After last Saturday’s New Moon, we entered the sacred sequence of days leading up to the 7th Night of the 7th Moon in the Chinese tradition, which brings us to the portal between the worlds.
The Qixi Festival is celebrated during the most romantic time of the year, when the Crescent Moon sweeps across the western horizon toward the thickest part of the Milky Way.
The date for the festival is movable, because it’s based on the Lunar rhythm, which gives it a changing mood from one year to the next. This year, the seven days leading up to the 7th night will include a beautiful meeting between Moon and Venus on Tuesday night, then between Moon and Jupiter on Friday. Overnight Friday, before the Moon achieves its first quarter, that’s when we arrive at the moment when the portal opens between the worlds ~ and every lover can chance upon his true love!
The story involves the two stars Vega and Altair, which are overhead on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Vega is the weaving princess of the heaven world, who’s captured by Altair, the cowherd of the earthly world. He steals away her feathered cape when she descends with her fairy sisters to swim in the sacred pool of water at the top of a mountain. Because she can’t return without her cape, the cow herd is able to speak to her and ask for her hand in marriage. The weaving princess consents, and they live happily together for many years, until the Jade Emperor calls the princess back to the heaven world. Her beloved cow herd is heart broken and attempts to follow her, and though he’s able to ascend through the sky, he’s not able to cross the mighty celestial river that runs in torrents between them.
However, his devotion impresses the Jade Queen so much that she ultimately grants that once each year, the lovers can meet. Their meeting takes place every year on the 7th Night of the 7th Moon. That date this year is Friday, August 17, so we all have this week to get ready for the meeting with the beloved.
Follow this link for more detail regarding the seven days leading up to the 7th Night of the 7th Moon.