Moonchild's Musings

Full Moon Harvest

By

BertaMoonchild
© June, 2004


It was a time of heat and bright skies, when the air was so heavy with moisture that you could see it shimmering. If you breathed in too deeply, you might drown! At least, that’s how it felt to you, then. Marching down the rows picking weeds, hoeing the earth. Planting the crop, ensuring its success. It was hard work, but you kept on going knowing you were doing an important job, knowing what would come after, the way you would feel--so happy, so tired, and so giddy when you were done. It was important, because it would ensure the crop for the coming harvest.

You remember the cool mornings and how eagerly you went forth each day, working in this field or that plot, until coming home was the only thing you could think of at day’s end. Coming home to your family’s dwelling, where you would be welcomed, cared for, and honored for the good, hard work you had done. It was worth the effort, to have a good meal and laughter with the family, to enjoy being and not moving.

Those days seemed interminable, each day running into the next. But it was the way of life for you. This is what you knew. You remember how you could see your skin darkening in the sun, you could feel the muscles strengthening in your legs and arms. You knew you were lean and firm as the earth, yet supple and yielding if need be.

Yet, the time has come when that daily toil lessened, and became another. This new activity will still take you daily into the fields, but rather than nurturing growth, your efforts will be of a different sort. Now, you know you will gather and glean the product of your earlier labor. The first of many such events, you know at the end of this, the first harvest, you will enjoy a celebration with family, with friends.

What is most special for you is that you are pulling the first of the crop tonight, a representative harvest beneath the full moon with the blessing of the Goddess. You have evoked the Great Mother, inviting her to share in this special event, paying her respect and giving her thanks for the life that is the grain, the life that is so abundant around you. Beneath the full moon, you can pour your heart out to Her, honoring Her as you have longed to do since your work began. Dancing to Her in the fields, rejoicing in Her gift of life.

Now you feel fulfilled, you see the fruit of your labors, you feel the abundance around you, and you can taste and draw in the nourishment that is the gift you have been given, here, under the harvest moon.

Tonight I held an informal ritual in honor of the Dark Moon, and the Goddesses Hecate and Cerridwen. In my usual fashion, I did some deep breathing and relaxation exercises, and grounded myself. Listening to music by Loreena McKennitt and Laura Powers, I did a reading from my tarot. The first, a new layout, basically confirmed that I am a creative person who has experienced self-doubt, difficult times, yet still hold onto my dreams and that I have a well-grounded support system, and familial love.

To confirm my reading, I did a 3-card spread next, that basically confirmed that I have been a free-spirit for the most part, innocent or naive, and that I have had indecision/paralysis from too many choices and insecurities, but that I will charge "full steam ahead". A good summary of me, I think--I was thinking of my creativity and my path when I shuffled the cards.

Afterwards, I pulled out my Goddess Oracle deck, and shuffled them, asking the Goddess to show me what I needed to do to be whole within myself. The card I drew was Coatlique, the Aztec Mother Goddess of Life and Death, and Grief. I was amazed, yet not really, that the cards would so accurately define what it is I needed to do.

The deck workbook suggests a drumming ritual to release the grief that I held within. Since I do not yet own a drum (another thing on my wishlist) I grabbed the nearest thing to hand--a lid off one of those metal popcorn tins. I placed it on the ground, and after some deep breaths, I meditatied upon the card and the tears began to flow. I talked to my mother-in-law, and I grieved for her loss. I really felt it from the depths of my being, and I cried and moaned, and apologized to her, all the while drumming on the makeshift drum. It was very cleansing, very much a release of feelings that I had held within and did not admit to.

As I came out of the grieving the music was playing a song about dancing in the heavens among the stars, and I saw my mother-in-law dancing and walking and laughing. I told her I love her, and that I will miss her. I found myself smiling and talking to her as I visualized her with the Creators, the Goddess and the God.

This was something that I want to remember because it was so cleansing, and i felt so much better having expressed feelings that I had held within. I had grieved, but not this deeply, and this definitely is what the Goddess wanted me to realize, and to do tonight.

After I was done with the rituals, I walked out under the dark moon and gave my altar offerings to the Goddess' other creatures, and gave libation of Her water to the garden. I turned circles, slowly, and thanked the Godesses for showing me the way.

Truly a remarkable evening, under the dark moon.

I noticed that my black candle burned down with the wax making figures at the "9 o'clock" hour---that is the time that my release came! very interesting!

7/5/05 dark moon.