2015 Hunter’s Moon: Do not mistake softness for weakness.

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3P Steam The Empress Steam Moon Steam

((Reading from bottom to top.))

I love Autumn! A season full of changing possibilities – weather, colors, festivities, treats – all varied and wonderful!

Unfortunately, it is also a season of closure, completion, death. For many people, Autumn is a sad time, watching everything turn from vibrant and alive to withered and dry. If you have ever read Mike Royko’s November Farewell, you know exactly the feeling of loss. (If not, you may read it at http://michaelsherwood.com/RoykoNovember.html.)

This year, let us honor the Hunter’s Moon with understanding; Autumn is both beautiful and bittersweet. We enjoy the crisp apples, hot cider, and falling leave but we are also slightly saddened by the understanding of coming winter. This duality of feeling is not weakness but rather a softness in our hearts for all of the birth, death and rebirth that came before as well as those that will surely follow us. That softness is an understanding of the impermanence of all things, a reminder to love and to enjoy while you can because you have no way to know when the opportunity will be suddenly lost.

I know what you are thinking: Sheesh!!! Maudlin alert!!! How am I supposed to enjoy my pumpkin spice latte while thinking about death?!?!?!?

Take another look at the cards above; beware the traps of drama, wallowing and melancholia (Moon, Three of Swords, Five of Cups). Remember, there is a big difference between the emotional release of a good cry, and the relentless slipping down of self-serving (and self-defeating) woe-is-me-sadness honoring nothing and no one. Do not allow a touch of Autumn Ennui to turn into a Winter’s Dark Night of the Soul.

I hear you saying: Yes, you say that but you don’t tell me how!!!

For a little seasonal self-care that increases enjoyment and appreciation but does not encourage martyrdom, I enjoy and recommend the following:

Tell your favorite stories. Everyone has favorite stories – family stories, friend stories, sad stories, happy stories – and those stories keep our loves alive. Share those stories; tell them as much as you like – start a blog! – and honor those memories.

Light a bonfire. Gather with friends and enjoy the warmth and glow of the fire and each other. Celebrate the changing season by recapping the joys of summers past, and making plans for the upcoming holidays. In honor of those no longer with us, throw some herbs or flowers into the fire; lavender, rosemary and sage are good for remembrance as well as energy boosts.

Heat up the kitchen. Cook or bake well-established family recipes. Dad’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, Grandma’s Best Tuna Casserole, Auntie’s Award-Winning Sunshine Layer Cake. Make the family recipes and share them with family and friends. It does not need to be an occasion and you can share as little or as much of the recipe’s story as you like.

Have a chat. Every once in a while, I would miss someone so much, I would start to cry and talk to them until I felt better. And then one day it occurred to me – I could just talk to them any time I wanted, I did not need to wait until I was nearly overcome with their loss. Now, if I’m thinking about my dad and I want to talk to him, I do; inevitably, I feel better for our chats.

The Hunter’s Moon approaches, and it will usher in Halloween (Samhain, if you prefer) and the Day of All Souls. Love yourself, past, present and future, and honor your losses, feelings and memories; never forget they are a part of you.

((All Steampunk Tarot images courtesy of Google images.))

2015 Beaver Moon arrives 11/25/15

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((Read cards left to right, bottom to top.))

2015 Beaver Moon: Make Ready For The Big Chill

The holidays are upon us! Autumn is giving way and Winter begins to stir – Nature’s beauty and wonder is all around us!

It also an incredibly busy time of year with very definite deadlines: Thanksgiving, 11/26/15; Hanukkah 12/07-14/15; Yule 12/21/15; Christmas Eve, 12/24/15; Christmas Day, 12/25/15; New Year’s Eve, 12/31/15; New Year’s Day, 01/01/16*. For most of us, holiday deadlines almost always mean the same thing – a great deal of last minute running around in a near panic. Do you have all the ingredients? Are the presents wrapped? Did the invitations go out? Where are all the serving spoons?

And let us not forget the perennial favorite, “Never again! This is the last time! We are not doing this next year!!” (Uh-huh.Yeah. Sure you’re not. Good luck with that.)

The reading above makes a very valuable suggestion towards making the holidays a little less frantic and a little more magical; first order of business,attend to the mundane. In many places (such as my home, Chicago), Winter lacks subtlety and Autumn can end quite abruptly – right now, everything is lovely and fun as the seasons change gradually with cooling weather and warming colors – and it is very important to prepare for the less hospitable weather.

  1. Be prepared: If you have not already completed the “winterizing” of your home and car, this is the time to get it wrapped up! Take your car in for service, have the furnace checked, build your emergency kit (candles, radio, batteries, granola/protein bars, bottled water, etc).
  2. Bundle up: Make sure everyone has their winter-wear; gloves/mittens, scarves, hats, boots, etc. I purchase several pairs of gloves before the season gets going because I know random gloves will run away from home when no one is looking. NOTE: These items are often given as Holiday Presents (nothing wrong with that!) but consider giving the present early – the warmth of the gesture is built right in!
  3. Snuggle up: Check on the bedding. Are there plenty of clean sheets and fresh blankets? Take inventory and be sure every bedroom has what it needs to keep warm, particularly fresh blankets – if winter is long and cold, the blankets are unlikely to be washed again before Spring – for a cozy feel.
  4. Warm up: If you have not (or generally do not) stocked your pantry for winter, I would like to suggest you keep on hand the ingredients for simple,comfort food. On my own shelf, I keep chicken broth, pasta, canned chick peas, and canned tomatoes. These few basic ingredients turn into a warm and hearty pasta dish I can make any time, and my family loves it.
  5. Hearth’s glow: Few of us maintain an actual hearth but the positive energy of that warm glow can be achieved with candles. A quality candle (I favor WoodWick as my first choice) provides color, fragrance, and warmth as soon as you light it. Additionally, fragrance choices can impact mood in positive ways.
  6. DELEGATE: There is absolutely no shame in delegating where you are able. Teenagers in your house? GOOD! They can strip the beds, take the linens to the laundry-mat and make the beds when they return. Peapod can deliver canned goods and bottled water, Amazon can deliver anything else. Your significant other can take the car in for service or wait for furnace service to arrive. You are not required to do everything yourself – deputize!

Once the mundane chores are handled, The Spirit of The Holidays will have a place to land – you will be more able to enjoy errands such as shopping and wrapping presents, planning meals, or deciding what activities you might like to initiate (haven’t you always wanted to go sledding?).

The Beaver Moon is industrious – time to get it done!

*List meant to be a sample. For more info, check out http://www.almanac.com/topics/calendar/holidays.  

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((All images courtesy of Google Images. Cards featured: Steampunk Tarot (Moore & Fell). ))