Raspberry Moon teaches us about gentle strength. The raspberry plant, full of thorns yet bearing sweet fruit, mirrors our own life journeys. At Indspire, we recognize this moon as a reminder to move through difficulties with kindness and compassion. Especially in raising our children and supporting each other, gentleness is a sacred power.
As summer deepens and the heat wraps around the earth like a warm blanket, we come into Mskomini Giizis, the Raspberry Moon. This seventh moon of the year carries with it teachings of gentleness, kindness, and resilience—a powerful blend of softness and strength.
The raspberry is a humble fruit. It grows low to the ground, often hidden among thorny canes, teaching us that even through life’s sharpest moments, sweetness can still be found. When we walk through the Raspberry Moon, we are reminded that our approach to life and to others matters. It’s not only about what we do, but how we do it—with heart, with care, with humility.
Through the Thorns
There’s an old teaching passed to me by an Auntie:
“To reach the berry, you must learn how to move gently. Rush, and you’ll get scratched. But go slow, with patience, and the path opens.”
That teaching hit different when I was a young parent, rushing through life, trying to do everything right. I remember one afternoon out berry-picking with my girls. I watched them carefully push the thorns aside, giggling as they filled their baskets. One of them turned and said, “You have to be soft, mom, or the thorns poke you.”
That was the lesson. Life isn’t just about pushing forward—it’s about learning how to move gently through difficulty. Not every situation needs our toughness. Sometimes, it’s our softness that gets us through.
Parenting, Relationships & Healing
Raspberry Moon is often connected with family and child-rearing, especially the teachings passed down to help us raise kind, balanced children. When raising little ones, or even in caring for our Elders, we are constantly reminded that gentleness is not weakness—it is intentional strength.
This is a good time to ask ourselves:
- Am I speaking to my loved ones with kindness?
- Am I responding or reacting?
- Am I offering softness to others—and to myself?
Our Elders often say that how we treat children is how they will treat the world. During this moon, many families pause to reconnect with each other, to nurture bonds, and to speak truthfully, but kindly. It’s also a time when we can reflect on how we were raised, and which parts of that we want to carry forward—or leave behind.
Carrying Kindness
Kindness is a quiet act of rebellion in a world that often celebrates hardness. The Raspberry Moon teaches us that even though the world can be harsh, we don’t have to be. We can choose to carry kindness like we carry berries in a basket—carefully, intentionally, with reverence.
This moon is a reminder that our gentleness is a medicine. When we’re kind to others, we create a ripple of healing that moves far beyond what we can see.
A friend once told me, “You never know who’s walking through thorns. Be the soft place they can rest.”
A Berry Offering
If you’re able, take some time this month to harvest raspberries or sit quietly in nature. Reflect on where you could use more gentleness in your life. Offer a handful of berries to the land as a gift of gratitude and as a way to say, “I see the sweetness in the world, even among the thorns.”
You might also consider offering a kind word to someone who’s been going through a rough patch—or to someone who has offered gentleness to you. These are small things that nourish the soul.
In this Raspberry Moon, may you walk gently through your days, speak softly to your spirit, and find sweetness even in life’s tangled places. The teachings are all around you, hidden in the brambles, waiting for you to move softly enough to find them.
🌿 “The softest voices are often the ones that heal us the most.” 🌿
