As the Corn Pollen Moon sets upon us this night… enjoy the Full Moon’s energy as Grandmother rises in the sky! It is a time to not only harness the energy but to harvest the benefits of this time!
Also known as the Barley Moon, the meaning also speaks to a time of rebirth. So practice harnessing it’s energy for your ritual and spell work. The energy Grandmother will provide you at this time will work well with both our spiritual and physical growth and health.
Also known as the Sturgeon moon by the fishing tribes since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. Also known as the Full Red Moon for as she rises… she will appear reddish in color surrounded by a slight haze.
Corn the symbol of sustenance, standing tall for All of life. Corn is considered a gift from the Creator as a food, often used in ceremony. Corn has been part of the Hopi people as they have much skill in being able to grow it in desert sand. Corn Pollen is a blessing used for protection, understanding and forgiveness. Used when doing prayer, in house blessings, and to bless the peoples. Cornmeal, ground from white corn, is considered sacred and is used in blessings as well.
Corn can be easily stored and preserved during the cold winter months, can also be dried to use later. During the time of the Ancestors and in the present dried corn can be made into hominy by soaking corn in water until the kernels split open, then drained and fried over a fire. The husks are also used as they can be braided, made into masks, sleeping mats, baskets and one of my favorites and is truly a work of art … the corn husk dolls. All that remains is the corncob, and these can be used to burn as fuel.
The Corn Maiden gives of her own body to feed her family and provides seeds which ensure a continued source of food. The following is one of my favorite stories, and shows of the importance of all life and of the Eldest Sister … Corn.
The Story of the Three Sisters of the Plant People
Long ago there were three sisters who lived together in an endless field. To look at them one could see that they were very different from each other in every way, yet they were Sisters none the less.
The youngest of the three was very young and was only able to crawl. They had dressed her in the bright and beautiful color of green. The middle sister could be seen to wear a bright yellow dress and she often would run off to play when Father Sun shared his light and gentle winds raced the lands. The oldest sister could be found standing straight and tall above her sisters in order to keep watch over them. She was dressed in a pale green shawl and her hair that was a soft pale yellow could often be seen gently blowing across her face as she stood high upon the field. The one way in which they were all the same was how they were connected. They loved each other with all their hearts, they were family and they stayed together as such. This created a bond that made them very, very strong.
One day a stranger happened along and came to visit the home of the Three Sisters. It was a young boy from the nearby village. They watched him as he spoke with the winged ones, the four leggeds and others that were Sacred to the Sisters. This warmed their hearts and made them smile. That summer the young boy returned, spent the day and when he was gone the youngest sister had disappeared. Her sisters cried and didn’t know what had happened to her. In the days to come the young boy of the village returned to gather the sacred sweetgrass that grew at the water’s edge. The two remaining sisters watched as his feet left their trail in the soft earth back towards his village.
That evening as Grandmother Moon spread her blanket across the sky, the oldest sister discovered that her middle sister had disappeared as well. She stood and wept for her loss. Now the older sister was left alone but she continued to stand tall in the field. Soon the young boy came back and upon seeing how much she missed her sisters he gathered her up and took her to be back with her sisters, understanding that together the love they had for each other was strong and it was what created family.
The Three Sisters are represented as…
Sister Bean
Sister Bean is dressed all in green. At first when she was young she could only crawl. Now as she grows, she clings to and leans on her Sister Corn for support. In return, Sister Bean gives her sister the nutrients she needs to grow.
Sister Squash
The middle sister is Sister Squash although sometimes she is called Pumpkin. She wears a bright, sunshine yellow dress and a golden crown and sits at the feet of her older sisters. She is much shorter than her sisters and her large leaves help keep the weeds away and the soil moist. Her vines are prickly and help to keep unwanted animals away from her sisters.
Sister Corn
The eldest is Sister Corn. She wears a pale green shawl and has silken hair that rustles when the wind blows through it. She grows tall and strong and allows her sister to lean on her for support. She keeps watch over her sisters, looking for danger and warning them.
This also creates a strong foundation for our gardens, the mainstay staples that will provide nutrition to our families.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
Blessings,
~bear Medicinewalker
“Corn Pollen Road” from Pathway to Destiny: Songs of Healing and Contemplation by Louie Gonnie. Available at http://www.canyonrecords.com
