Harvest Moon

Tonight is the first time in nearly twenty years that there has been a true harvest moon. For tonight there is a full moon at the time of the autumnal equinox and in some parts of the world there will be a super harvest moon as the sun sets and the moon rises both at the same time. It is such an event that major news sources have commented on it and for me it is fascinating.

Traditionally the light of the Harvest Moon was used by farmers to allow them to harvest the crops late into the night and it is often seems bigger and brighter than other full moons, although this is really an illusion. In many cultures it has a special place and a lot of folklore has grown up about it, for example Witches believe that it symbolizes the Goddess at her most fertile and so becomes a good time for creating change, while in China it's arrival is a time for a mid autumn festival that represents the reunion of families. Examples like this can be found from all around the world.

Since I was young the moon, especially the full moon, has fascinated me.  For some reason really unknown to me I have always thought of the full moon as special in some way. I see it as uniting people who are distant in some way, so maybe the idea of Chinese festival is not to far off the mark. You could say it is fanciful thinking but who knows what is possible in this world that we live in. There is still so much mystery in the world that maybe the old festivals and beliefs have some greater meaning.