The moon will be full this Thursday, February 21st. There are no children in our home (by choice, I might add), and so I gather “the sleeping infant of (my)self” to go out into the dark night and drink in the inky beauty of white rock in a sea of blackness. My sun sign is Cancer whose planet is the moon. I have always felt an affinity for the moon and her phases and rhythms, appreciating the profound wisdom of her gentle waxing and waning as a mirror of the movement of the seasons from flowering to death and back to blossoming again. I wish in my urban life I could see the moon more clearly, more often, except that I live in a city whose trademark is cloud cover.
So when we have weeks with clear skies like last month, where the full moon begs to be witnessed and invites my wide-eyed wonder, I make the effort to see between buildings and lamposts. I pause and breathe in the beauty of fullness and radiance. When I am at the hermitage on a full moon night, I can see the mountain snow at midnight as a luminous pale glow on the horizon. I celebrate the gifts of light reflected to the world, just as I honor the gifts of the new moon, who retreats into the shadows to renew as we all must do at times.
My life these days feels very much in a full moon phase. Opportunities and new ideas seem to abound flowing easily from me and I am grateful, knowing that it is only possible because I have allowed myself also the space for rest and being. Even in the midst of full moon activity, I heed the invitations to moments of stillness for reflection and regathering.
Are you in a full moon phase or a new moon phase? Are you waxing or waning? Can you honor whatever place you find yourself, knowing that you will slowly move around the cycle?
-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts
(photos taken in a Seattle winter night sky)
7 Responses
Thanks for the story kigen. :-)
I am envious of your Hawaiian moon SS.
You are most welcome yolanda. Come back tomorrow for more Billy Collins. :-)
I too love Billy Collins. I think I am in a new moon phase right now. Thanks for sharing this poem.
Christine – Lucy was certainly in need of this peaceful post. The moon shot is gorgeous and I’ve never read any Billy Collins before – but will now. Yours is always a site for inspiration. By the way the moon is beautiful on these soft breezy Maui nights…..aloha
SS
Today I noticed in a web project that I had consistently misspelled TERRESTRIAL, as TERRESTIAL, mixing it up I suppose with CELESTIAL. and perhaps hoping to avoid any sort of “TRIAL” as a suffix for Earth. You are quite right, Christine! — like QWEST — QUEST should always be spelled “BREATHE.”
Pam, thanks for mentioning he is coming to Seattle, I was able to find it here:
http://www.broadwaycenter.org/season/showDetails.asp?key=44
Broadway Center for Performing Arts in Seattle, Friday, April 4th at 7:30. I am so bummed I won’t be in town that night!
Thanks lucy! The beautiful thing about the moon is that it always comes around to the other side of its phase. Besides, Paris next week beckons you to the waxing.
PS — I just got a new cell phone and put the word “BREATHE” on the screen (instead of Qwest) :-)
like breathing fresh air after being submerged for a little too long…thank you for this post christine. it feels like my moon may be waning a bit, but i have to wonder if it is not due to too few moments to reflect and regather. i think maybe i will just sit here and breathe for a few minutes.
(once again you drew my favorite line out of the poem to comment upon :-) . peace
Christine,
Some weeks ago, I heard that Billie Collins would be in Tacoma or Seattle soon, but now I don’t know when or where. I tried finding out by googling him with no luck. Do you have any idea of how I can find out? I would love to see him.
Thanks,
Pam