Have you ever wondered if each moon has medicine to it? Well they definitely do, as each moon has unique healing energies for you, as well as gifts they bring. Today lets get to know a little about the November Beaver Full Moon.
The Full Moon in November is felt as a huge turning point seasonally. This moon is often preceded with the first deep frost and true initial coldness of the season. It’s a time of complete transition from the passing of Fall and the entering into Winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Time of the Beaver Full Moon
Where I live in New England it’s not hard to realize Winter is no longer just on it’s way, but it’s actually here. The winds of change have come many weeks ago and their icy chill remains and pop up with every little stirring of movement. The air itself contains a ice bitten blast that stings whatever skin was neglected to be protected. The winds begin to stir up often and make their presence known with a whistle and blow often missing from the summery days of the year. The full on presence of winter is becoming rapidly known.
The wandering animals living in the wild however have known of impending cold far longer than us humans have felt it.
Have you noticed the abundance of acorns this year that were often not much smaller than golf balls? They were absolutely huge and made their presence known with every bounce off a roof of a house or car.
With such an abundance however, have you noticed they are no longer often found? What about all the Autumn Olives, Elder berries or Dogwood berries?
Many of these edible berries seemed to burst in color and then disappear as if the wand of a fairy washed them away. Maybe you have noticed the flurry of a chipmunk with their cheeks oh so full they look they are about to burst. Or squirrels running about from limb to limb. How about that pumpkin left out since Samhain that seemed to vanish one night without a trace.
We’re not the only ones that need to prepare for harshness ahead. Rather the whole wild world has an astonishing race of preparation currently underway that began far, far in advance of us humans feeling the shift.
The November Moon, AKA, Beaver Moon
Every moon cycle has a name associated with it based upon what is going on seasonally, and the Farmers’ Almanac book that comes out yearly includes a list of the most common associated names.
This Beaver Full Moon is named after the work of the beavers at this time of year; referring to the time of year that they are busy preparing their dens for the upcoming deep freezes. Sometimes you can catch a glimpse of a beaver along the banks of rivers and streams collecting wood to support their homes before the icy waters take over. In the same light this moon can also refer to the birds hurriedly building up their winter nests, or the chipmunks gathering for underground layers.
What is the Beaver Full Moon About?
This moon is all about the amazing race of preparation for all that live in the wild. Animals in the wild for many weeks, if not months, have been gathering and working on everything they will need in order to literally survive the Winter. It is at this moon cycle when the true culmination of preparation is truly manifesting as the completion of Fall has come and we now enter Winter.
For us two footed mammals, this moon represents our own version of preparation for hibernation. As the time has come for our energy to go inwards and spend our time indoors more so we need to build our own dens as well.
This moon is a great time to tap into that fall cleaning/winter preparation energy, and to ready our homes and minds for our upcoming hibernation.
This is a great time to take some moments to review your past year and take stock in how things went.
Was it a productive year?
What were your highlights?
Was there something you really struggled with?
Take some time to contemplate the year past and current, and think of what you need to do to prepare yourself for your own upcoming deep freeze. Is there anything you need to work on still that you don’t want to bring into winter? Anything you need to get rid of physically, mentally, or spiritually? Anything that you no longer want to deal with when Spring comes?
Now is a good time to release the last of those things. Entering Winter with a clear head free of what ever doesn’t serve you best is a great way to start this time fresh and full of hope; especially if you tend to suffer from Winter blues.
Winter can be a very hard time for many with the gray skies, blustery cold, and trapped feelings that can arise. If we enter with a clear slate and hope for the future it can make the transition more manageable; and dare I say possibly enjoyable. When you follow the seasons and cycles of the moon, those gray days can stop resonating as a grayness deep inside. The key is to keep your focus on your own internal warmth of the sun, and know that this is a time for you to take your own deep rest.
In a previous post Are You Aligning With Your Roots, I mentioned several ways to keep the warmth of the summer within you throughout the winter to fight off the winter grays. In addition to filling your mind and soul with sunlight, make sure to focus on the resting part. Winter is a time to support your own body with a period of resting and recuperating. It can be oh so hard with the hustle and bustle of life, but if you don’t rest now you won’t have the right amount of energy needed to enjoy your spring and summer.
As we rest we allow our minds to wander less focused, and with less intensity as the sun filled days bring. The grayness of the world around us reflects within the grayness of our minds… the unfocused foggy mists of dream world.
This is a time of letting our minds free to wonder and dream up whatever they desire. Through the dreaming space they also rest. It’s the lessening of intentional thinking that allows them to relax and let flow whatever they need to get out. This allows us to process through any stagnation, any traumas, any residues that don’t serve us best. It’s our cleaning out time similar to what goes on while we sleep at night.
When we rest our bodies take note of the day and clean out all the junk that built up mentally and physically. Without these “clean out” sessions we can’t filter out the gunk and debris we don’t need, and allow what we do need to manifest.
So with this Full Beaver Moon, allow yourself some time to wander over the next few weeks and months. When you awake in the morning try not to immediately rush out of bed and get on with your day. Take a few minutes to just be; to allow yourself to slowly awaken to the day.
Let there be moments to wander off into whatever magickal worlds your mind takes you to. Frogs laying on blankets on a sunny day… sure why not. Drifting off to sea on dingy boat made out of chocolate, heck ya. Forgive yourself if you start noticing your thoughts drift a little more at this time. Off kiltered brain… embrace it. See what magickal dreams pop up at this time and ride their magick carpet ride wherever they bring you… just remember to write them down in case you want to bring some into reality come Spring!
~ Heather Plant- curator of Magical Plants~
