This dark moon, when I went to speak with Na Morrigna, they spoke to me of the importance of self-care to avoid burnout, the importance of continuing the fight and staying on target even as things appear to be settling down, as the ongoing struggles slip out of mainstream news cycles. Above all they stressed that the harvest would come soon. Lughnasadh is just around the corner: a time for renewed contracts, for the settling of legal disputes. A good time to clarify our purpose as we head towards Samhain, the month of November. The apple harvest is almost here, and with it will come a change, although the type of change still hangs in the balance, undecided, uncertain. One more push is needed, if we wish to reap the harvest we’ve been working for. Look to those on the peripheries for guidance as you move forward. The marginalized ones. They will know how to best achieve justice. Witches and apples have a long history, and acorns are not Macha’s only crop. There may be bloodshed yet to come, as the harvest comes in and the rents come due.
Here is a slip of a poem, inspired by my visit:
Crows gather in fields
Perching on straw men
Eating the corn
Apples ripen on trees
Dripping with syrup
Sweet-tasting deception
Poisoned apples
Bloody acorns
Swirling murders of crows
Otherworldly battles
Faction against faction
Spilling over the border
A queer wit sees more truth
The worlds entwined
A struggle for control
The people gather a harvest
Each one gets their portion
Long-due debts will be paid