Poetry for the Esbat: Snow Moon 2012

February's Full Moon, is called the Snow Moon, Hunger Moon or Quickening Moon. According to the Farmer's Almanac, it was often called the Snow Moon because February is generally the month with the greatest amount of said precipitation. Also weather related is the name Hunger Moon, pointing to the difficulty of the harsh seasonal conditions during this time. The name Quickening Moon, I believe (& feel free to correct me if you know otherwise), is a more recent name which makes reference to this Moon's proximity to the celebration of Imbolc, Lá Fhéile Bhríde & Groundhog's Day. It points to the stirring of the Earth -- the earliest reawakening after a long winter's slumber.

The Moon from Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot

I began this year's Poetry for the Esbat with the intention of using a Moon (or Moon-related) card from one of my tarot decks each month. Last Esbat -- the first Full Moon of the year -- I shared the Moon card from my very first deck. Today, I think I shall share the Moon card from my most recent deck. The card belongs to the Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot (3rd version), just released in December by the brilliant husband & wife team at Baba Studio. We received our decks just last month... It takes awhile for eight decks of cards to make the journey from Prague. Although this is not my preferred deck for divination & meditation, I very much enjoy the artistic talent Alex Ukolov & Karen Mahony -- all their decks have a distinctive character & are very engaging. There are several really great cat cards in this deck. I am particularly fond of the Wheel of Fortune, the King of Wands & their signature wild card, The Fortune Teller. They design many other decks, so if you are a tarotiphile, (yes, I made that up) go check out their website, their Etsy store, or their Facebook Page. A word to the wise: certain decks tend to sell out very fast, so you have to keep close tabs on them to get in on a publication run.


But enough about cards.


My poem for this month was offered up by my newfound friend & kindred spirit over at Otherworldly Thoughts. With many thanks to him, I offer you a sonnet for this Esbat by Charlotte (Turner) Smith (1749-1806). Please Enjoy.

To the Moon 

Queen of the silver bow!--by thy pale beam
Alone and pensive, I delight to stray,
And watch thy shadow trembling in the stream,
Or mark the floating clouds that cross thy way.
And while I gaze, thy mild and placid light
Sheds a soft calm upon my troubled breast;
And oft I think--fair planet of the night--
That in thy orb, the wretched may have rest:
The sufferers of the earth perhaps may go,
Released by Death--to thy benignant sphere,
And the sad children of Despair and Woe
Forget, in thee, their cup of sorrow here.
Oh! that I soon may reach thy world serene,
Poor wearied pilgrim--in this toiling scene!

Blessings to you this Esbat my friends.

So very, very nearly Full.