Harvest Moon – Gathering Dreams

I sat beneath this tree when the bare black branches soaked by early spring rains were just beginning to bud with the rosy white tint of apple blossom. After the long harsh winter, the blossom felt like a sign, like a confirmation that heat would once again return to the world. The slowly strengthening sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, and I felt like anything was possible. I sat in the presence of raw, budding potential.

That day I laid out my hopes for the coming year, those secret, tender dreams that I held so close that I would only speak them to the chill March winds lest they would shatter with an ill-considered remark.

And this is how I planted my seed-dreams for the coming year.

I visited the tree often, sitting between its roots, and I watched the blossom bloom, those tiny flowers opening up to the heat of the sun, the lengthening light. When the April showers started and drenched their seemingly fragile petals, I feared for the future crop, and yet my fears were unfounded. They shook off the raindrops and clung on a little bit longer.

When it finally was time for the blossom to pass, it relinquished its hold and floated down towards the ground, the breeze catching the blossom blizzard, swirling a storm of petals past my face.

The leaves then sprung up along the boughs and, after a little while, tiny apples began to form in place of the lost flowers.

I continued to visit the apple tree often, as the seed-dreams I had planted just a few short months ago showed promising growth. I tended to them daily, making conscious choices, taking small actions, holding to good intentions. Tiny step by tiny step, my dreams were being nurtured towards reality.

The apples grew in size, almost imperceptibly at first, but then with gathering pace. The swollen green fruit bustled on the branches, fighting for space, clinging on despite the somewhat inclement weather.

But now that we are entering autumn, a ruby red shine has begun to blush across their deep green skins and they have begun to release their tight grip, dropping down to the luxuriously long, dew-drenched grass. It is harvest time. And as I turn to look at the seed-dreams I planted and nurtured, I see that they too have ripened, and it is time to haul in the produce.

This Harvest Moon is the perfect time to reflect back on the seeds we have planted, the steps we have taken to ensure fruition, and to assess the results. It’s time to revel in the success of what we have grown. Time to express our gratitude. Time to share freely as we live from a place of infinite abundance.

Because this is what harvest is all about. It’s about gathering in that which has ripened, and it’s about reflecting on the growth process. Give yourself some time this lunar cycle to sit in the ripeness, before digesting and reflecting upon the fruition of your dreams.

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