THE FROST MOON
NOVEMBER FULL MOON
November’s Full Moon is also known as The Frost Moon. This
year (19th November 2021) we will also enjoy the longest lunar
eclipse of the century. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth’s shadow passes
over the Moon. This will give the Moon a reddish colour as the light from the
sun is refracted around the Earth filtering out the blue light and casting red
light upon the Luna surface.
A Full Moon is a great time to reflect upon any goals or intentions set at the New Moon and to manifest the results. Perhaps you set a goal to tidy your home and have spent the past two weeks busily cleaning and organising. The Full Moon is the time to pour a glass of wine, cook a nice meal and enjoy the results under the glow of our nearest neighbour.
The Frost Moon ushers us in to the main part of winter and so any goals set this month should be about settling in to the slower pace of home life as we hibernate away from the cold, wintry weather. Make sure your home is clean, tidy and organised. Nobody wants to do a deep cleaning in the middle of this season when we all feel lethargic and drained. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t even feel like setting any goals or starting projects over the winter. Our energy is much higher in the summer and that is the perfect time of year for major projects.
PREPARING FOR THE WINTER
As stated above, the best way to start the winter is to
clean, tidy and organise the home. Begin with the first room by bringing all
the items to be organised into the centre of the room. Ruthlessly purge and
throw away any items that you either haven’t used for a while or that you just don’t
feel any joy for. The items left over can be sorted into boxes, drawers, trays etc.
and then labelled. I own a label maker and it really does make me feel a lot
better having everything in my home clearly labelled. It makes things much
easier to locate and I know exactly where everything goes back to as well.
Repeat the process in all the other rooms of your home.
You could also use this time to make a detailed Christmas plan. What food do you need to buy? Do you require any new decorations? Will you be hosting family or friends? If so, do you need to make arrangements for that?
Buy a selection of scented candles too. The air in our homes can become stale when the heating is on and the windows are closed all of the time. They also look beautiful in the dark evenings and can lift your mood.
Try and do some batch cooking too. I usually make a load of Soups, Curries, Bolognaise and Stroganoffs. I put them into plastic containers and freeze them. This is great for when you are too tired to cook but want a delicious meal that is also healthy. Simply put in the microwave and heat. Don’t forget to label the containers so you know what’s in them and add the date you cooked them too so you can use up the oldest stuff first.
HEALING AND MEDITATION
On the day of the Full Moon I like to meditate for several hours. Not everyone can manage that length of time but aim for as long as you can. A daily practice of just 15 minutes is a good habit to get into but use the Full Moon to go a little deeper.
Begin by closing your eyes and becoming aware of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils, or if you don’t have any nostrils, any holes in your face will do. J
After the mind has quietened, begin imagining that with the in breath you are taking in the negative energy of the room around you. As you finish breathing in, imagine that you are neutralising that negativity and then as you breathe out you are breathing out pure love and positivity. If you practice this for any length of time you will see definite results. Your mind will become light and joyful and eventually it will become a practice you do at all times without even thinking of it.
GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE
I first came upon this book many years ago whilst I was in
hospital. I still read it every few months to this day. This Friday on the
Frost Moon I intend to read it again with a pot of tea. It is written in short
paragraphs but each verse is profoundly meaningful. When reading it you should
take your time and absorb the deeper truths of what is written there. This
version was translated by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso who has written a series of
books in English designed to be understood by the “western mind”. Buddhist
texts are often hard for us in the West to comprehend but he has written
several great books that have helped me with my practice.
I’ve left links to Amazon below. They are affiliate links so I get a commission for any sales without any added cost to you. But even without that I would highly recommend this book anyway. It leaves the reader in a joyful state of mind and will help towards attaining the final goal of Enlightenment. And isn’t that what we all want?