Poetry for the Esbat: Worm Moon 2012

"Moonlit Garden" by Frances Macdonald MacNair (1874-1921), found at A Polar Bear's Tale.

The March full Moon is one of names aplenty & much significance to many peoples. This gave me some difficulty in choosing which I would use, but I made my decision -- like a good bioregionalist -- based on which name would me most relevant to my local environment. 

This month's Moon is sometimes called the "Storm Moon," I presume because March the has the reputation of "entering like a lion." However, our monsoon season is in late July/early August & that is when we have storms(!). According to the Farmer's Almanac, some northern Native American tribes dubbed it the "Full Crow Moon" because the calls of crows during this time are considered a sign of an approaching spring. I am particularly fond of this name, given my proclivity for Corvids & animist leanings. But crows are permanent residents here in the high desert & they can be heard making vociferous mischief on any given day. Among other names are the "Lenten"  & "Paschal" Moons, which really do not work for me (for obvious reasons), however I found myself utterly fascinated by the "Paschal Moon's" complicated computational system. I have not the time nor inclination for this digression, but if you would like to learn more about the "Paschal Moon," why it is not a true astronomical event & how it is used in the process of calculating Easter, see this Wikipedia article: "Paschal Full Moon." The title "Sap" or "Sugar" Moon is popular in places where syrup extraction will begin soon & "Crust Moon" is used in regions where the snow crusts over while the freezing/thawing cycle is in full swing. We have no sugaring here (alas) & while sometimes we get a bout of crust, it's not common enough for me to embrace such an unromantic label. 

Earthworm Casting by Charles Darwin.
Image courtesy WikiCommons.

Besides, in most cases, worms trump crust. Except of course, if the subject is pastry. Hence, I went with the worms. So, where did the early Moon-labeling folk get this moniker? Earthworm castings. The soil is thawing & this is the time when those peculiar little piles start to appear in your lawn, garden, in the nearby pasture or forest. As an animist, I can dig it.

18 The Moon on Water
from the Wildwood Tarot

This month I have selected one of the Moon-themed cards from the Wildwood Tarot, a remarkable deck co-created by Mark Ryan, John Matthews & Will Worthington. This deck comes accompanied by a full 160 page text & offers a unique system based on shamanic & forest archetypes, pre-Celtic mythology & the Wheel of the year. I have had little time to work with this particular deck, but I am enchanted by the imagery. Because this is an untraditional system, the cards do not exactly correspond to a "Waite" or "Tarocchi"style deck, but the card I have chosen is probably most closely representative of The Moon in a standard deck: 18 The Moon on Water. For more about this deck, visit the website or subscribe to the Wildblog!, which updates frequently with in-depth treatment of the individual cards.


On to the Esbat poetry at last! I stumbled upon this internet gem several Moons ago -- I have been waiting for the best time to share it. For no particular reason (aside from instinct), now seems to be that "best" time. A gentleman in St. Paul, Minnesota going by the name of "Bandit" hosts a blog dedicated to the art of Haiku. Better still, he has built up this network of people all over the world who share the haiku love. Every month, he hosts a "Moon Viewing Party" (!) when he accepts & posts Moon haiku submissions from around the world. How awesome is that? This means I get the opportunity to go wild & share a medley of Moon musings -- most marvelous! 

All poems below are from The Haiku Bandit Society. (Sorry, I had to put them in an image to avoid an awkward, strung-out looking post.) I had a terrible time limiting myself, there are so many wonderful words. Please go visit them to enjoy all two years of Moon-loving haiku treasure.

Poems from various HAIKU BANDIT SOCIETY Moon Viewing Parties.

I am publishing this post a little early in the hopes that perhaps this will bring someone a much needed opportunity to participate in something wonderful. Perhaps you didn't even know you needed it? If this message speaks to you, may you find delight. 


Blessings to you this Esbat my friends.