Official First Day of Waning Moon; Thanksgiving In Spite Of

 

 

Waning Gibbons goes from 11 – 15 of October.  The size of the moon appears to diminish.  Our energy level will begin to slow down.  We have feasted.  We are satiated.  We continue to feel grateful. 

As the moon wanes, it goes through wanning gibbons, last quarter and waning crescent.  Psychologically, we are required to let go, to release, to retreat, and to surrender.  Prior to the work of this, we need to really sit quietly and reflect on what worked for us this last noon and what did not work for us.  Take time to notice how you feel.  What drags you down…what who where why?  Prepare to use your energy wisely.  Energy is waning and you do not want to expend it unwisely.

Although we celebrated thanksgiving, some of us celebrated and gave thanks for survival.  This holiday represents a certain amount of mourning for First Nations.  This is when most First Nations consider the arrival of settler, immigrants, illegal immigrants, to North America and the centuries of oppression and genocide.  The portrayal of thanksgiving has always been shown as a friendly harvest where starving pilgrims and their Wampanoag neighbours shared a feast of thanksgiving but really, it was about political alliances in pursuit of peace, in 1621.  The starving English were benefactors of the Wampanoag help but the English did not hold the peace.  The Wampanoag were attacked, shortly after, and in spite of the peace pact, there was no peace.  Betrayal immediately followed the feast of months of help to grow much needed food, thanks to the Wampanoag, and the betrayal only became worse and worse.  Thanks for the giving was a time of great sorrow and even today we actually openly learn of the sacrileges in the enforced residential schools.  Did any of us think it had been forgotten that children were never returned or were never herd of again?  No, they knew.  It was the majority who had refused to listen and see what happened and continues to happen to this day, in ways that we cannot even imagine.  We can deny no longer.  Reaching out to our brothers and sisters of the first Nations is imperative.  Acknowledgement of the horrors has to come for history to be corrected and correct.  Give some time to research and give thought to ways we each, personally, can make a difference. 

Intention:  Make a deep and honest reflection on who you are right now, who you were a month ago, who you might become over this month.  Reflect.  Relearn.  Refine.

©Carol Desjarlais 10.11.22