The Harvest Moon
The Wheel keeps turning and the days are getting shorter and shorter. The air has a slight chill to it and the fields and gardens are ripe with bounty. It is the time of the Harvest Moon of September.
This moon is also referred to as the Wine Moon or the Singing Moon, but most commonly you will hear it referred to as the Harvest Moon. This is the time of getting prepared for the coming winter. A time for organizing your life, as well as your pantry. You may find yourself drawn to cleaning out clutter of every variety.
While you may think that this type of cleaning is more appropriate in the spring. This "Fall Cleaning" has a different feel and a different purpose. While in the spring we clean to freshen up the house and to open it up for summer. Now is the time to make your home cozy and comfy for the winter months. The Fall Equinox is fast approaching and the desire for balance in our lives is strong.
Because this is also the time when the nights get cold and frost is imminent, this is a great time not only to harvest the fruits and vegetables, but also to bring in the last herbs from the garden and hang them to dry. It is also the best time to harvest roots that will be for magical purposes, since the cold weather generally means that they have done their duty to the plants for the year.
Celebrate this moon by decorating your altar or your house with the gourds, pumpkins and ornamental corns that are plentiful during this season. The browns, yellows and oranges that are starting to show in the trees can also add some of that transforming energy into your home.
Share warm hearty foods with your family and friends, like soups, and stews. One of my favorite meals this time of year is a root vegetable stew that I make with potatoes, parsnips, carrots & turnips. A satisfying dinner to be sure, and its round vegetables and seasonal abundance make it a perfect full moon offering.
Stones of green & golden browns like peridot and citrine are a beautiful addition to the harvest altar, while, chrysanthemums bring protection during the passage into the darker part of the year. You may wish to honor the harvest gods and goddesses in your rituals or on your altars as well.
As you celebrate the turning of the Wheel during this Harvest Moon, don't forget to take a moment to be grateful for the things that you have harvested this year.
May you be blessed with balance this month!
~Fiona Blackwolf
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