This month we have two full moons, October 1 and 31. Traditionally, the full moon in September is the Harvest Moon and the October Full Moon is called the Blood Moon. Any time that there are two full moons in a month, the second one is called the Blue Moon. So that is what we have this year. The Blood Moon is on the 1st and the Blue Moon is on the 31st, which is Halloween.
The names of the moons originated earlier in time and they reflect what is going on in nature at that time. So if you think about it, the blood that is referred to is that traditionally, hunters go out at this time of year to shoot game and preserve meat for the winter. Even to this day, this time of year is hunting season. A metaphorical question for those of us who are not actually out hunting animals, we can ask ourselves what we are hunting for now? What are we hunting for that will give us something we need or want? The spirit of this season shines a light on our relationships and lessons we have learned about them. You will see how just a little farther into this article.
Farmers would also be culling herds and butchering meat at this time of year for the same reason. That is where the name comes from, not from horror movies.
Why do we have blue moons? In early human history, a month was always a moon cycle, from new to full back to dark again. So every month back then had the same number of days. This was important for people to work with. If you enjoy Farmer's Almanacs like I do, you see that there are always tables in there not only for planting and harvesting, there are also days for starting and ending business, indications for fishermen and sailors as to good times for their activities, weather patterns, and many other things. The moon affects people because just as it regulates tides, our bodies are mostly water, so the moon affects us too. That is why people have emotional responses to full moons.
The calendar that is in common use today is called the Gregorian Calendar which was created by Pope Gregory of the Catholic Church back in October of 1582. And this is why today we have different numbers of days in different months and Leap Years. This makes absolutely no sense in terms of the natural world. In essence, he changed the definition of month from a period of 4 weeks to random groupings of days. So with all the unevenness in months, as time circles round from year to year, some years have no blue moons and some have more than one.
You can see how much more sense a calendar makes when there were 28 days in every month and every month new moons and full moons would come about the same time. There were no blue moons with the earliest calendars. The word month is derived from the word moon. And since the Gregorian Calendar became dominant, months can contain 28, 29, 30 or 31 days. So personally, I feel that the old calendars made a lot more sense.
So this year, the full moon on Halloween itself will be a Blue Moon which should be very interesting. It still contains the energy of the season of harvesting and hunting and preparing for winter. But Blue Moon energy is always special because it is infrequent and can add some spiritual juice to whatever you are doing.
We have much to be grateful for, even in this crazy year. We have had interruptions to our schedules and ways of working and playing. And we have made some discoveries about our selves and our connections. Notice what things became more important and what things became less important. Notice what people who kept in touch or got closer during this period.
And remember that the original significance of the Day of the Dead (Aztec) and Samhain (Irish) traditions was to honor those who we knew who died this year. Some people also remember pets who died too. Taking that day and ceremony is very healing as we recall those we knew who are gone but taught us valuable lessons and shared important experiences with us life and love.
These holidays are both celebrated at this time of year and are the root of what we have come to know and celebrate as Halloween. Not horror show stuff, but gratitude. Notice how gratitude keeps coming up? Notice how spirit keeps coming up?
If the events of this year have us feeling more emotional this month it is a natural progression. Use this time to notice how the presence of those who are gone now have helped us lift up to a higher dimension of spirituality and consciousness. Remember the joy they brought to our lives, the challenges, the sweetness and the sorrow. In so doing, by observing some sort of personal ritual that expresses this intent, we will process our grieving and gain some value that will give us the courage to move forward. And some of those we knew and loved in this lifetime may be continuing on with us as spirit guides.
So this is a traditional time of great magic. Make good use of it.
I always love hearing from you, so feel free to reach out if you are feeling moved to do so. Have a wonderful day!
No comments:
Post a Comment