If your garden is like mine, you’ve been harvesting for weeks. By the time this Harvest Moon rises, much of summer’s bounty has already been gathered, eaten, canned, dehydrated or frozen. The Equinox has passed and a new season has begun. But the year isn’t over. Three months still lie ahead. And this Harvest Moon rises in Aries, a sign that knows something about desire. Which makes this a good time to ask: What do you still want from this year?
Before you leap ahead, bless your desire with a little Moon magic. This ritual is a simple revision of an ancient lunar ceremony. On the morning of the Harvest Moon, ask yourself this timely question: What do you still want from this year? Gently return to it several times throughout the day. Don’t settle too quickly on an answer. Let your wants surprise you.
On the night of the Harvest Moon, as the Sun sets and moonrise begins, return to the desires that surfaced during the day. Which one has the most life in it? Which one gives you a little thrill when you imagine it coming true? That’s the one to choose for this simple ritual.
If you can, step outside to a private place. Stand beneath the sky, open and unguarded—undressing if the night is mild, or simply imagining the feeling of being bare to the Moon’s light. Nakedness was often required in old lunar rites, but here it is also a metaphor: to be unarmored, vulnerable, and receptive.
With your eyes on the Moon, gently scrub or stroke your skin as though you were bathing in her beams. Breathe, soften, and when you feel ready, remember the desire you wish to fulfill. Ask Luna to bless it. Ask her to energize your good fate. Ask Luna to bless it. Ask her to energize your good fate. And then, give her a chance to answer. Turn your eyes skyward and watch for her response:
- If the Moon glows steadily, it’s a quiet yes.
- If the Moon brightens, it’s a resounding yes!
- If a cloud drifts across her face, you may need to refine or reshape your desire.
Fortunately, the Harvest Moon gives you more than one night to continue the conversation. At this time of year, the Moon’s path meets the horizon at a shallow angle, so she rises only a little later on successive evenings. For several nights, a nearly full Moon appears close to sunset—the generous autumn moonlight that once gave farmers extra time to bring in the harvest.
So sometime this weekend, go outside at sunset. Take your desire with you. You’ve got three months left in this year, and perhaps something wonderful can still happen. Ask the Moon what she thinks.
Leave a Reply