The Pink Moon
Sunday, 13 April is the full, ‘pink’ moon.
The pink moon is the first of spring’s three full moons. Its name is attributed to the Algonquin tribe and references the bloom of a north American wildflower, Phlox subulate or ‘moss pink’, that blooms in early April.
Other Native American names for this April full moon include ‘breaking ice moon’ in more northern territories, ‘planting corn moon’, ‘sprouting grass moon’ and ‘budding moon of plants and shrubs’. So many names to signify the arrival of spring - the season of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings.
A season to begin again.
For Christians, this ‘egg moon’ is also the Paschal moon, the first full moon after the spring equinox that is used to determine the date of Easter – the Christian holiday of rebirth. Easter, with its associated symbolism of daffodils, eggs, and rabbits, may have evolved from the pagan festival of Ostara, celebrated at the spring equinox, beginning the ‘light half’ of the year. Ostara, Eostre, is a fertility goddess of humans and crops, symoblised by a hare.
During the spring, with its increasing hours of daylight and rising temperatures, seeds can sprout and grow. The first phase, this ‘pink moon’ phase of a plant’s growth is focused on developing strong roots and beginning to strengthen its stalk, or stem, so it can bear the flowers and fruit that will develop under May’s ‘flower moon’ and the ‘strawberry moon’ of June.
What seeds are you planting, this spring?
What do you want to see grow in your life?
Spring is an opportunity to gain clarity about our direction of travel. It reminds us that some of the seeds we sow will grow and be harvested, and some may never sprout or may fail to flourish; some seeds may not find the nourishment they need, just as in nature. An average ancient oak tree will produce 2000+ acorns each year – yet very few will become oak trees.
Try to plant without a sense of pressure for everything to survive and thrive. Trust that what is well nourished, in the right conditions, potentially benefitting from pure luck like those acorns that aren’t used for food or accidently trampled underfoot, will be harvested as the year unfolds.
Spring and summer bring powerful energy for growth. We know the feeling…that fresh surge of potential. Choosing our ‘seeds for planting’ can help us to focus that fresh energy and avoid it feeling overwhelming or chaotic.
Spring reminds us how beautiful change can be.
Remember to plant a couple seeds that are relatively easy to grow. We perform what we practice, and therefore we want to set ourselves up to practice being successful gardeners. Go ahead and plant the ‘pineapple’ if that is your heart’s desire; but remember to plant some ‘carrots and courgettes’ too.
Planting is, of course, our hopeful beginning of something new, the next, an intention for the future. Remember to consider the ‘food’ your plants will need, and it may be worth giving some thought to potential threats they will need to be protected from; especially in this early phase, when survival is still uncertain.
Finally, enjoy imagining what it will mean for you, for your life, if these plants not only survive, but yield a bumper harvest.
What will these crops nourish in you?
May the seeds that you nurture beneath this pink moon yeild beauty and bountiful fruit.
