September 2
As the full moon completes its evening rounds, raven—harbinger of transformational change—sweeps across the dawn sky rippling the air with its sleek black body and wings—kraw, kraw, kraw. Raven has been absent from the trees and skies for many weeks—weeks of dry hot weather. I have felt the dryness in myself and welcome her appearance with anticipation. Soon the wind rises up—wildly shaking the leaves, emptying pent-up energies of earth and sky. The temperature falls into the 70s. What a relief! I manage to walk home before the rains begin—slow, gentle—the kind of rain that sinks easily into parched dry soil—soil receptive like the moon.
Since ancient times, the full moon has been celebrated around the world. In Japan, moon viewing parties were an opportunity to pay homage to the moon’s perfection with performances of traditional dance, poetry, and music. These celebrations arose from the same Japanese esthetic that reveres nature—so beautifully expressed in the Japanese garden replicating in exquisite miniature—the natural landscape. One of the great poets of 17th century Japan, Matsuo Bashō, honored the moon with pen and ink.
viewing the moon
no one at the party
has such a beautiful face
The moon reached perfection today at twenty-two minutes past midnight. The full moon is the face of the Divine Feminine. The full moon is a bowl of golden milk—milk of the Great Mother. The full moon is a mirror reflecting all the light there is—proof of an intelligent universe. Our bodies have been lent to us by the moon and the stars. The composite is finite. The atoms are infinite. When the atoms of our body are dispersed, its light withdraws again to the moon and the stars. The Great Recycling of Light continues. Transformation is never-ending—especially when raven is near.
The Healing Breath of Life 