Ahh, the great celestial pendulum has swung and the fall equinox has made it official, autumn is here. Time for cozy sweaters, steamy pots of spiced squash soup and leaping into piles of crunchy maple leaves ...Yeah, we have none of that here in Hawaii-- but we can dream! And dream we will this great night of the Harvest Moon.
The Harvest Moon is an enchanting sight to behold. Those in the northern atmosphere this fine fall evening will bask under the warmth of it’s glow. Look for it soon after sunset, this horizon-hovering moon appears to be larger than life, and more fiery than your average moon. Some say it’s magic, others say it’s a trick-of-the eye, and the more scientifically inclined will explain it’s the dust in our atmosphere that gives it the pumpkin-like glow. Seeing the moon in relation to other objects near the horizon line make it appear larger. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, observing this act of nature in motion is a special event, an offering that only comes once a year.
The harvest moon gets its name from the tradition of farmers using the light of the full moon to harvest their ripened crops. Because the harvest moon rises near dusk and sets late into the night, laborers were afforded an illuminated night sky and with it, the opportunity to work late into the evening. Visions of cornucopias spilling over with heirloom tomatoes, giant zucchini squash, bittersweet pomegranates, and succulent grapes come to mind. A plentiful harvest is a manifestation that the seeds sowed, nurtured, and cared for have come to fruition, and it is time to reap the blessings.
You may not be a farmer, but if you’re a dreamer like us, you can celebrate the harvest moon by finding some quiet time tonight to look outside your window and gaze at that mysterious orb floating in the sky. As you do, feel your connection to all that is, and how nature has always provided for you. Take time to reflect on your blessings and what you have gained by nurturing yourself.
And, remember that the great pumpkin, heavy and solid- was once just a small seed. The harvest moon is an opportune time to think about the fact that most all of our blessings are the results of the seeds we plant, in other words, the intentions we set. Give yourself time to dream and choose your seeds carefully. As William Wordsworth so eloquently stated, “your mind is the garden, your thoughts are the seeds, the harvest can either be flowers or weeds.”
All of us at Honey Girl Organics wish you sweet, nurturing and plentiful dreams as you rest under the glow of tonight's harvest moon!
