The light of the hidden world

The last two mornings I have awoken to see early morning mist veiling the land. As the sun declines in the sky and the summer heat dissipates it is as if the earth becomes coy and shy. She cloaks herself in mystery and becomes all the more beautiful. In response the trees put on a glorious display - before they are revealed in all their winter beauty before the darkening sky.

Is it just me or is the light of the hidden world brightening earlier than usual? Maybe it is because I am getting older, or that we are now under a new moon, or maybe it is true. Every evening this week I have been welcomed home from work by a lone crow on the drive who has eyed me with intelligent curiosity before flying onto the garage roof, her eyes following me as I enter the house; utter magic. 

As people regret the passing of summer it is good to rejoice in the turning of the year. To look forward to Samhain, to the thinning of the veil. As winter approaches and the robins and wrens busy themselves in the garden I look forward to a time of candles, open fires and story telling by the hearth. But above all a time to enter the silence of the dark and be touched by the beautiful light of the hidden world.

Hare Moon Gazing

Last weekend I visited Oxford and the nearby village of Woodstock and happened to glance in the window of an art gallery. My eye was met by a beautiful moon gazing hare and I knew she was just meant for my altar and hearth. So I went inside and asked to see her. The lady in the gallery was obviously puzzled by my description but brought the hare from the window for me to see. Whilst I was getting acquainted with the energy of the hare the lady was looking for information on the artist and the ceramic. The artist turned out to be Linda Heaton-Harris who specialises in hand built one-off pieces of British wildlife. She had entitled the ceramic, "Hare Moon Gazing." The lady said, "Full marks for getting the name right. He will be going to a good home." "Yes" I replied, "She will."

All over the world the hare is a character in the myths of our ancestors. She is always associated with the moon and fertility and often associated with immortality, wisdom and bravery. Although in Britain people now talk about 'the man in the moon' most cultures know that the moon bears the image of a hare. In China the moon hare carries a mortar and pestle in which she mixes a potion of immortality. In Africa there is a story of how the moon goddess was so pleased with men and women that she sent the moon hare with a promise of immortality.

In Britain hares were once seen as royal animals and it was forbidden to hunt them. Many Celtic goddesses and legendary women are associated with hares. There are many stories of women shape-shifting into hares. Certainly their beautiful courtship dances, wild sexual energy and night activity make them fascinating, magical animals.

Sadly hares were maligned by the church, associated with madness and decried as animals of ill-omen. Dancing hares at night were said to be covens of witches dancing. Shape-shifting witches in the form of hares were said to dry up the udders of cows and cause women to miscarry or give birth to a child with a hare-lip.

But, I will have none of that. Like the hare I will dance about the moon and let her work her magic and I know that my beautiful hare will evoke the goddess in my heart.