September Heights, day 4: Moon

Inspired by the theme at

Today's theme is one of my favorites ... Moon. I love the moon in all her manifestations and all those wonderful nicknames she is given through history. This is the September Heights so I associate this theme with the moon of Autumn which is, in my opinion the most wonderful one as it is (and was) for the classical and modern Japanese poets.

Corn Moon or Harvest Moon, the full moon of September

The full moon of September is called Corn Moon or Harvest Moon. This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon.
I love all those different names for our natural satelite the moon.

Credits: Chrysanthemum Moon

In China the full moon off September is called Chrysanthemum Moon and in the classical Celtic culture the September full moon was called Singing Moon (or Muin - Vine -) as this month is named in the Tree or Ogham calendar). It has been so named in reference to the festive attitude known to every laborer who has toiled to complete work necessary to the survival of the community and now celebrates the completion of those labors.

This is a time for the exhilaration that comes with rest after your labors. Whether you know this as the Beaver Moon, the Fog Moon, or the Singing Moon, you are able to feel all energies marching resolutely toward completion, acceptance, and mellowing. The balance of light and darkness brought by the Autumnal Equinox on 9-21 is the culmination to be found at this turn of the Wheel.
The Summer King, mortally wounded by the grain harvests, prepares to make his way to the Summerlands deep within the mysterious underworld where all things are bound to travel before they are renewed with the spring. In his final sacrifice he offers to take your deepest fear, your heaviest burden, and your bitterest heartache with him on his journey.
This charitable offer to help you as you clear away your regrets and clean-up physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter should be mirrored in your own offers of charity as your thoughts turn from what you need to preserve to carry your hearth and home through the darkness to come to what those around you still need to safely carry them through what is to come also.
The releasing of sorrows at this time of year is common to many cultures and often villagers would bring small representations of their regrets in the form of "corn dollies" to be thrown in the communal balefires lit to burn away the waste and unneeded husks of the recent harvest. (Source: Midnight Moonchild's website)

Singing Moon

Enough inspiration I think to write a haiku (or a few haiku) with the moon as theme. So let me try ...

through the broken window
I can see the Harvest Moon -
a love song for my wife

a love song for my wife
white Chrysanthemums and red roses
Singing Moon

Singing Moon
the Old Celtic druids already knew
Autumn equinox

Autumn equinox
I look at the Corn Moon
through the broken window

Well ... what do you think ... a canticle for the full moon of September ... see you all tomorrow

By the way: I hope to catch up with reading all your entries at September Heights. So much to read and so less time.