"So people can't sleep,
So they go out where elms and oak trees keep
A kneeling vigil, in a religious hush.
The harvest moon has come!" -Ted Hughes
As I stood beneath the golden-orange moon, heavy as it began lowering behind the mountains, my breath caught and my spirit sprung alive, as if I'd been in a deep slumber, unaware of the majesty and magick swirling all around. The days here have been scorching, the grass is withered and brown, and the trees still clutching to their greenery. If not for the earlier nights and later sunrises slowly building, I wouldn't be able to recognize the creep towards Mabon. However, as I marveled at the glorious moon, as she danced and seemed to beckon to me, I could feel it. Autumn is coming.
The shops are brimming with pumpkins, bats, witches, and gourds. Halloween treasures greet the shopper who swore they'd only come in for a loaf of bread. There's no escaping the commercialization of the harvest season but the energetic shifts happening, they are harder to perceive. I find this especially true once I moved to the city as in the country, I was more attuned to the land. This isn't because you can't attune to the land in the city but actually stems from my own barriers I'd created as I focused solely on the cars, the people, the buildings, and cement. I stopped venturing outside because it's too loud, too busy, and I didn't want to appear weird.
This moon dared me to find the magick in the new scenery. To find the beauty that surrounds me because whether I believed it or not, nature is still there. There's still grass and trees, birds and squirrels...all I need to do is notice and focus on that. Shift my perspective. Pay attention to what's happening every time you step outside of your door and witness the abundance. Acorns littering the sidewalks, birds on the lines and in the skies, the squirrels playing in the yard...these are all signs of the approaching turn of the Wheel.
The awe and excitement that surrounds a harvest moon makes me wonder whether its simply because it signals the edging towards the new season or because it touches upon some primal and long-buried call within our spirits? The energy is ancient and the fascination only ever seems to grow. It seems when the Goddess smirks and puts on her special colored gown to entice us to return to Her and Her Mysteries. Do we dare take this sacred journey and meet Her once more? Do we venture back to the Ancient Ways?
Of course this path isn't for everyone but those of us who have heard the call, who are coaxed and beguiled, can have the Goddess directly touch us in a way that leaves us forever changed. Our eyes are opened, our spirits invigorated, and we can begin feeling the connection to those who've gone before us and those who will come after. It's a timeless sort of feeling that leaves one longing for more. Craving more. Just one more night. It's the start of the witch's season. We're reminded of the abundance and beauty surrounding us now while also being aware of the work still needed.
There's a delicious transitional period happening right now for many of us, and likewise it's something that we've been resisting for a while. For some reason or another, we've hesitated and allowed doubt to cloud our hearts, teetering on the precipice of change. Transformation. We've finally reached a fork in the road and must pick a path, however if we're quiet enough, still enough, you'll learn that you know where to go. You've always known. Perhaps you just weren't ready. Perhaps you needed to be reminded of why you must make this choice. Either way, we must now cross the threshold and make a decision. Remaining stagnant and still is no longer an option.
This intense and dynamic moon is an effective teacher for such a pivotal turn as we're guided to reflect on the journey thus far. Where have we come from? What have we accomplished. The past is a powerful guide in this regard. We then are compelled to give thanks for all that we currently are undergoing. It is also a moment to release and let go. We were blessed and bestowed what we needed at the time. Give thanks but then release it. Don't continue clutching to it as if it were a buoy keeping you afloat in the tempest seas. The Moon similarity signals a change in seasons, in the year, and can aid us in passing through that gate. Its about giving thanks for what we've done and where we've been, shedding off the old so we can now step through that doorway and choose our path.
The question then becomes "Are you brave enough to venture forward?" instead of "Where do I go?" You have the answer. You know it. Even if you pretend not to, your spirit knows. You can feel it deep within your bones.
Spend time, if you can, gazing at the moon tonight. Revel in Her splendor. Connect with the venerable Lady and see what message She has for you. If you do utilize this transitional period, remember you must be committed.
Full Moon Blessings, My Friends.
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