to the directions, we stood in place facing the direction of the moon despite not being able to see her — singing to Her, praying with her — to shine her light on us and give us strength

as we danced in place, in reverence to la luna, i was astonished to see the clouds begin to part

within minutes of our divine feminine embodiment, the sky responded to our prayers, opening up a perfect circle, allowing la luna to sparkle with all her glory, no longer hidden behind the clouds

this circle around the moon, where the clouds did not enter, remained open during the entirety of the night, both during this year and last years ceremony

the moon was framed with a rainbow halo, and despite her movement of rising + setting in the sky at sunrise, the halo rainbow opening remained

its moments like these that inspire me to believe in the collective power of prayer because I've seen collective manifestation at work

I've seen people move the clouds

I've felt myself break ancestral curses + chains

I've witnessed women heal their wombs

this is where I am remembering more of who I am

In many Indigenous cultures they say we cannot control the rain, yet with our thoughts and prayers we can move the clouds. I saw this happen first hand.

Despite the cloud cover being so dense the entire night, this group of women managed to create a hole in the sky so we could see the moon - so bright it created a rainbow halo that cascaded down onto us

By purely thinking about the moon coming out and singing with our voices, the clouds parted and she came out to play

this seemingly magickal feat reminds me how powerful our thoughts actually are and what strength we have to change our reality, purely based on our thoughts, hearts and spoken words.

As above, so below is an ancient saying that shows up loosely in many cultures across the globe.

It is a metaphor which teaches us that our internal microcosm of our minds will always be mirrored back to us in the macrocosm of reality around us. it’s up to us to co-create the reality we desire.

my journey of healing as una danzante de luna is one that continues to unfold. i am eternally grateful to be welcomed into such a potent prayer for humanity, as a daughter of mother earth, learning from the mexica people

may we continue to open our hearts up to indigenous, earth-based teachings and offer spaces for more of this wisdom to be taught

may we return to the ancient ways of living cylically, in harmony with the planet, deeply listening to the plants, animals, and the elements

it is also time (and way overdue) that we enact restorative justice on this planet and begin listening to the guardians who have protected the earth long before the modern world realized it was hurting Her. we must return rights, leadership, land and reverence to native indigenous groups.

if you’d like to be at cause and advocate for indigenous rights, now is the time. we need indigenous leadership within the united states in order to restore balance to this country

i hope you take the time to do so

with love,

carleena

simple ways to support indigenous communities

tell congress to vote to seat a cherokee nation delegate

this link will take you to a form that will take 2 seconds to fill out and submit, all with pre-populated email templates to ask congress to appoint a cherokee delegate

shop indigenous artisans this holiday season

shop indigenous this holiday season to support indigenous artisans and offer prayers of gratitude through financial energetic exchange

learn what indigenous land you are on

this link will take you to a website that will teach you what indigenous land your home/business/event is on. i always ask for permission + give thanks to the land when i am hosting events/classes/ceremonies + rituals

about carleena lara-bregatta

carleena lara-bregatta is a spiritual coach, embodiment mentor, author and teacher. she teaches how to return to cyclical living, sharing grounded tools on how to reclaim your vital energy, find freedom and tap into your divine birthright to create. she weaves together modern neuroscience with earth-based indigenous wisdom for a holistic approach to shadow work, trauma healing and manifestation.

through a decade of spiritual study she created her 7 phase process to spiritual (r)evolution, teaching this now to her clients and students through her online wisdom school and 1 on 1 coaching, inspiring souls to break free from societal conditioning and old limiting beliefs for a life of empowered freedom.

carleena is the host of the akashic alchemist: a spiritual podcast, and is releasing her first book aptly titled the akashic alchemist: a cyclical guide to remembering your soul’s ancient wisdom coming in early 2023.

she is a certified usui reiki master, 800 hour e-ryt, certified hypnotherapist & past life regression therapist and holds a b.a. of psychology and m.a. of international non-governmental organizations. she routinely holds yoga teacher trainings, reiki trainings, and retreats across the united states and internationally.