August’s Full moon lunation goes by many names*, depending on your domicile and cultural preference. Named the Red Wyrt, Corn/Barley Moon by Indigenous communities while Chinese folk refer to this lunation as Harvest moon. The calendar month is Osmanthus or Skills (flowers associated with Autumn). You’ll also hear lots of Lunar Eclipse chatter, not visible in Australia but on 28 Aug Luna is technically fullest at 2.18pm in Sydney*(more Full moon times below). Eclipse aside, it’s no ordinary Full Moon.
Read moreFEAST OF APPLES - SAMHAIN
I’ve no doubt candy filled bags of loot and masks of the ghoulish variety are all that’s on the minds of kids. If Halloween fancy dress isn’t your jam, then here’s the download on the true meaning of Samhain. With some very on point cross cultural synergies with Humble apple.
SO WHAT IS SAMHAIN?
Halloween or 'Samhain' (pronounced SOW-win) as Celts called it, was first and foremost a celebration of the end of harvest time and the beginning of a dark half of the calendar year. Naive Irish speakers will know that the calendar months of May and November are called Beltaine and Samhain respectively (oh and August is called Lunasa). These are three of the four Cross Quarter days on the Wheel of the Year, Imbolc in spring completes the quartet. Witches know these markers as Great Sabbats. These power points are Midpoints or Culminating points of a given season - Samhain occurs between the Fall Equinox and Yule (Winter Solstice).
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