Full moon at Samhain (aka Hallowe’en) only happens every 19 years and this is a Blue Moon (second in a month). Planet Mars, the fierce red planet with the highest mountain in the whole solar system is close by. This is a momentous line-up: what can it mean?
Full Moon intensifies awareness of whatever is going on as the moon and sun are in opposition across earth. Moonlight reveals polarities and differences starkly. This full moon falls within the time of Reed in the Celtic Calendar.
Reeds offer us shelter under a thatched roof, fuel and matting and are the foundation for an incredibly rich and diverse reedbed ecosystem. They remind us of home – be it our bodies that house our soulful spirits or the roof over our heads, where we hope for security, relaxation and joy. Now they tend their roots and hold tight onto seeds of potential. In Forest Moons I call this the Hearth Moon – time to consider the hearts of our homes and the people that we would welcome there.
Samhain invokes the Day of the Dead when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. This is a powerful festival for honouring those who have gone before us. Ancestors are entwined within us – their DNA is integrated into our own beautiful bodies. A time also for letting go of what no longer serves – what we wish to be dead to us. Mars symbolises masculine energies with strong desires, energy and action. The survival instinct of humanity and the anger, wrath and aggression that can involve.
Truth is emerging about historical eradication of strong powerful women or witches. These women were too wise, too knowledgeable, too loud or too threatening to the emerging patriarchy and were savagely obliterated. Current crises need feminine wisdom to rise up to eradicate the rule of money. In effective partnership with masculine fire of Mars.
We are in the midst of catastrophes of so many kinds. Joint collaboration between awoken people of all variable genders who can dream a better way into being is needed. This can seem like too big a task when the establishment is holding tight onto power, distracting us with uncaring clowns and resisting compassion in society. There are so many positive initiatives out there with fine people working imaginatively to support and nurture each other in bringing change. A tipping point will come when the old capitalist patriarchal values give way to something wonderful. Something more like the world our ancestors knew, before everything became commodified, when humans integrated with nature and cosmic cycles.
For now, with the Blue Full Reed & Hearth Moon and Planet Mars lighting the night sky, let’s celebrate what we have accomplished in these difficult times, in adapting, evolving and surviving. Light our fires, burn the old, ask the old ones for guidance and dream a better world into being.