The hunter, the moon, and the mystery of it all 🏹 🖤
Why October's full moon is the end of an era
Oh, my friend. What an October it has been.
Something deep inside me knew that this month would be dark and deep and shadowy. That it would be powerfully transformative. And, it most certainly was. On both a collective and personal level - with the tragic, devastating war in Palestine and Israel, the horrific mass shootings in the cozy Maine town where I ironically spent my summer caring for my father, and then the passing of my beloved father a few weeks ago. October has been dark.
But, this month is coming to a close now. And the energy is shifting… somewhat. And, while I feel that the dark, deep, shadowy energy of October will continue over these last 4 days of the month, my intuition tells me that the dark, deep, shadowy vibes through Halloween and into November are quite different.
It’s still dark and deep and shadowy - I mean, it is October. However, there is a shift occurring. A quiet, soft, mystical, transformative ending.
Today is the one of the last full moons of 2023. First of all, how is that even possible? Where has 2023 gone? And what has happened? To be honest, I feel like I have been spinning and rooted all at the same time. But, if I stop and think for a moment, I have felt that way since the pandemic started in early 2020. There has been global and personal chaos swirling about for 3 years now. And, while there have been wonderful, beautiful moments, the overall period has been challenging, to say the least.
My little family has experienced many heartbreaks, deaths, endings, disappointments, and sadness throughout the past few years. We have stood together through it all, and become stronger, but also more tender and gentle and grateful for the little things. Personally, living in rhythm with the seasons, following the natural cycles and flow of nature and the cosmos, has kept me grounded, focused, rooted, and balanced. And sane.
In any case, as I mark full moon of October, I am aware that there is a shift in energy occurring. Something big is ending. It is time to release these past few years and begin to cross over into a new era. I’ve spoken with my wife about this many times of the past week or so. Life has changed and we are being invited to move forward.
The energy of autumn reaffirms this feeling. It’s time to let go, to close a chapter, to say farewell to all that has been over the past few years. And, though it is dark and shadowy and unknown ahead, something new is waiting to be born. A new phase in life, a new way of living. And that feels hopeful.
Today’s full moon is known as the Hunter’s moon. It falls during the ending of the harvest season. In the agricultural communities of the past, this is the time of year when hunters and families began to collect, store, and gather all that would be gathered for winter and preparing for the cold, dark months ahead. The hunter is also someone who seeks, searches, and, well, hunts. Whether hunting game or food or something else, a hunt is always a quest for something.
I feel inspired by the archetype of the hunter this year so serve as my guide into the winter months and the unknown journey ahead. What do I need to gather and collect and store under this full moon? What do I need to prepare myself for winter’s rest? What am I seeking? Am I hunting for something? If so, what? What quest am I beginning as the darkest season closes in?
Spontaneously, I feel that I am on the hunt for stability. My quest during the winter months is to simply allow this new energy, this new phase in life unfold. I am seeking quietness, wisdom, gentle moments, balance.
So, as October comes to an end and the full Hunter’s moon hangs overhead this weekend, I welcome the dark, deep, shadowy energy of this season. I am allowing the tears to fall, my heart to hurt, the grief to come in waves, and the moments of laughter to also bubble up. I am rooting myself down in all of it. And letting the energy shift around me and within me.
I may not understand any of it and have tons of questions about all of the mysteries of life and death and pain and love, but I will just let them be a part of me.The full moon inspires and illuminates and reminds me to breathe deep, exhale, and release.
We are just a few days away from the celebration of Halloween and Samhain, so magic and mystery are heightened right now. I suppose I am just going to soak it all in for the next 4 days. The magic, the mystery, the shifting of energies.
What about you, my friend? How are you celebrating this full moon and/or Halloween? What do you need to gather and collect and store under October’s full moon? What do you need to prepare before winter’s rest? What am you seeking? Are you hunting for something?
xoxo. liz.
Thank you for writing this, your words are landing with me so deeply. This full moon I am hunting for freedom. Freedom from the stories, the beliefs of others & the oppressive patriarchal structures we are so conditioned to conform to. Like nature I want to fall & bloom when I feel ready, not when society says so & to not feel like a rebel when I refuse to be in an endless Summer & seek the dormancy of Winter.
"as I mark full moon of October, I am aware that there is a shift in energy occurring. Something big is ending. It is time to release these past few years and begin to cross over into a new era."
Funny you should say that! I've been feeling the same way.