Strawberry Moon: Full Moon Today

The full moon is today. Traditionally it is called Strawberry Moon. A group of earth-centered women meet at Lakeside to honor the moon's connection to the earth and ours to all the universe each full moon. Six of us met at 7:00 PM sitting in our lawn chairs, facing East. The moon rises over the lake, it is beautiful We sit at Montrose Harbor. Today, a low cloud bank kept us from seeing the rising moon. We sat in silence listening to the sounds of the city and park.

Many birds including sparrows, gulls and swallows were in our vision and hearing. The deep blue of Lake Michigan was covered with sailboats for an "after work sail." Middle Eastern music came to us from our backs across the drive, maybe on a boat at dock.

I experienced watching a baby sparrow way to big to be fed being fed by its mother. It was quite cold this evening going down to the 50's so I had layered up and brought a blanket to cover myself. Sr. Bernie sitting next to me was chilly so I spread my blanket over her too.

At the end of the silence we read Psalm 148:
Praise the Blessed One!
Give praise from the heavens,
and from all ends of the earth!
Give praise all you angels,
Angels of the earth and of heaven!

Give praise, sun and moon,
Give praise, all you shining stars!
Give praise, all universes,
The whole cosmos of creation!

Praise the Blessed One!
For through Love all was created
and firmly fixed for ever and ever;
Yes, the pattern of creation
was established.
(Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying)

After our leader broken open strawberries and
we ate the delicious treat until they were all gone!

It was so good to sit with prayerful feminist earth centered women in the Great City of Chicago by a beautiful God-given lake. I hope that you too can begin summer with friends and strawberries "all around." Blessings, Katy

PS You could do the same ritual in your own home town. Gather some friends, sit in a circle of silence, listen and look for creation in front of you on July's "Thunder" Moon.