The full Harvest Moon rises this evening -- obliquely, close to the horizon -- and remains big and bright for a long time, giving extra light to harvesters. This moon is called Atchiutchutin, the After-Harvest moon, by the Kalapuya of our area, because the big harvest in our area comes earlier. We are enjoying the last weeks of the sun-baked summer, a profound and abundant time of the year.
Today is also the start of Chung Ch’iu, the 3-day Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It's a happy and beautiful Asian family celebration that comes each year at the time of the full moon in September or October.
We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.
Agenda for today:
1. Take a vision walk
2. Celebrate synergy
1. Take a vision walk
2. Celebrate synergy
3. Make moon cakes
4. Have a moon-viewing party
1. Take a vision walk:
Today I remind myself of my intentions for the month, and then celebrate how far I've come, give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received, and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Each month I choose a different way to celebrate the full moon, and I am ready to celebrate synergy (over the next few days) in these ways:
For a similar but more complex and traditional recipe see Food52.
6. Remove the moon cakes from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
7. Have a Moon Viewing Party:
4. Have a moon-viewing party
1. Take a vision walk:The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be surprised by the clarity of my insights.
I celebrate each new day and the Truth it brings. But I am happily aware that I will never have an orderly shelf-full of the Truth. Truth is a mystery - it hides in the shadows, revealed to me one bit at a time. I am so happy to know this, because it releases me from the need to have all the answers. My real work is to ask all the questions.
Today I'm going to settle into silence and access my intuitive mind - my connection to the Creator and the Inner Guide - and seek a leading of the spirit with an open mind and heart, using these queries:
What are the questions I am asking? What new paths are calling to me?
Where do I need inspiration or a helping hand? Who are the angels in my life?
What is the unity I am seeking? What skills and insights do I have to offer as a team member? Where am I called to leadership, and what skills do I need to build?
2. Celebrate synergy:
My theme this month is synergy - the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, live holistically, and work tirelessly towards a better end. Synergy is 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.Today I remind myself of my intentions for the month, and then celebrate how far I've come, give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received, and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Each month I choose a different way to celebrate the full moon, and I am ready to celebrate synergy (over the next few days) in these ways:
- Work on a team project - making a prototype pair of butterfly wings for a peace celebration.
- Explore a new path with my painting, with a golden symbol.
- Write a new lesson plan for art class that is wholistic and energizing.
5. Make moon cakes:
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 went every year. The bakery that made the moon cakes gave us this recipe, an Americanized version, and that's the recipe my family has made and loved for 25 years.
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 went every year. The bakery that made the moon cakes 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.
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 moon cakes on an un-greased pan. Whisk an egg yolk with a little water until smooth and spoon a little over each moon cake. Dot the center with a chopstick dipped in red food coloring (for good luck). Bake for 15 minutes at 350ºF.
5. Place moon cakes on an un-greased pan. Whisk an egg yolk with a little water until smooth and spoon a little over each moon cake. Dot the center with a chopstick dipped in red food coloring (for good luck). Bake for 15 minutes at 350ºF.
6. Remove the moon cakes from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.In China, the big event is a picnic outside to admire the moon, with tea, moon cakes and round fruits (a symbol of family unity).
The 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.
After moon viewing, we sometimes write poetry to show our appreciation of the moon.
No comments:
Post a Comment