Tonight is the full moon,
This full moon is called the Harvest Moon, because it rises obliquely and remains big and bright for a long time, giving extra light to harvesters. This is a good time to see things that are normally hidden, and to act on the work I need to do as this year winds down.
This particular full moon is a super moon, because it reaches it's closest point to earth within an hour of when it rises tonight, and will appear bigger than normal. It won't be that close again until November 2016. In addition, we will see an eclipse of the moon tonight, soon after it rises- so, a pretty special moon!
This particular full moon is a super moon, because it reaches it's closest point to earth within an hour of when it rises tonight, and will appear bigger than normal. It won't be that close again until November 2016. In addition, we will see an eclipse of the moon tonight, soon after it rises- so, a pretty special moon!
Today is also the start of the Chung Ch’iu, the 3-day Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It's a happy and beautiful family celebration that comes each year at the
time of the Harvest full moon, celebrated as a harvest festival and also the moon’s birthday. Ancient Chinese emperors worshipped the full harvest moon in order to help assure a good harvest. Later it became popular to appreciate the moon instead- admiring her beauty, and writing poetry in her honor.
Agenda for today:
1. Altar:
It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next month. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of the Spirit do I want to invoke?  |
| Engagement photo- 1978 |
Today I added-
- my straw doll, for luck and protection.
- a blue candle, for unity.
- an early photo of me and W, as a symbol of synergy.
I was struggling today to think of a meaningful symbol for synergy for my altar, and it came to me that the place I consistently experience synergy is in my marriage. I chose a photo from our youth to remind me that the hard work of being part of a team is ultimately worth the effort.
2. Journal:
2. Journal:
Review the intentions I set 2 weeks ago, at the new moon. Review also the goals I set at the beginning of the year.
Do these aims all still seem vital?
What are my next steps?
What changes are most difficult for me to face now? (Can I see them as creative fuel?)
From my journal: I feel disappointed that I'm not able to teach this year at school. No matter how I rationalize it, I still have an empty place in my heart. I need to have faith that the perfect new gift of opportunity will flow into that space if I leave it open. AND keep offering out new classes from my home studio.
What are my next steps?
What changes are most difficult for me to face now? (Can I see them as creative fuel?)
From my journal: I feel disappointed that I'm not able to teach this year at school. No matter how I rationalize it, I still have an empty place in my heart. I need to have faith that the perfect new gift of opportunity will flow into that space if I leave it open. AND keep offering out new classes from my home studio.
3. Practice at my theme:
The full moon is a time to celebrate life-- be more creative, stay up late, exercise harder, and see friends. The crazy full moon energy builds and builds; it’s best to acknowledge it so it doesn’t throw you off balance.
This surge of full moon energy allows me to take action on intentions I set two weeks ago, and which have been incubating in my mind.
My theme this month is synergy, the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, and work tirelessly towards a better end. It’s the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are-- they will change. You create synergy in your life when you make the effort to see clearly, stay open-minded, and take persistent right action. Synergy will allow you to experience the people in your life as angels, and the places you live, work and play as paradise.
I'm organizing a big workshop right now, with the help of many other people. Teamwork is not my forte- I am self-employed for a reason! I need to give attention to the usefulness of synergy, and the skills I need to develop for successful group-work:
- Take it slow: No need to feel rushed or anxious.
- Remember how to interact successfully with different personalities.
- Seek to understand different opinions.
- Study up on how to facilitate group creativity.
- Remember to wait for the unity that comes with divine insight.
“True unity may be found under great apparent differences. This unity is spiritual, it expresses itself in many ways, and we need divine insight that we may recognize its working. We need forbearance, sympathy, and love, in order that, while remaining loyal to the truth as it comes to us, we may move forward with others to a larger and richer experience and expression of the will of God.”
~ London Yearly Meeting, 1916
4. Make mooncakes:
Normally on this blog I would give you an authentic Chinese recipe, but this simplified recipe has sentimental tradition in our family.
When my children were young, the city library hosted a Moon Festival event every fall, with telescopes, Asian writing and crafts, hot tea, and all the moon cakes you could eat. We wemt every year.
The bakery that made the mooncakes gave us this recipe, an Americanized version, and that's the recipe my family has made and loved for 25 years.
For a similar but more complex and traditional recipe see Food52.
Ingredients:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Make 8 large marbles of bean paste, and put them in the freezer to chill. (You might need flour on your hands.)
2. Mix together the flour and butter until crumbly. Mix in the sour cream; stir until dough forms into a ball.
3. Knead the dough a few times then divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then pat to flatten into thick 5-inch circles.
4. Put a marble of sweet red bean paste in the center of each circle, fold the edges up over the filling, and seal. Shape each into a fat round moon. If you have a mold, you can press it in now, but it's not necessary.
5. Place mooncakes on an un-greased pan, and dot the center with a chopstick dipped in red food coloring (for good luck). Bake for 15 minutes at 350ºF. Meanwhile, whisk an egg yolk with a little water until smooth.
6. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then brush on the egg wash, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
When my children were young, the city library hosted a Moon Festival event every fall, with telescopes, Asian writing and crafts, hot tea, and all the moon cakes you could eat. We wemt every year.
The bakery that made the mooncakes gave us this recipe, an Americanized version, and that's the recipe my family has made and loved for 25 years.
For a similar but more complex and traditional recipe see Food52.
Ingredients:- sweet red bean paste
- 1 c. flour
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1/4 c. sour cream
- red food color (optional)
3. Knead the dough a few times then divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then pat to flatten into thick 5-inch circles.
4. Put a marble of sweet red bean paste in the center of each circle, fold the edges up over the filling, and seal. Shape each into a fat round moon. If you have a mold, you can press it in now, but it's not necessary.
5. Place mooncakes on an un-greased pan, and dot the center with a chopstick dipped in red food coloring (for good luck). Bake for 15 minutes at 350ºF. Meanwhile, whisk an egg yolk with a little water until smooth.
We had a party tonight with a few friends. After dinner we wrote poetry -- well, we wrote words in chinese -- to show our appreciation of the moon. And what a moon tonight! The eclipse was fantastic!After moon viewing, we ate our moon cakes and some fruit (round fruits are a symbol of family unity.)
In China, the Moon Festival continues for three days with games and fun. During this time it is believed that flowers fall from the moon and anyone sharp-eyed enough to see them will have very good fortune.
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