moonletter | on Lilith & the waxing crescent
a reflection + podcast episode to guide you through this week’s moon
Dear reader,
As the moon begins its gentle return to fullness, this waxing crescent offers us the first sliver of light after the dark moon—symbolizing hope, renewal, and the gentle illumination of our inner shadows.
And in this moment, I find myself walking with Lilith.
You might know her as the demoness, the exile, the dangerous woman from old texts.
But before the distortion, before the erasure, Lilith was First.
The First Woman.
The one who said no.
The one who walked away from a life that demanded her silence.
The one who chose exile over submission.
As the moon grows into light, I feel her whispering:
“You were never meant to live in shame.”
“You were never meant to fear your own fire.”
“You were never meant to bow in order to belong.”
Lilith doesn’t ask us to be perfect.
She asks us to be honest.
This week, I invite you to take a moment in the moonlight (or the darkness) and ask:
What part of me have I been taught to hide?
Where does fear still dictate my voice or my choices?
What truth is ready to rise, even if it scares me?
Let the waxing moon hold space for you to expand into your own true self.
A simple ritual for this moon:
Reflect on what you discovered during the darkness of the New Moon. Write down how you will nurture and integrate these truths as the moon grows brighter. Keep this paper on your altar or somewhere visible as a gentle reminder.
And…
🎧 New Podcast Episode
Ep 2 - she who was first – now live!
This week’s episode of Goddess, Witch, Woman is a descent into Lilith’s story: not the one twisted by time, but the original myth and the woman underneath.
In this episode, I share:
Lilith’s roots in Babylonian and Hebrew stories
Her connection to Asherah and the Tree of Wisdom
Why she is not a demon, but a sacred echo of feminine defiance
My personal reflections on shame, voice, and reclaiming the body
This one is close to my heart. It’s raw, reflective, and part story, part spell.
➡️ Listen to the episode here (or wherever you get your podcasts).
Goddess, Witch, Woman – Ep. 2 | She Who Was First
In this second episode of Goddess, Witch, Woman, we descend into the story of Lilith.
I can’t wait to share it with you.
The first part is out right now. If you are a more visual person, it will be on YouTube on Friday.
If this resonates, I’d be honored if you subscribed and shared it with someone who might need to hear it too.
Let this week be a ritual. Let Lilith walk beside you. Let what’s ready to be released, fall away.
With fire and wind, with breath and release,
Mari
P.S.
If you haven’t yet read The Grandmother Tree, it’s waiting quietly for you on my Substack… like a garden you didn’t know was there.
It’s a story about choosing to root, even in uncertain soil.
About the fear of staying.
The ache of belonging.
And the quiet wisdom that lives in ancient trees, spring mornings, and small acts of reclamation.
I planted something after three years of hovering above the earth.
Then I stood inside a 2,000-year-old Yew tree and remembered something old in me.
This piece is tender, mythic, and full of breath.
It didn’t go out by email, I wanted it to land softly, like petals.
But it’s there, waiting for you, if you need it. Here you go:
The Grandmother Tree
We are now deep into the third year, and I feel something stir in me.
The garden has been here the whole time.
Waiting. Watching me come and go.
It doesn't rush me, or ask anything of me. It simply holds its ground.
It took me three years to plant something in this garden.