The Harvest Moon, a captivating full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, has been a source of inspiration and reverence across cultures for centuries. This luminous event not only marks the transition from summer to fall but also serves as a crucial time for farmers as they gather the fruits of their labor. This month of September the full moon will achieve its full glow on 17th.
Historically, the Harvest Moon was significant for agrarian societies. Before the advent of modern farming techniques, farmers even relied on the light of the Harvest Moon to extend their working hours — the full moon illuminated fields during the night, and allowed them for the harvest of crops like corn, pumpkins, and other late-season fruits and vegetables.
Various cultures around the world celebrate the Harvest Moon with festivals and rituals. In many East Asian countries, the Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is held to honor the moon and celebrate the harvest. Families gather to enjoy mooncakes, share stories, and give thanks for the bountiful harvest.
In Native American culture, the Harvest Moon is often linked to the start of the hunting season, as communities prepare for the winter months ahead. Ceremonies and gatherings are common, emphasizing gratitude and the importance of community.
Astronomy and Appearance of the Harvest Moon
Astronomically, the Harvest Moon typically occurs in September or early October. Unlike other full moons, it rises shortly after sunset, providing additional light for nighttime activities. This phenomenon occurs because the angle of the moon’s orbit is more aligned with the horizon during this time of year.
The Harvest Moon is often characterized by its warm, golden hue, which results from its position near the horizon. The lower the moon appears, the more atmospheric scattering occurs, giving it a beautiful amber glow that enhances the autumnal atmosphere.
Harvest Moon and Tarot
The Harvest Moon stands as a powerful reminder of the connection between humanity and nature. It encapsulates the essence of gratitude for the harvest, the changing seasons, and the beauty of the night sky. As we gather with loved ones during this time, the Harvest Moon invites us to reflect on the abundance in our lives and the importance of community.
The Results of Your Work
What can I expect to harvest? This card represents the tangible and intangible outcomes of your efforts. It can reveal achievements, personal growth, or even lessons learned.
The Best Way to Collect the Harvest
How should I accumulate the harvest? This card offers guidance on how to approach gathering your rewards, whether through collaboration, self-care, or strategic planning.
Energies That Will Support Me
What energies will support me in collecting my results? This card highlights the forces or influences around you that will aid your endeavors. It could point to supportive relationships, personal strengths, or timely opportunities.
Energies That Will Oppose Me
What energies will oppose me in collecting my results? This card sheds light on potential obstacles or challenges. Understanding these can help you prepare for and navigate any difficulties you may encounter.
A Collective September Full Moon Reading: What Do We Reap?
As we approach the full moon in September, I created a spread to explore the energies surrounding our efforts and outcomes. This collective reading aims to shed light on what we can expect to harvest, how to best collect our rewards, and the supportive and opposing energies we may encounter along the way. Here’s the interpretation of the cards I draw.
The Results of Our Work: Page of Pentacles
The Page of Pentacles signifies a fruitful outcome from our efforts. We can expect to reap both tangible rewards, like financial gains or a new opportunity, but most of all intangible benefits, such as increased knowledge or skills. Yes, this Page is a life-long learner and perhaps this is the main benefit we can obtain when reaping the results of our work. To learn every day, and to deepen and expand our expertise. The Page of Pentacles says that our dedication and hard work are paving the way for new beginnings and personal growth, encouraging us to stay curious and open to learning.
The Best Way to Collect the Harvest: Devil
When it comes to gathering our rewards, the Devil suggests that we must confront our own limitations and desires. This card encourages us to engage with our resources strategically, and reminds us that accumulation might require a degree of self-discipline or even collaboration with others. We may need to assess what holds us back and embrace a more grounded approach to our goals. Do we want too much? What are the effects of our results on others? By recognizing our dependencies and making conscious choices, we can ensure that our efforts lead to fulfilling and sustainable rewards, rather than fleeting pleasures.
Energies That Will Support Us: Nine of Pentacles
The Nine of Pentacles brings a sense of stability and abundance, and highlights the supportive energies surrounding us as we collect our results. This card symbolizes the rewards of our hard work, indicating that we are in a position to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Our self-sufficiency and personal strengths are at play — they guide us toward success. Additionally, we may find ourselves surrounded by nurturing relationships and timely opportunities that bolster our confidence. We can rely on our inner resources and the encouragement of those around us to further propel us forward.
Energies That Will Oppose Us: Five of Pentacles
The Five of Pentacles highlights potential challenges, particularly feelings of lack or insecurity. We might face obstacles related to financial stress or feelings of isolation that can sap our motivation. Understanding these potential setbacks allows us to prepare mentally and emotionally, and helps us to navigate through hardships. We need to recognize these feelings are temporary and we need to focus on our strengths, and when we do that we can better manage the difficulties that lie ahead.
Interesting aspects in this spread
We have 3 pentacles cards in this spread: a Page, 9 and 5 of Pentacles, and of course let’s not forget the Devil.
The Pentacles suit is usually associated with the material and physical world, often reflecting issues related to career, finances, health, and home. It represents the tangible aspects of life and the efforts we put into building stability and security. So, the focus here is material wealth and finances, work and career, and through this also stability and security, but also physical health and the need for balance in caring for the body. Spiritually, pentacles are the earthly connections – this suit is linked to the element of Earth, symbolizing practicality, groundedness, and the physical world.
In connection with the Harvest Full Moon we have an interesting situation, especially since numerically the numbers are decreasing through the spread – Page is usually presented with 11, and then 9 and down to 5. What does this mean?
From New Beginnings to Challenges
The decreasing numbers reflect a progression from potential (Page) to fulfillment (Nine) and then to challenges or obstacles (Five). This may suggest that while you are on a path to material or personal success, there are still challenges to face and lessons to learn. The Page shows your efforts are leading you somewhere promising, the Nine confirms success is within reach, but the Five reminds you to stay grounded and prepared for possible hardships or feelings of insecurity.
A Cycle of Growth and Setbacks
This decrease can indicate a natural cycle of growth followed by tests or trials. After the fulfillment represented by the Nine, the Five reminds you not to rest too easily, as every phase of success can be met with new challenges or setbacks. However, the spread shows that you have the support to overcome these obstacles if you remain mindful and resilient.
What about the Devil and its connection to Pentacles suit?
They are both super earthy 🙂 The Capricorn and all the money. Earthy pleasures, and the Devil reminds you that in collecting your “harvest” or rewards, you must be cautious of certain behaviors or attachments that could hinder your progress. This could be:
Material Temptation or Overindulgence
Since Pentacles are associated with wealth, career, and material success, the Devil may warn against becoming overly focused on the material gains of your efforts. There might be a temptation to become too attached to wealth, possessions, or status, leading to greed or unhealthy ambition.
Unhealthy Attachments
The Devil can also signify being tied to toxic situations—such as negative work environments, unhealthy relationships, or habits that keep you from fully enjoying or accessing your success. In terms of the Pentacles, this could manifest as overworking, fear of loss, or feeling trapped by material concerns.
Power Struggles and Control
The Devil may indicate a need to recognize where control or power dynamics might play out. In relation to collecting the harvest, you might feel tempted to dominate a situation, obsess over outcomes, or manipulate things for short-term gain, which could lead to issues in the long run.
Balance Between Physical and Spiritual
The Devil in combination with the Pentacles suggests a focus on material and physical aspects, but it’s a call for balance. The Devil card warns that too much focus on the external or material world could cause you to lose sight of personal integrity, emotional health, or spiritual well-being.
Page of Pentacles shows your readiness to build something of value, but the Devil warns not to become consumed by the pursuit of material success at the expense of other important areas of life, like emotional or spiritual growth.
Nine of Pentacles celebrates self-sufficiency and enjoying the fruits of your labor, but the Devil suggests there’s a risk of overindulgence or losing yourself in the comfort of success.
Five of Pentacles already highlights feelings of scarcity or isolation, and the Devil could exacerbate this by pointing to fear-driven attachment to financial security, making you feel trapped or overly dependent on external measures of success
Overall, this spread suggests that while our efforts will yield positive outcomes, it’s essential to be mindful of temptations and potential feelings of insecurity. We need to lean on our personal strengths and the supportive energies around us to help us gather our harvest effectively. We need to stay focused, and we need to remember that overcoming challenges will ultimately contribute to our growth and success..
Good luck at collecting your harvest. 🙂