Full Moons, Lunar Eclipses and a Garden Full of Magic

There is something so beautiful, so special, and so magical about the first Full Moon in a new season. The world seems to revel in all the colors, scents, and sounds of the reborn season. We are keenly aware of the changes happening in nature and the continually spinning of the wheel of the year. For me, the first Full Moon of Spring is even more magical. All life is reawakening. My small part of the world is transforming from the dull grays of Winter to the lush green shades of Spring. Last year’s plant friends are returning and new ones are starting to take root in the rich dark soil. Birds are returning from points South to take up Summer residence and the groundhog appears out of the Winter slumber to see what I may be growing this year that will tantalize his or her taste buds. As the Full Moon of Spring arrives, I take a break from the regularly scheduled program of gardening to give the garden a magical boost and to just be a while with Spring.

The first Full Moon of Spring is on its way this week, April 15^th to be exact. A Full Moon brings increased magical power and energy and is an excellent time for blessing the garden. The way in which you do this is entirely up to you. My usual blessing ritual is a three-fold process. First, I walk the length of each garden bed, smudging and clearing the area first with some sage as I go. I then walk the beds again, sprinkling salt water this time. My third time around I hold my hands over each and every plant and say a charm to bless that plant with abundance in the coming growing season and charging it with its magical, healing, nourishing or even aesthetic properties. I spend time with each plant and meditate on its life cycle, on its purpose(s), and on keeping it healthy and happy. And, yes, I talk to each and every plant, shrub or tree. I also bless the areas of the garden where I know the birds and critters inhabit, gather nourishment, and congregate.

When all this is done, I just sit on my patio, beneath those silvery Moon beams (even when it’s cloudy those beams are still there), and soak them in as I listen to my garden grow. Have you ever listened to your garden grow? It is a truly magical experience in and unto itself. It can be done whether you have a sprawling yard or a small patio garden. Ground and center yourself. Try using a tree of life meditation, becoming a tree to commune with your plant friends. As your “roots” take hold and your “branches” reach out, the ambient noise of your local environment – the cars, people, planes – will slip away and you will begin to hear the subtle sounds of plants growing, moving, unfurling, rooting, and blossoming. You will hear birds ruffling their feathers as they settle in for the night, bugs moving along stems and leaves hunting for food, earthworms burrowing through soil, or the flutter of moth wings as they move among the plants. You will feel yourself deeply rooted in the earth yet feel the gentle sway of reaching out and up toward the sky. Open your eyes for a few minutes and look around. Your garden will seem to glow and shimmer with the spark of life. Just stay in that moment for a bit. Close your eyes again and slowly begin to bring those roots and branches back in to yourself and ground the remaining energy. Open your eyes again. You will never look at your garden and plants the same way again after doing this. Believe me!

The Full Moon of the 15th will be even more powerful because there will be a total lunar eclipse. For those of you in North America, it will be visible! According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac 2014, the Moon will enter the penumbra (the outer shadows of the Earth) at 12:52 a.m. EDT, reach totality at 3:06 a.m., and leave the penumbra at 6:39 a.m. I urge you to take the time to watch it. It is a truly wondrous and magical sight. I liken it much to seeing the triple goddess before my very eyes, watching the Moon go through all of Her cycles – waxing, full and waning, Maiden, Mother and Crone – in only a few hours. This cyclical energy and the combined feminine energy of both the Moon and Earth will only enhance the cyclical energy of nature, the fertile energy of your growing garden, and your magical work.

There are other magical things you can do for and in your garden during the coming Full Moon. Plant a magical herb for use in spells, potions and healing in the days to come or flowers that correspond to the moon such as moonflower, gardenia, or jasmine. Add a statue of a Moon goddess, a gazing globe, or an image of the Moon to your garden. In honor of the Full Moon, the lunar eclipse and all that feminine fertile energy, I will be planting my moonflower seeds on the 15^th.

Happy Magical Gardening and Full Moon Blessings!