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As a family and a business, we value living simply, eating well, and being of service to others. Our deepest intention is to be in harmony with Earthly and celestial rhythms, which, in turn, creates harmony within ourselves. We hope this newsletter can be a way to share our journey and connect with like-minded souls on the path. 

This first edition of our newsletter will introduce you to our main themes - celestial happenings especially those relating to the Moon, the plants or herbs we’re currently working with, and any updates or pertinent information about our Consultation Services. We hope you enjoy following along!

Full Moon

This month’s Full Moon occurs today, November 15th, in the constellation of Taurus at 4:29 p.m. local time. This Full Moon is a supermoon and will be the final full moon before Pluto moves into Aquarius for the next 20 years. 

All Full Moons have names synonymous with unique environmental changes seen during their corresponding time of year and are specific to the people and place of a particular culture. These names help reiterate tasks, rituals, and traditions important to their ecosystem, people included. We like to explore three main cultures every Full Moon to provide context for deeper understanding. These three cultures include the current iteration for the United States- the Farmer’s Almanac, the original stewards of the land we call home - the Cherokee, and our ancestral iteration - Indigenous Europeans. 

The Farmers Almanac calls November’s Full Moon the Beaver Moon. The Beaver Moon was given this name by colonial and Native American observations of the animal being more active to prepare for winter. It is understood that if the beavers are preparing, so should we. 

The modern name for this Full Moon in Cherokee culture is the Trading Moon. This is because it was traditionally the time of year when trading of manufactured goods, produce, and goods from hunting was conducted with other tribes. This Full Moon is also the customary time of the "Friendship Festival" Adohuna = "new friends made" when nearly all transgressions are forgiven. This festival recalls a time before "world selfishness and greed". This moon also marks when the needy are given whatever will help them through the impending winter. More traditionally, this was the time of the Hunting Moon ceremony. 

In Celtic tradition, this Moon was called the Mourning Moon and the Darkest Depths Moon signifying the dying of plant life and light of the sky. In Germanic tradition, the Blotmonath Moon, which describes the Blood Month or Sacrifice Month, represents the harvesting and sacrificing of animals to prepare for the harsh winter ahead.

If you were to name this Full Moon, what would you call it?

Samhain / Halloween

We also recognize this Full Moon as being the first Full Moon after the halfway point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice, which is marked by the Samhain holiday of the Gaelic/Celtic traditions that we know and love today as Halloween. 

Halloween and Samhain honor the dark and shadow aspects of our inner and outer ecosystems including our ancestors who have passed on which is why The Day of the Dead is also celebrated at this time. Samhain was traditionally seen as the official end of summer and the beginning of winter. Interestingly, this halfway point has also been known as the beginning of the new year in many cultural traditions. 

These holidays are also marked by the Pleiades constellation reaching its highest point in the southern sky at midnight on October 31st. This constellation was important to ancient cultures globally due to the Taurid meteor stream appearing to emanate from this constellation. The Taurids were and still are associated with the bright fireballs often seen emanating from the Pleiades and the destructive air burst events that it periodically causes, such as the Tunguska Event of 1908. Today, we associate witches and ghouls flying through the skies as metaphorical symbols for these meteors during this time, always looming as a potential threat to those on Earth.

Winter Gardening

A big misconception about this time of year is that the growing season is over. To name a handful, here in east Tennessee, we are privileged to grow garlic, kale, lettuce, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens starting in September and October and going through winter. We’ve even planted garlic and kale in mid to late November with much success and are doing so again this year.

How cool is the new raised bed (photographed above) we made for Derik’s parents to grow garlic? It’s such a convenient, affordable way to make garden beds and the Oak leaves make a great mulch for water retention and weed suppression. Momma Anita planted the cloves on Halloween and the sprouts have been popping up all week! We’re hoping to also start kale seeds on the Full Moon. They can tolerate temps well below freezing, so you don’t have to worry about planting them in late fall in our gardening zone. One of the many reasons we love growing them!

If you’d like to start a winter garden, there are only a few simple chores to keep your plants thriving during below-freezing temperatures, like covering them with sheets or other wind and frost protectors when the weather gets really cold. Each plant has different levels of temperature and frost tolerance, so you can pick and choose what works for you. Kale is supreme in this context as they can tolerate temperatures down to 10°F without cover! 

Of course, you can also grow your food throughout winter with very little maintenance if you have a greenhouse exposed to the southern sky. It doesn’t have to be fancy or large, check out the picture below for a simple greenhouse made from one vintage window and some upcycled wood. 

With all of this in mind, if you love to garden or would like to start, there’s no reason why you can’t do it year-round! The UT Institute of Agriculture provides all kinds of free resources for gardening. Here’s an article about growing leafy greens to get you started: https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/D68.pdf

If you’re interested in learning more, would like to install a garden bed, or need help with an upcycled window greenhouse, check out our Gardening Consultations page and send us a message! We’re here to help demystify and ignite the process of growing your own food, herbs, and flowers at home!

Holistic Herbal Consultations

One of the main services we offer is Holistic Herbal Consultations. During these consultations, Amanda uses her many years of education and personal experience to determine the underlying patterns and root causes of symptoms that make your life challenging, less vibrant, downright painful, or, let’s be honest, sometimes just simply unbearable. 

Our world is so disconnected from the values of holistic well-being and we’re nearly constantly bombarded with toxicity on all levels: mental, physical, and spiritual. It’s no wonder so many of us are sick and suffering. Because of this, Amanda is passionate about helping others overcome the toxicity and reconnect with their whole self to live the vibrant lives we all deserve. 

To do so, Amanda uses the patterns and root causes found to develop an individualized plant formula, recommendations, and lifestyle practices to bring your body back into balance, a concept known as Vitalism. Vitalism views each person's whole experience and tailors the approach to encourage your body’s own healing and homeostasis properties which can reestablish balance, harmony, and ultimately health.  

These consultations will not only provide you with tangible, implementable ways to live a happier, healthier life but will help you become your own personal health advocate with unwavering support from Amanda. Herbs and natural methods do realistically take time to work but we will be indefinite partners on your journey to well-being.  

To learn more about this offering or make an appointment, check out the Holistic Herbal Consultations page of our website.  

Thank you again for joining our Oak Moon community!

Please feel free to reply to this message with your thoughts and any suggestions for future content. We’re very interested in your feedback! We’d also love to answer any questions you may have about our Consultation Services. Our goal is for this newsletter to be an interactive space for our subscriber community to share with us just as much as we share with you.

We hope you enjoy the Full Moon and this time of transition!

Until next time, Amanda & Derik <3