Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Barley Moon of August

August's full moon is the moon of First Harvest and gathering in, purple clover and fields of waving barley, all pink and ivory and silver, vegetables in gardens, the fruit in our orchards, grapes on the vine. It's all about filling our larders and putting things by for leaner times. Watching over everything is that fabulous moon turning ever more golden as we dance into autumn and longer nights.

I count the empty quart sealers and jam jars in my larder and wonder if there are sufficient receptacles to hold this year's harvest. There are frequent stops at farm gates for heirloom varieties of summer squash and heads of cauliflower in vibrant colors. We dream of pumpkins and gourds, Indian corn, the season's first MacIntosh apples and cold-pressed cider.

We also know this moon as the: Acorns Ripen Moon, Apple Moon, Autumn Moon, Berry Moon, Big Harvest Moon, Big Ripening Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Blackberry Moon, Blueberry Moon, Brewer's Moon, Centáwen Moon, Cherries Turn Black Moon, Claim Moon, Coho Salmon Return to Earth Moon, Corn Is in Silk Moon, Corn Cutting Moon, Corn Moon, Crest of the Hill Moon, Dahlia Moon, Dispute Moon, Dog Days Moon, Drying up Moon, Ninth Moon, Elembivos Moon, End of Fruit Moon, Feather Shedding Moon, Flying Moon, Fruit Moon, Gathering Rice Moon, Geese Shedding Feathers Moon, Gathering In Moon, Gladiolus Moon, Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Green Moon, Harvest Moon, Hazel Moon, Joyful Moon, Lammas Moon, Leaves Moon, Lightning Moon, Middle Moon, Moon of First Harvest, Moon of Freshness, Moon of Life at It's Height, Moon When Young Ducks Begin to Fly, Moon When All Things Ripen, Moon When Cherries Are Ripe, Moon When Elk Bellow, Moon When Geese Shed Their Feathers, Moon When Indian Corn Is Edible, Much Heat Moon, Mulberries Moon, Paper Bark Moon, Pear Blossom Moon, Plum Moon, Red Berries Gathered Moon, Red Moon, Ripe Berries Moon, Ripe Corn Moon, Rising Moon, Starts to Fly Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Tall Grass Moon, Thumb Moon, Vegetation Moon, Wode Moon, Wheat Cutting Moon, Wild Rice Moon, Women's Moon, Wood Cutter’s Moon, Wort Moon.

I am rather fond of "Life at Its Height Moon" and "Gathering In Moon".

2 comments:

Deirdre said...

I like Moon When Elk Bellow - it sounds full of life and made me giggle.

I did a jar count yesterday too and realized I need to buy more jars. The satisfaction of putting up the harvest runs a close second to eating it during the year.

Peaceful/Paisible said...

it was gorgeous here too, and I didn't forget you at nine o'clock...