Greetings everyone! We appreciate you're joining in with us as we embrace the beginning of the month of the Strawberry Moon! What a special time of the earthly calendar year this truly is, especially if you enjoy all the wonderful food and drinks that are soon to come of the delicious strawberry like we do.

 

For those of you who are joining with us for the first time, we welcome you first off, and then we'd like to take a quick moment to explain to you the sacredness of why we've come together in such celebration and reverence to Grandmother Moon.

 

You see, every phase of the moon is sacred to us, because we know that eachphase of her monthly cycle is actually the Mother Goddess in a certain stage of her life, and in them she is hoping to teach each of us, especially we females what we call sacred wisdom teachings meaning lessons that each of you can apply in your life in a good medicine way and outcome of a better contentment in life. Each month their is a new and different moon, and each phase of each months moon brings with it an energy which you can and should use in your daily lives as well as in your spells and rituals.

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Most people who still remember the teachings of our ancestors passed, that September brings us what is universally known as "the Harvest Moon", though sometimes referred to as the Wine Moon or the Singing Moon as well. For the most part though, the Harvest Moon is what we call her because this is the time of year when the last of the crops are being gathered from the fields and stored for the winter. There's a chill in the air, and the earth is slowly beginning its move towards dormancy as the sun pulls away from us.

 

Historically in what we now call "America" September’s moon refers to the time of year important to the a tribe’s survival through the winter. Corn, the native Americans’ most important food, was ready to harvest. September’s moon might also be called the Harvest Moon if it was the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox. For the Chippewa and Ojibwe for whom the rice harvest was essential, it was the “rice moon.” Other mentions of harvesting were made by the Cherokee, who called it “nut moon;” the Choctaw, for whom it was “little chestnut moon;” and the Shawnee who observed the “pawpaw moon.” September’s moon by most were to do with the seasonal natural changes as were mentioned by the Assiniboine with “yellow leaf moon;” and the Cheyenne with “drying grass moon;” and even among the Omaha with “moon when the deer paw the earth.”

 

The Gods/Goddesses honored during this moon's month include: Demeter, Freyja, Brighid, and Vesta, as well as other deities encompassing the harvest that are appropriate to honor in September, especially specifically those connected to vines and vegitation.

 

Harvest Moon is when we give gratitude for the harvest we’ve already received, the abundant friends, lovers, passions, and support from the Universe.

 

For Chinese people everywhere, this full Moon is the occasion for the Festival of the August Moon (the “August” is through a calendar discrepancy) or Mid-Autumn Festival (in some cultures, the equinoxes and solstices have been considered the middle of the seasons). This festival is celebrated with joyful games and the eating of “Mooncakes.”

 

This is a month of hearth and home. Spend some time preparing your environment for the upcoming chilly months. If you don't already have one, set up a hearth or kitchen altar for those times when you're cooking, baking and canning. Use this time to clear out clutter—both physical and emotional—before you have to spend the long winter days inside. Also too, as you plan ahead for the coming winter months - stockpile magical supplies and ingredients so that you'll have them on hand when it's too cold or snowy to get them fresh.

 

Harvest moon is a season about reaping what you have sown. Remember those seeds you planted in the spring—not just the physical seeds, but the spiritual and emotional ones? This is the season where they are bearing fruit; take advantage of all of your hard work, and collect the bounty you deserve. Use this time of year to pay things forward, both materially and magically.