Raspberry Moon~

I adore the Native Moons, the changing of the seasons. How our lives really revolve around nature! This month is Raspberry Moon.

I believe raspberries are my fruit familiar. Everything in the universe gives off energy at different levels. We find ourselves connected/attracted to certain things because we share the same level of energies.  Plants as well as animals all give off their own energies; humans too.  

We all have plants and animals we are attracted to: garden plants, wild plants, trees.  I know my tree is an Oak and my fruit-bearing plant is the Raspberry.  You can certainly have more than one familiar. My animals are: cats, dogs, squirrels, foxes and owls. Noah just lights up when he sees a Willow tree. He's done this since he was very small. It's his tree familiar.

This summer I'm paying more attention to which plants I find myself drawn to.  Which plants tugs at your heartstrings? Maybe take some time this summer to find your plant familiars.  Good things come from eating, planting and being around your tree and plant familiars. When it comes to eating; raw, fresh foods are better because they retain more of their life-giving energy then if they are cooked.  So eating a handful of garden fresh raspberry would be much more beneficial to me than say... eating raspberry jam or a raspberry crumble. ~

ANISHNAABE (CHIPPEWA, OJIBWE): 

    
JANUARY -    Gichi-manidoo-giizis           GREAT SPIRIT MOON
FEBRUARY -   Namebini-giizis                SUCKER MOON
MARCH -      Bebookwaadaagame-giizis(oog)   SNOW CRUST MOON
APRIL -      Iskigamizige-giizis(oog)       BROKEN SNOWSHOE MOON
MAY -        Waabigwani-giizis              BLOSSOM MOON
JUNE -       Ode'imini-giizis               STRAWBERRY MOON
JULY -       Aabita-niibino-giizis          RASPBERRY MOON
AUGUST -     Miini-giizis                   BERRY MOON
SEPTEMBER -  Manoominike-giizis             RICE MOON
OCTOBER -    Binaakwe-giizis                FALLING LEAVES MOON
NOVEMBER -   Gashkadino-giizis(oog)         FREEZING MOON
DECEMBER -   Manidoo-gizisoons              SMALL SPIRITS MOON

~~~

We've planted  three ever-bearing/ thorn-less raspberry bushes this summer. So far, just leaves... but maybe by this summer's end I'll have a handful. I admit... I'm a bit impatient and wish they'd hurry up and bloom! 

 Think I'll make some raspberry crumble soon... ehh... maybe next week, when it's a bit cooler. It is getting cooler next week, right?  For now, I'll just enjoy some of that raspberry freezer jam we made last month. I know, I know... better fresh; but I love jam and crumble!  ~

Raspberry Crumble

2 pints raspberries
juice of half a lemon
1-2 tablespoons sugar

Topping: 
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup oatmeal (porridge oats or Quaker rolled oats)

Heat oven to 350/180CF.

Prepare a small baking dish with cooking spray. (Use an oven-safe dish that comfortably holds the berries with an inch or so on the top for the topping.) Pour the raspberries in the dish and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Sprinkle the sugar over the berries.

In a small food processor, combine the flour and margarine until crumbly. (Alternately, you can cut the margarine into the flour with a butter knife.) Add the sugar, cinnamon, and oatmeal and process for a few more seconds.

Sprinkle the topping over the raspberries, leaving some berries exposed on the edges.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the berries are bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.