Shine on Harvest Moon
Over two-thirds of the way through September. Mabon. The Autumn Equinox. An Indian summer of sorts in the last few days and a Full Harvest Moon last night. I'm contemplating getting out the winter wardrobe and a corner of the kitchen floor is home to a box or two of bulbs to plant in the garden. Last year some of the bulbs moved from kitchen to shed, only to be unearthed in January ..... but this year there are NO excuses. Grown up me is eyeing the leaf blower in a corner of the shed and any spare minute is time to be spent putting the garden to rights for next year. I’ve moved a few plants, added one or two perennials and sown a few seeds of hardy annuals to over winter. There is a particularly fine crop of quince to harvest this year after pretty poor apple pickings.
One of my favourite festivals of the year is Harvest. I love the hymns, the decorated church, the distribution of produce around the parish and the harvest supper. Sadly, this institution has all but faded away in many towns and villages but in these parts it is alive and well. At next week’s Harvest Supper we’ll be sharing food, fun, entertainment and news with friends we haven't seen for a while and celebrate the season. It's a time to be thankful and to connect before moving indoors for the six darker months, being more introspective, learning from the experiences of this year and clearing away the excess enabling a clear path for the future to reveal itself.
Introverts will appreciate that for the next few months as the nights get longer, the pace of life slows down. The energy flows inwards. It's a time to light the fire and candles, to take up indoor projects, to read, to boost your intake of vitamin D, to get out the cosy jumpers and pyjamas and to nourish your body with soups and stews and crumbles. I'll be making chutneys and other goodies in preparation for Christmas over the next few weeks. I have a new batch of apple-infused booze on the go, a good way to use up the paltry amount we picked from our tree.
But for now, the earth is in balance. Staring up at the moon last night was the perfect time for reflection and looking back as well as dreaming and looking forward. I’m grateful for what I’ve grown this year physically and metaphorically.
I hope your own Harvest is a fruitful one.