September always feels like it comes so suddenly, doesn't it? One day we're deep in summer's rhythm and suddenly here we are, autumn knocking at the door. It's always been my favorite month though, maybe because it feels like the year's true beginning, more so than January ever could. This is the season that invites fresh starts, new chapters, the chance to reinvent ourselves.And tonight we have the most beautiful companion for this season of change, the September full moon. Here in the West we call it the corn moon, but I prefer the Chinese name, the chrysanthemum moon, named for the flowers that choose this exact time to bloom. For our listeners in Australia and other parts of the eastern hemisphere, this moon carries an extra gift, a total lunar eclipse that will paint it deep red for over an hour, a blood moon on the chrysanthemum moon.Of all the full moons that influence us throughout the year, I think this one carries the most important message. That in times of change we are strong, we are resilient, but before we harness this moon's beautiful power to carry you into sleep, please make sure you're somewhere safe to rest. This episode is designed to guide you into deep sleep, so you'll want to be in your comfortable bed. And I would be very grateful if you could leave a review or give us some stars. Think of it this way, leaving a review is like planting chrysanthemums, it takes just a moment, but you'll enjoy the benefits for a long time to come. Plus, it saves me from having to ask again next week.Well, probably not, but you can feel good knowing your review or stars helps this little podcast keep going. So tonight we're going to use the gentle wisdom of the chrysanthemum moon to help you find sleep, while reminding you of your own quiet strength, your own ability to bloom beautifully. And I'll ask you to begin by just listening to my voice.Let my words become the anchor that holds you steady as everything else drifts away. Focus only on the sound of my voice, the rhythm of my words, the gentle cadence that will carry you deeper and deeper into rest. As you listen, really listen, you'll find that other sounds begin to fade, the sounds of the day, the noise in your mind.There's only my voice. Now, give yourself permission to breathe, not in any complicated way. Just breathe and let your next breath be slower than the last, deeper than usual.Imagine as you inhale, your ribs gently opening, expanding like a flower blooming, creating space for this deeper breath to fill you completely. Notice how your heartbeat naturally begins to slow, how your muscles start to soften as more oxygen reaches every cell. This deeper breathing sends a signal to every part of your system.It's time to rest. It's time to let go. Take another slow, deep breath.Each breath is making you calmer, quieter, and more ready for sleep. And now I want you to imagine that you're standing at the top of 10 worn stone steps, each one leading down into an ancient Chinese garden bathed in the light of September's full chrysanthemum moon. As we count down these steps together, you'll feel your body becoming more and more relaxed, more sleepy, and more at peace.In your imagination, place your foot on the first smooth stone step. Feel how solid it is beneath you. Take another step down and notice your shoulders releasing tension you didn't even know you were carrying. Cool night air touches your skin and your breath becomes even slower. Step eight, you can smell the first hint of chrysanthemums drifting up from the garden below. Sweet and earthy and your eyelids grow heavier.Step seven, each breath is deeper than the last. Each exhale making you drowsier, calmer. Six, you're halfway down now and your whole body is settling into this peaceful rhythm of breath and movement. The moonlight grows brighter as you descend and your sleepiness washes over you. Five, your breathing is so slow and natural now. Step four, each breath takes you deeper into this drowsy, peaceful state.You take the next step and you can hear the gentle sound of water somewhere in the garden. Your breathing is so slow, so calm. Two, so beautifully drowsy. One, you step into the garden itself. Your breathing is deep and natural. The ancient garden spreads beneath you under the luminous September moon.This is no ordinary moon, it's the chrysanthemum moon. Hanging low and golden in the autumn sky, casting everything in warm, honey-colored light. The air is crisp but not cold, carrying the complex fragrance of thousands of chrysanthemums that have chosen this challenging season to show their most magnificent beauty.You're walking along a pebbled path that curves between carefully tended beds where chrysanthemums of every imaginable color grow in breathtaking abundance. Your bare feet feel the smooth, cool pebbles that have been worn perfectly round by centuries of gentle footsteps. Some stones are still warm from the day's sun, others cool from the night air, creating a pleasant contrast against your skin that keeps you grounded in this peaceful moment.To your left, the cluster of deep golden chrysanthemums catches the moonlight. There are many layered petals creating intricate shadows that dance lightly in the soft breeze. These flowers are remarkable, unlike the delicate blooms of spring that fade quickly.Chrysanthemums have evolved to bloom for months. They're sturdy stems and resilient petals designed to withstand cool nights and shorter days. Small koi fish create gentle ripples in a narrow stream that winds through the garden.Their orange and gold forms catch the moonlight as they move lazily through the dark water. The sound of water flowing over smooth rocks creates a natural rhythm that seems to sync with your slow, peaceful breathing. Bamboo groves rustle softly at the garden's edges, their leaves whispering secrets to the night wind.Between the bamboo stalks, you catch glimpses of small stone lanterns, unlit but beautiful in their weathered simplicity. A small stone bridge arches over the stream, its surface worn smooth by countless crossings. As you walk across it, the moonlight catches the water's surface, creating ripples of silver light that shimmer and dance like liquid mercury. On the far side of the bridge stands a weathered pavilion with a curved roof, its red paint softened by decades of seasons, but still beautiful. As you settle onto a bench, you feel the coolness of the stone through your clothing. Grounding and solid, the stone seems to hold the warmth of the day, slowly releasing it to you.From here, you can see the entire garden spread before you. Under the chrysanthemum moon, can you understand why this flower was chosen to represent September? These chrysanthemums bloom not despite the cooling air, but because of their remarkable ability to thrive when conditions become challenging. Their secret lies in their deep root systems that gather nutrients all summer long, storing energy for this magnificent autumn display. Their petals are designed with tiny air pockets that insulate them from frost, and their stems are strong but flexible, bending with the wind instead of breaking. As you watch them swing gently in the night breeze, you realize these flowers are teaching you something about resilience. They don't fight the changing season.They've prepared for it, adapted to it, found a way to bloom more beautifully when life becomes more difficult. The moon above seems to pulse gently with golden light, and as it does, you feel something settling deep in your chest, a quiet strength. Like the chrysanthemums themselves, you understand that resilience isn't about being hard or unyielding.It's about being like these flowers, flexible enough to bend with the seasons, deep-rooted enough to draw strength from within, patient enough to bloom in their own perfect time. Ancient ginkgo trees stand at the garden's corners, their fan-shaped leaves yellow gold in the moonlight. These trees have lived for hundreds of years, weathering countless storms and seasons, growing more beautiful with age.Their presence reminds you that endurance and beauty often go hand in hand, that there's something magnificent about the things that last, that persist, that find ways to flourish through all of life's changes. A gentle wind moves through the garden, carrying the scent of chrysanthemum and cooling earth, and the clean smell of moving water. You breathe it all in deeply, and with each breath, you feel the truth in your own resilience, settling deeper into your bones.The moonlight seems to be sinking into your skin now, filling you with the warm golden strength that starts in your chest and spreads slowly outward. This is your resilience, your own quiet power, as reliable and enduring as the cycle of seasons, as constant as the moons return each month. You carry this strength with you always, even when you forget it's there.You're strong, not in a loud and forceful way, but in the quiet, enduring way of these chrysanthemums that bloom when other flowers have faded. Your strength doesn't come from never facing difficulties, it comes from your ability to find your own light, even in dark times, keep growing, even when the season changes to bloom again and again throughout your life. You are resilient in ways you may not even recognize. Every challenge you've faced has added to your depth, like layers of rich earth that help the chrysanthemums grow stronger and more beautiful. Every difficult season you've weathered has made you more capable, more wise, more beautiful in your own unique way. You have survived everything life has given you so far, and that survival has made you stronger, not harder.Your body knows how to rest now, how to restore itself while you sleep. Feel the gratitude flowing through you for this remarkable body that carries you through each day. Your body is your faithful companion, your most loyal friend, deserving of rest and deep appreciation.You are exactly where you need to be in this moment. Feel how your breathing is naturally slowed, how your heartbeat has settled into its most peaceful rhythm. Your nervous system is shifting now, moving from the alertness of day into the restoration of night. Every cell in your body is preparing for the deep healing that happens during sleep. The chrysanthemums around you continue their quiet blooming, unhurried and unworried, simply being what they are meant to be. They don't compare themselves to spring's flashy tulips or summer's bold roses. They bloom in their own time, in their own way, with their own unique beauty, and they are perfect, just as you are perfect, in your own time, in your own way. Tomorrow will bring what it brings, and you will meet it, the same quiet strength that carried you through today, but tonight there is only rest, only peace, only the gentle embrace of sleep welcoming you home. Your mind is growing quiet now, thoughts settling like leaves falling gently to the ground. Your body is heavy and warm and perfectly relaxed. You are safe, you are loved, you are strong enough for whatever comes. Let sleep take you now, carrying you into dreams as beautiful and peaceful as this moonlit garden, where chrysanthemums bloom eternal and the moon watches over you with infinite tenderness.