Blood Moon
I do believe that the blood moon is coming on October 4th for my area this year. How would one observe this majestic and powerful moon. My extremist brother suggested that I go out and hunt and kill something "evil" as he would in his tradition. To me that is silly. Just because the blood moon is a hunters moon does not mean that I have to go out and become a hunter to “celebrate”. Also, what evil thing would I kill? the most menacing creature in my neck of the woods is that pesky skunk that seems to only come around when I've bought new candles. :/ So could someone shed some light on to what exactly I could to to recognize the blood Moon. something that is more unique then my simple week to week rituals please. That just seems so ordinary.
Thanks,
Abby
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leisha on -
For me, it's just a regular full moon...so it is not treated any more or less special than any other full moon. Depending on who stays home with the kid, I'll either be going to esbat or doing private rites at home. Of course the practices done for a full moon are hardly ever something I'd call "ordinary". ;)
As far as killing something, "evil" or not, that just sounds like someone being a bit of a goofball. I wouldn't take those kind of comments seriously.
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Permalink Reply by Yarrowsage (heathenish delight) on -
I think if you are going to honor the idea that this moon is special in some way and that you can see that it being a hunter's is significant, then why not think about a hunt of some idea, like say hunting your fear of doubt or a fear that has been bothering you? Take the idea of the hunt and use symbolism to act it out. Perhaps if you are worked about finding a job, you could use this moon to perform a small ritual to finding a job, use herbs or other symbols and construct a hunt for them and thank your respective deities or beings. Just an idea I had.
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Permalink Reply by Aislynn on -
I agree with both of the previous posters. I was originally going to ask why you thought this moon was so special when it seemed (from your original post) that you didn't honor the other moons the same way. While I don't think typical esbat rituals are "ordinary", I do understand wanting to do something different and wanting to suit your working to the moon of that month, but I don't quite understand why you're (again, seemingly) wanting to work with this moon when you don't seem to have worked with the others.
As for the advice to use this moon to kill something "evil", I'd question whether or not anything in nature is "evil". Nature doesn't have judgement like that. Animals kill other animals to eat and to survive. It's not good or evil, it just is. Humans impose these judgements on other creatures and ways of life.
I'd also agree with YarrowSage in that if you are truly only drawn to working with this moon's energies, why not harness its powers of the hunt? Hunting refers to more than the physical act of tracking and killing an animal.
I'm actually planning on working on several pieces that relate to the different moons throughout the year. Pity I have even begun writing or researching it yet.
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Permalink Reply by Leisha on
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To add on to what Aletria mentions, what is interesting for me on the mid-Atlantic east coast is that the October full moon ends up falling outside of most hunting season schedules, just because of the way things have lined up for this year. For the local farms around here, butchering season runs April through November, so the November full moon would be the tail end of the butchering season (and that metaphorical "blood moon") and not October's full moon. Now October is the end of bluefish season and the peak of butterfish season, so a trip to the fishmonger is a must to put up that insanely good fish before winter. So on a folklore/fakelore bit, you could say October is a "blood moon", and maybe you can eke out some symbolism to work there, but odds are that it may not have any actual connection to reality, depending on where you live. Besides, there's a dozen other "traditional" names for the October full moon...and not all of them work with others, nor make sense universally. It's all about looking at your local area, and working from there or working within the confines of the lore of a particular tradition....or just doing something because a book said so. ;)
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Permalink Reply by Enjolras on -
Disrespectful to...who?
Aletria said:
There is actually more to this full moon that what is posted.. killing an animal for the sake of killing is disrespectful..
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Permalink Reply by Enjolras on
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Hm. Interesting.
Aletria said:
Although you may not agree.. in my way of thinking it is disrespectful to the animal to take it's life for no good reason.. those of the animal kingdom have just as much right to be on this planet as humans do..
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Permalink Reply by Beorc Kano on -
My first guess would be that because many, if not most, ancient cultures that we attempt to emulate practiced animal sacrifice at one point or another. Saying that there is no good reason for these animals to die is much the same as saying that there was no good reason for the spiritualities that practiced that sort of thing.
Personally, I have killed animals before, for meat. Vegetarians would say that is no good reason. I have killed animals before for entering my home and eating my food. Naturalists would say they were just trying to survive, and that was no good reason. I have killed animals for attacking me or mine before, and many animal lovers say that they were feeling threatened, and it was no good reason.
Sometimes, there IS a reason, whether you personally agree with it or not. To kill something to be disrespectful to it, yes, that is, by definition, disrespectful. To kill something with a purpose, that is not a disrespect. Many times, it was considered a place of honor to be on the sacrificial altar.
I personally don't kill for sacrifice, but, that is a counterpoint to the whole "killing is disrespectful, animals have the same rights as we do" argument. Which makes me wonder real quick... if animals have the same rights as we do, then do animals have the right to hunt and kill humans for food without repercussion?
Just wondering.
Aletria said:
I see by your profile you are a learned man and have many accomplishments under your belt at such an age where many are just getting started in life...kudos to you..
so tell me why do you find my answer interesting? My view on this subject is shared by many, in particular Native Americans who pray to or for the spirit of a brother animal before its life is taken... )
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Permalink Reply by ren on -
Slaughtering farm animals for food for the Winter is one of the few forms of animal sacrifice that I respect.
Abby, have you thought about, or have you the bravery to witness the slaughter of a chicken on a farm?
Aletria said:at this time of year that not only poeple of the past but people of today slaughter their farm animals (blood letting) to put up their supply of meat for the winter
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Permalink Reply by Beorc Kano on
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Perfectly well stated. Thank you. :)
Aletria said:You misunderstand my post.. I also have killed animals for meat and I also have killed animals in personal defense of myself.. these are good reasons yes... so I do agree with you .. I personally don't kill for scarifice either or just because I get the urge to kill something...
We share the planet with animals and they do hunt humans and no there should and will be repercussions.. so instead of wondering you now know my views on the subject... Beorc Kano said:
My first guess would be that because many, if not most, ancient cultures that we attempt to emulate practiced animal sacrifice at one point or another. Saying that there is no good reason for these animals to die is much the same as saying that there was no good reason for the spiritualities that practiced that sort of thing.
Personally, I have killed animals before, for meat. Vegetarians would say that is no good reason. I have killed animals before for entering my home and eating my food. Naturalists would say they were just trying to survive, and that was no good reason. I have killed animals for attacking me or mine before, and many animal lovers say that they were feeling threatened, and it was no good reason.
Sometimes, there IS a reason, whether you personally agree with it or not. To kill something to be disrespectful to it, yes, that is, by definition, disrespectful. To kill something with a purpose, that is not a disrespect. Many times, it was considered a place of honor to be on the sacrificial altar.
I personally don't kill for sacrifice, but, that is a counterpoint to the whole "killing is disrespectful, animals have the same rights as we do" argument. Which makes me wonder real quick... if animals have the same rights as we do, then do animals have the right to hunt and kill humans for food without repercussion?
Just wondering.
Aletria said:
I see by your profile you are a learned man and have many accomplishments under your belt at such an age where many are just getting started in life...kudos to you..
so tell me why do you find my answer interesting? My view on this subject is shared by many, in particular Native Americans who pray to or for the spirit of a brother animal before its life is taken... )
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Permalink Reply by Liofrun Thunorsdotter on -
I dunno what tradition your brother is in, but in Theodish Heathenry(Where the Blood Moon comes from) the closest thing to a sacrifice of a living animal is probably a pig roast some people in America do. Usually, we just do a libation of some type of drink, mead or apple juice. I also have a pouch of mulch(tea, leaves, seeds to plant, etc...) and I will go and leave it somewhere in the forest as a "sacrifice".
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Permalink Reply by Liofrun Thunorsdotter on
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Hail! Be well and frith be with you as well Aletria!
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Permalink Reply by Abby Noel Smith on
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I really like this idea!
YarrowSage(the path is changing) said:
I think if you are going to honor the idea that this moon is special in some way and that you can see that it being a hunter's is significant, then why not think about a hunt of some idea, like say hunting your fear of doubt or a fear that has been bothering you? Take the idea of the hunt and use symbolism to act it out. Perhaps if you are worked about finding a job, you could use this moon to perform a small ritual to finding a job, use herbs or other symbols and construct a hunt for them and thank your respective deities or beings. Just an idea I had.
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