"When Oshkaabewis Follows the Wolf in the Night Sky"
Boozhoo, aaniin!
Welcome to part 35 of a blog series titled "Star Stories," in which I connect my and kindred artists' storytelling art – in the form of rings, jewelry, and graphic art – with anang akiiwan (the star world) as perceived by our Peoples who since time immemorial inhabit the northern regions of Turtle Island – nowadays called Canada and the United States.
Today's story is about the new moon, the last of the month of September and the last of this year's Summer. We will also discuss the end of Planet Mercury's retrograde - which means it will no longer follow the backward trail of the Wolf across the night sky.
So, what's up with the new moon that will rise tonight? New moons occur when the moon is between the Sun and Earth, which happens about every 29.5 days. A new moon occurs tonight (Sept. 14) at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0140 UTC on Sept 15), and is clearing our path for a rich blessing as it aligns with the planets of Ogimaa (Chief), or Zhaawan-anang (Southern Star) - which are both names used by our People for planet Jupiter - and Waakwi, the Land of the Deceased (as we call Uranus). It is the last new moon of Niibin, as we call Summer season. Meanwhile, according to Western astrology, Planet Mercury is retrograding through the Zodiac sign of Virgo until tomorrow (September 15).
When Is Mercury in Retrograde in 2023?
In 2023, Mercury is in apparent retrograde motion during the following ranges of dates:
- December 28, 2022, to January 18, 2023
- April 21 to May 14
- August 23 to September 14
- December 13 to January 1, 2024
Please note that dates reflect Eastern Time U.S., not Universal Time.