Worm Moon in Libra

Good morning all from a very rainy and windy Manhattan.  I almost took the day off, but decided since I was up already, but I tell you, this is the kind of day you love to stay snuggled up in your bed.  The wind was howling and the rain was beating against my window pane. But, once was up and showered, I figured I might as well go,use the sick day another time.  I did almost change my mind once I stepped outdoors, but, heck, a little rain is not going to melt me.  Hope you all are staying warm and dry. 

Moonrise

And who has seen the moon, who has not seen

Her rise from out of the chamber of the deep,

Flushed and grand and naked, as from he chamber

Of finished bridegroom, seen her rise and throw

Confession of delight upon the wave,

Littering the waves with her own superscription

Of bliss, till all her lambent beauty shakes toward us

Spread out and known at last, and we are sure

That beauty is a thing beyond the grave,

That perfect, bright experience never falls

To nothingness, and time will dim the moon

Sooner than our full consummation here

In this odd life will tarnish and pass away.

D.H. Lawrence 

This months full moon is called the Full Worm or Seed Moon.  It heralds the beginning of the growing season, and as the temperature begins to rise and the ground begins to thaw new life appears as the Earth bursts into blossoming beauty.  The Northern tribes called this moon the Full Crow Moon because, to them, the cawing of the crows signified the end of winter.  To the settlers in American, it was also known as the Lenten Moon and was considered to be the last full Moon of the winter.

According to mythology, Demeter has been roaming the Earth in search of her daughter, Persephone,  who was abducted by Hades and carried off into the Underworld.  And, during the winter months, as Demeter neglected Her duties as the Earth Goddess, the seeds didn't sprout, the trees were bare, and a famine hung over the land. Zeus, seeing the world so barren and cold, ordered Hades to let Persephone return, but She had already eaten six pomegranate seeds which meant she could not return to Her mother permanently, but would spend six months in the Underworld with Hades and six months with Her mother.  So, when Persephone is with Hades, Demeter grieves, and we have winter; then, when Persephone returns to Her mother, Spring arrives and the world once again comes to life.

Spring brings with it a special kind of energy, and when this energy arrives, the last thing you want to do is sit still.  Spring Fever sets in and we begin to work in our gardens, give our homes a good cleaning and airing out.  This is a good time to write down ideas, make plans, start new projects.  It is a good time to bless the seeds.  Wear green in honor of the sprouting earth.  Cover your altar with green fabric and decorate it with wildflowers.  With full moon occurring in Libra, it is also a good time to look at issues of balance and harmony in your life.  Consider invoking a goddess of justice and balance such as Ma'at.

May you all have a blessed and joyful day.