The first full moon of September is known as the Harvest moon – it’s a gorgeous, ethereal beacon in the sky. There’s a serenity about the full Harvest moon that captivates the eye and the mind.

For months, we’ve watched the corn grow higher and higher, as summer wore on… knowing that the height of the corn was a marker for the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Last week, the harvest began here in Madison, with some fields untouched but others missing large swaths. Over the week ahead most of the fields will be laid bare.

I am reminded of the verses of poetry written by Syedna Tahir Saifuddin AS, a philosophical discourse on the capcity of Reason (al ‘Aql) in humankind. The first two verses begin,

“Al-Aql in man is the loftiest substance
Luminous like the moon in his soul”

The loftiest, most luminous substance indeed!