The Hunter's Moon and the season of going within
The clocks have gone back, the evenings are drawing in, and on Monday 26 October the Hunter's Moon reaches its fullest at 4.12am.
It's the first full moon after the harvest. For centuries, people in the Northern Hemisphere spent October hunting and preserving food to see them through winter, and that's where the name comes from.
I've always felt this time of year asks the same of us on the inside. Nature is slowing down and letting go. The nights are longer, and with Samhain just days away, many of us feel the veil between this world and the spirit world at its thinnest.
It's a natural time to stop, go within and take stock. Which is exactly why I want to talk about meditation.
If you'd like to start right now, Kieron Morgan, Brother of Dragons, has created a guided meditation for this year's Hunter's Moon. It’s at the top of this page. Press play, put your headphones in and let yourself be guided.
Then come back and read on, because I want to tell you why I nearly gave up on meditation altogether.
I used to think I was terrible at meditation
For years, meditation felt like something other people could do.
I have ADHD, and for ten years I ran my own legal recruitment business. My days were spent brokering deals, managing a large team and living on adrenaline. I'd get home, sit down to meditate, and my mind would carry on running the business without me.
So I'd try harder. I'd tell myself to stop thinking, and when the thoughts kept coming, I'd beat myself up for failing at the one thing that was meant to calm me down. At times my mind ruled me, and a lot of what it was running on was anxiety.
I hear the same story all the time in my teaching. People come to my classes convinced they're "bad at meditating". They've been trying to switch their minds off, and they think the constant chatter means they've failed.
It doesn't. They've just been aiming at the wrong target, and so had I.
Meditation isn't about switching your mind off
The biggest myth about meditation is that the goal is an empty mind. If that's your goal, every passing thought feels like failure, and you end up in a fight with your own head that you can never win.
The mind is built to wander. In a well-known Harvard study, researchers checked in with 2,250 people through a phone app as they went about their day. Their minds were wandering almost half the time, around 47 percent.
So a busy mind isn't a sign you're doing it wrong. It's a sign you're human. The practice is noticing that you've drifted and gently coming back, again and again, without judgement. Each return isn't a break from the meditation. It is the meditation.
And the harder you try, the harder it gets, because trying is the thinking mind at work. What you're really learning is to allow. Thoughts come, thoughts go, and you don't have to climb aboard every one.
You've almost certainly meditated without realising it. Those moments when you're lost in a sunset, staring into a fire, or walking with nowhere you need to be. Your thinking mind softened, and you were simply present.
It's good for your mind, too
The science on meditation and mental health is strong. In a 2022 clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry, an eight-week mindfulness course worked as well for anxiety disorders as escitalopram, a common first-line medication.
For those of us with ADHD, a 2025 review of randomised trials found mindfulness may help with core symptoms and day-to-day functioning, though the researchers say the evidence is still mixed. In my experience, the trick is shorter sessions, more variety and a lot of kindness to yourself.
If you take medication, please don't change it without speaking to your doctor first.
Why meditation is the foundation of mediumship
For me, meditation isn't just good for my mental health. It's the very foundation of mediumship.
The spirit world usually begins very subtly. A shift in the energy around you. A feeling that wasn't there a moment ago. A gentle sense that you're not alone. You're never going to notice something that delicate while your head is still in the day's to-do list.
When the chatter of the thinking mind settles, it makes room. Room for your guides, for spirit, for inspiration. It's in that stillness that you start to feel the differences in energy and notice when it changes, and it's where you discover your own innate power.
In mediumship development we call this sitting in the power: simply being with your own soul and the power of the spirit world, without asking for anything. Medium Adam Berry explores it beautifully in our conversation about sitting in the power, and you can try it for yourself with his guided Sitting in the Power meditation.
These days I meditate at least once a day, often twice, and I always sit in the power before a reading. I wouldn't give a mediumship reading without it.
I've fallen in love with meditation. But it took time, and it took learning to be gentle with myself. Donna King and I talk about exactly this in Trusting Your Mediumship: Stop Thinking, Start Feeling.
Find the way in that works for you
There's no single right way to meditate. If sitting in silence feels impossible right now, start somewhere else.
Guided meditation
A voice to follow gives a busy mind something to hold onto. That's why guided journeys like Kieron's Hunter's Moon meditation are such a good place to begin.
Binaural beats
When you hear two slightly different tones, one in each ear, your brain perceives a third, gentle pulse at the difference between them. A tone of 200 Hz in one ear and 206 Hz in the other creates a beat of 6 Hz. The idea, known as brainwave entrainment, is that your brain may start to follow that rhythm.
Each range of brainwaves is linked with a different state:
Beta (about 13 to 30 Hz): alert, everyday thinking. Where most of us spend our working day.
Alpha (about 8 to 13 Hz): calm, relaxed awareness.
Theta (about 4 to 8 Hz): deep meditation and the dreamy edge of sleep, often rich with imagery.
Delta (about 0.5 to 4 Hz): deep, dreamless sleep.
The research is promising but mixed. A 2019 review of 22 studies found a medium overall effect on anxiety, pain and some aspects of memory and attention, though results varied with the frequency used and how long people listened. You do need headphones for them to work.
For me, they were a game changer, and they're still what I recommend. Early on, the recordings from Sacred Acoustics gave my racing mind somewhere to settle. I love their app because you can take the voice out, which is how I usually listen these days.
Its co-founder, Karen Newell, co-wrote Living in a Mindful Universe with neurosurgeon Dr Eben Alexander, and she joined me on Soul Sync to talk about binaural beats and expanding consciousness.
Sound and vibration
Singing bowls, gongs, chanting and sound baths all work through vibration rather than thought. I've found sound therapy deeply healing, and it's a lovely way in if words and visualisations don't suit you.
A candle flame
Gazing softly at a flickering candle, a practice known in yoga as trataka, gives your eyes and mind one simple focus. You just watch, and let the thoughts come and go.
Silence
These days, most of the time, I prefer simple silence. It took me years to get here, so please don't expect to start here.
Walking in nature
In my early days, my meditation was walking. Being in nature, moving slowly and noticing what's around me. If that's what quietens your mind, it counts.
How to start meditating, gently
If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: start small and be kind to yourself.
Start with ten minutes. Think about the gym. Promise yourself six sessions a week and you'll have stopped by week two. Ten minutes most days will do far more for you than an hour once a month.
Set an intention. Before you begin, decide why you're sitting. It might be simply to rest, or to sit in the power of your own soul and get to know its energy and your higher consciousness.
Give your busy mind a job. The thinking, egoic part of you likes having something to do, so let it observe. Your breath, the sounds around you, a candle flame or the sensations in your body all work.
Let thoughts pass. Thoughts will come, and that's fine. The key is not to latch onto them. Notice, let go and come back.
Keep a journal. Afterwards, write down anything that came to you: images, feelings, words, insights. Reflecting back is a key part of spiritual development.
Be gentle and keep going. Some days will feel wonderful and some won't. Both count, and it does get easier.
Journaling is what built my trust in the spirit world. Looking back through my notes over the years, I've found things that came to me in meditation and later turned out to be true. I'd never have noticed if I hadn't written them down.
The resources I recommend
These are the things that have genuinely helped me, and the ones I point my students towards.
Sacred Acoustics, for binaural beats. This is my number one recommendation. Their recordings blend binaural beats with sacred instruments, sounds of nature and human voices. I love the Sacred Acoustics app because you can take the voice out, which is how I usually listen now. Start at sacredacoustics.com.
Living in a Mindful Universe, by Dr Eben Alexander and Karen Newell. If you want to understand the thinking behind Sacred Acoustics, start here. It brings together a neurosurgeon's near-death experience and Karen's lifetime of practice into practical ways of going within.
Glyn Edwards' books and recordings. Glyn was one of the finest mediums and teachers this country has produced. His books, especially The Spirit World in Plain English (written with Santoshan) and The Potential of Mediumship, and his Sitting in the Power recordings helped me understand, right at the start, what I was actually trying to do.
Adam Berry's Sitting in the Power meditation. If you want to experience sitting in the power for yourself, this guided meditation is a lovely place to begin.
Kieron Morgan's full moon meditations. Kieron guides a new meditation for Soul Sync every full moon, and you can find his healing sessions, workshops and Dragon Rune Oracle Deck at brotherofdragons.co.uk. Follow Soul Sync so you never miss one.
A gentle timer. Set a soft alarm on your phone for ten minutes, so you can stop peeking at the clock and simply sit.
A notebook and a candle. Nothing fancy. Keep a notebook by your chair for whatever comes, and a candle for when you want one simple point of focus.
Sit with others. Meditating in a group can carry you on the days you'd skip it on your own. You're very welcome at my free online development circle.
If you're struggling. Meditation is wonderful support, but it isn't a substitute for proper care. Speak to your GP, and Mind has helpful information on mindfulness and where to find support.
Spiritual Takeaways
Meditation isn't about emptying your mind. It's about noticing when you've drifted and coming back.
The trying is the problem. Allow, don't force.
A busy mind isn't failure. Research suggests our minds wander almost half the time.
Stillness makes room for spirit, which is why meditation is the foundation of mediumship.
Find your own way in: guided meditation, binaural beats, sound, a candle, silence or a walk in nature.
Start with ten minutes, set an intention and keep a journal.
Autumn, with the Hunter's Moon and Samhain, is a natural time to go within.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to keep thinking during meditation?
Yes, completely. Everyone's mind wanders, including experienced meditators. The practice is noticing the thought and gently coming back. Each time you do, you're meditating.
How long should a beginner meditate for?
Ten minutes is a great start. A short session you do most days is far more valuable than a long one you dread. Build up slowly as it starts to feel natural.
Do binaural beats really work?
The research is promising but mixed. A 2019 review of 22 studies found a medium overall effect on anxiety and pain, but results vary with the frequency and how long you listen. Use headphones, try them for a week and see how you feel. Sacred Acoustics is where I'd start.
Can you meditate if you have ADHD?
Yes. I have ADHD, and meditation is now one of the most important parts of my day. Shorter sessions, guided meditations and moving practices like walking in nature can make it much easier to begin.
Why is meditation important for mediumship?
The spirit world often communicates through very subtle shifts in energy and feeling. Meditation quietens the busy mind enough for you to notice them, and sitting in the power builds your connection with your own soul and with spirit.
Is meditation safe for everyone?
For most people, yes. If you're living with a mental health condition, particularly one involving psychosis or trauma, speak to your doctor or therapist before starting a long or intensive practice, and keep your sessions short and grounded.
Your invitation this autumn
The Hunter's Moon is a reminder to gather in, slow down and take stock before winter. Let meditation be part of that.
Start with Kieron's meditation at the top of this page. Then give yourself ten minutes tomorrow, and the day after. Be patient with your mind, and notice what begins to open up when you stop fighting it.
If you'd like to sit with others, you're very welcome at my free online development circle. If you're ready to develop your own connection with spirit, my online Psychic Awareness and Mediumship Development classes are built on exactly this foundation. And if you'd like a reading, you can book one here.
Sources
Wandering mind not a happy mind, Harvard Gazette (Killingsworth and Gilbert, Science, 2010)
Mindfulness-based stress reduction is as effective as an antidepressant drug for treating anxiety disorders, Georgetown University Medical Center (Hoge et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2022)
Mindfulness-based interventions for adults with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed Central
Efficacy of binaural auditory beats in cognition, anxiety, and pain perception: a meta-analysis, Psychological Research, 2019
