While it is certain we will have many hot and muggy days ahead, this August in Kentucky has been mild and beautiful. If you sit perfectly still and allow your senses to engage the magic of season the change is almost palatable. The trees seem a bit more sleepy and the animals a tad more intense, all in anticipation of the dark cool days of Autumn. For me I think of this time of the year as the beginning of the "season of the witch".
I was sitting in the park yesterday watching my silly Cocker Spaniel puppy play with the other dogs, he rolled down the hill then up he would jump only to be knocked down again. As I observed his play, my mind wandered to things of the mundane such as: my health, bills, the many projects I could be working on, and other issues. I noticed my body had become tense, breathing was increased and the happy smile I had possessed just a few minutes earlier had been wrestled from my face, thrown to the ground and had its butt kicked by a worried scowl…YUCK!
After many years of meditation and spirit work I know that to fight these emotions and thoughts are vain, we must flow with the river not against it. So putting my focus back on the pups running up the hill I thought again about how they seemed to have no worries, no cares. Total focus was placed on fun, movement and in the case of my dog, determining who else on the hill had dog treats!
The full moon for August will occur on the 20th, in my tradition it is known as the Fruit Moon and will be in Aquarius. Now is the time to take every opportunity to plant seeds for the coming year. For my family and community this was the time of the year we would acknowledge the relationship and dependency between the animal kingdom and human kingdoms.
I am reminded of spending time along the banks of the Green River as a child. Every August around the full moon my Grandmother and I would go out to the River, just a few steps down a steep bank and across some ancient stone steps. She would carry a big bag of cornmeal and bird seed. I would wait every year for her to tell me the story of the animal kingdom changing courts and rulers during this season. It would begin;
Today, today, today
The royal wedding is
Was this why you were born,
Destined for joy by the Gods.
And unto joy of the Gods Designed?
Pointing up at a squirrel she would determine where in the process our furry friends were in choosing a King and Queen. If they were lazing about that meant they were still in the process of choosing a new king and queen, If they were scurrying about they had just chosen the rulers for the coming winter and were busily preparing for the long cold nights ahead, sure to have plenty to eat for their new leaders.
Each time she would excitedly and dramatically proclaim, "The King and Queen have been crowned Long Live The Royals"!!! When I was young, though it may seem silly, I would get so excited about this. We would then reach into our sacks of seed and meal and place them respectfully around the banks and bushes. It was our intention to help the animals around our house to bring an impressive bounty of treasured food to their new King and Queen! It was a recurring theme with her that we were and are our brothers and sisters keepers. We should and must look out for each other. To Grandmother our brothers and sisters included all living things. The Gods help anyone who would mistreat an animal and my Grandmother found out about it. My skin still gets bumpy and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end when I think about the Magick she reserved for those who would do such a thing…but that is for a different day!
The August Moon, while in my tradition was known as the Fruit or Mulberry Moon, later become known as the Dog Days Moon by the early settlers in this land. Though we now are more European in lineage than native, to my Grandmother and myself it is still the fruit moon and I still believe there is a rabbit, snake or deer out there somewhere waiting to be crowned King or Queen!
The world in which I lived some 40 years ago, was much different now when one thinks of our relationships to animals. Many household pets never came in the house, and would never see a doctor. Our dogs held a purpose, to hunt for food and to stand watch over our home. This has changed for most of us, I hold to the notion that as we moved from the piscean age into the aquarian age, from a masculine note to a more maternal feminine cosmic note our relationship with animals became more emotional and less utilitarian.
So in honor of her memory and in the memory of our animal friends who have crossed over the previous 12 months, I ask that you take a couple of steps to honor those beings in our realm who live for the moment.
1. As you are able donate your time and/or money to non profit groups in your area who work with animals.
2. Go outside to a place you feel connected with spirit and repeat the following words as often as you wish. While this has been paraphrased a bit, the words, phrases and intentions can be traced back over 200 years in my family. My Grandmother would recite this (to the best of my memory) every year at the Fruit moon. Usually spoken in a mixture of Kant and a native tongue.
Most exalted and illumined ones,
you who run through the Forrest and meadows with abandon.
You who live in our homes standing guard over our sleeping selves and possessions.
You who journey with us in spirit as we walk among the realms, ensuring we find our way home.
You who swim in the waters and fly in the heavens.
We/I acknowledge your divinity and your realness, we offer our respect and reverence, for you allow us to partake in your worlds experience.
Oh elevated spirit, I ask that you remove any discomfort, any pain, any fear that may attempt to intrude upon our animal friends. For we know to live as a creature of the wood, water or air is to climb the ladder to enlightenment.
So it is So it is……
Many blessings to all and continued bliss!
Andrew Jaycen
Many blessings to all and continued bliss!
Andrew Jaycen
Offered in honor of Chief, Fallon, Magnolia, Bubbles, Hannah, Sadie and any and all others who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge in advance of us. Run, play and eat we shall see you soon.
