Myth: a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events; a widely held but false belief or idea. (google search)
When something new happens in the environment, say, and we have never seen or heard of it before. We may make up a story explaining what we think it is, with our limited knowledge. Imagine the first lunar eclipse when the moon suddenly begins to darken. How would they have explained it? Without scientific knowledge, we would say what we think it is, or our wise man of the tribe might say what he thinks it is, and the story gets retold and retold. That is myth.
The very name “Hunter’s Moon, for this October Full Moon has its own story, or myth. When the men would prepare to go hunting, and the women would prepare to be left alone with the children to prepare to take care of the men and their prizes from their hunt, there was a story that became part of their tradition. And the Fall/October Moon would come to be called Hunter’s Moon. It was a good time to hunt for their meat because the animals would be fattened up for the long hard winter.
For us, this signals a time to focus on Self work through reflection. Now is the time that the tribes would sit around the fire and tell the stories of their history, of their culture, on what preparations needed to be done for winter.
This is the time for colds and flus. We have worked hard and our immune systems are compromised by lack of sleep. Find ways to help build up your immune system for the cold.
This is the time that the moon is also strong and will be going through a lunar eclipse. The veil between the next life and this one is thinned (according to myth and the myth came from the knowledge that winter was dangerous to life and limb. The Northern lights are dancing and there are stories about them. The Northern lights were thought to be the fringes of the ancestors dancing in the sky. The people then drew to communicate with their ancestors however they did so, and according to stories that taught them how. For us, we, too, can develop ways to feel closer to those who have passed on. We may already have a traditional way to do so as myths are from every color of man on earth. They sky is electric on these crisp cold nights. To those who had no other explanation for the energy felt on such nights, they needed an explanation. And so the myth of Hunter’s Moon came to be.
Myths were used as guidelines for living when new and strange things happen. Sometimes the myths were all about entertaining the people. Some myths tell of creation. Some myths speak of life after death. Moral and ethical codes were taught through myths. Some myths speak to how men and gods were alike and different. Storytelling was, in part, ways to explain the world and the spirit world.
What family myths do you have? One of my myths would be about who my natural mother was, and I knew her for 60 years as a Fairy Godmother. Some family myths might be about the storm of 1966. Some might be stories/myths about how our ancestors traveled on buckboard to Canada. You will find myths in your family. If you cannot think of any, ask your mother or grandmother.
©Carol Desjarlais 10.28.23
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