The Harvest Moon
Tonight we welcome the full moon, the Harvest Moon, the moon closest to the autumn Equinox. The moon will rise along the eastern horizon just after sunset, bringing extra light to the sky, traditionally allowing farmers extra time to harvest their crops as the weather began to turn cold.
October brings us a rare two full moons, the next falling on Halloween. A full moon has not fallen on Halloween since 1944. This next full moon is also a Blue Moon (the second full moon in a month) and the Hunter’s Moon (tied to the equinox as the moon which always follows the harvest).
Ritual of the Full Moon
I think of the full moon as a time of letting go. As the moon loses her roundness, so we release the things that no longer serve us.
- Think about the things that are no longer serving you, the things that are hurting you, the things you no longer need in your life.
- Write the things you wish to let go on small slips of paper or bay leaves.
- Using a fire-safe bowl in a fire-safe space, a fire pit, or a fireplace, burn these things that you wish to release.
- Watch the flame, thinking about these weights being released from you.
- When the fire has been extinguished, your thoughts burned, reground with a bit of chocolate, or in honor of the Harvest Moon, hot cider, cinnamon, or tree nuts.
To learn more about the Harvest Moon, check out these links:
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Beautiful artwork! I’m definitely feeling the need to let things go, and this seems a perfect way to do it.
I’d love your feedback when and if you try it! It’s such a great ritual, that cyclical awareness of what we want to release, what we want to grow.