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| "Blue Moon" by Moma. |
"I am part of a cult of remembrance, it is the habit I share with many. I can't help but reflect upon what has passed, marveling at how it connects and relates to now. Or not." -- Bryan Perrin, personal correspondence
The Blue Moon can mean a great many things to a great many people. However, I am growing weary of the monthly nomenclature exercises & I am taking this "Blue Moon" as my "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Besides, a Blue Moon is (for the most part) an artifact of a human constructs & confusions. This leaves me uninspired. However, if you are still wondering about the history & mechanics of the Blue Moon, the Wikipedia has a pretty reasonable walkthru on the various interpretations of the "Blue Moon." I also recommend the article over at EarthSky (there's a podcast too).
For this Esbat, I will be employing the Blue Moon's colloquial meaning:
"The phrase 'blue moon' has become a metaphor for a rare event. The earliest English record of the expression dates back to a 1528 pamphlet which, in criticising the English clergy, read: 'If they say the moon is blue, we must believe that it is true.'" -- The Age
This is my opportunity to recognize some "rare events" with which I have been graced during this past year. They are all, directly or indirectly, results of my relationship to our Lady Moon. Thus, this is my moment to give thanks for the gifts of Inspiration, Love & Friendship born as a result of my dedication to Her.
I must begin by emphasizing that my relationship is with the Moon, not with the Moon as a symbol or aspect of something or someone else. I do not speak to Her, or honor Her as a representation of a lunar-oriented deity like Diana or Aradia. I speak to Her as She is; that great, luminous, parthenogenic orb whose Light is both a reflection of ourselves & of something much greater than ourselves. I speak to Her alone, directly, intimately, candidly. I have done so since I was a child.
It is to Her that I give thanks this night.
For Friendship & the Gifts Thereof
Once in a Blue Moon, we meet a kindred Spirit, one who speaks directly to our soul. The author of the quote at the beginning of this post is just such a kindred. His friendship is a gift, a "rare event." We came to find one another by way of a slime mould -- one of my precious rockstars -- whose habit is to form diminutive orbs... not unlike our Lady Moon. We came to know one another under Her gentle glow.
As I grow older, I become less & less convinced that coincidence is a common occurrence.Bryan's words have inspired me like few other's. They reverberate my experience & expand upon it in ways I had not considered. I too am part of this cult of remembrance. Each of us lives it differently. My deep desire is to recognize, recall, respect, understand, foster & honor our relationships in the Great Web. Connections, associations, sacred dynamics. Then & now. I believe I can accomplish this, at least in part, by understanding our relationship to Her -- the rhythmic Lady of the Light & Dark Skies -- remembering & honouring Her place, Her role in our world, our Web.
She has been here since before we began,
tugging at our waters as a petulant child tugs at a sleeve.
She will still be pulling,
pulling,
pulling,
long after we are gone.
She careens through space,
arm in arm with our planet Earth.
Their wild dance is but one in a boundless celestial masquerade...
Such a handsome couple.
She gazes down,
watching us,
watching Her,
watching us.
Echoes of the ages. Echoes of now.
I speak,
She listens,
her luminous face impassive.
The subtlety of Her magick is revealed over time as it unfolds --
petals of gentle change
& fine adjustments.
Patience, longevity & trust are the keys to this relationship.
(Are they not the keys to every worthwhile relationship?)
Tonight I give thanks to the Lady for the gift of kindreds & their words which guide me.
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| Moon XVIII, from The New York Tarot, by Giani Siri. Once in a Blue Moon, we encounter a rare opportunity. My gratitude goes out to Heather Awen for allowing us the rare opportunity to become the caretakers of her beloved & truly spectacular tarot deck. We are still in awe. |
For Poetry & Its Gifts of Inspiration
Once in a Blue Moon, we encounter an author, a poet, a bard… one who speaks directly to our soul. The author of the following poem, is just such a poet. John Siddique's vision, his insights, his words are a gift, a "rare event." I came to find his work by way of the 'cult of remembrance.' I came to know his work by a gentle nudge of the Moon.
As I grow older, I become less & less convinced that coincidence is a common occurrence.
I have shared Siddique's works before, but there is a special serendipity to the piece I chose for this Esbat. This poem was written for the Hazel Moon -- a name is based on the Celtic Tree Calendar -- which fortuitously coincides with this month's Blue Moon. However, Hazel Moon is also the single piece of Siddique's work which I first chose to share with Bryan & his equally inspiring wife Susan. It speaks to the interconnectedness, the relationships, the remembering of our oneness... Were I a wordsmith, I would have written this poem for them. I would also have written it for the Moon, the Great Web & our cult of remembrance. But since I am not, I am thankful to John Siddique for writing it for us all.
Hazel Moon, by John Siddique
Hazel Moon from John Siddique on Vimeo.
Tonight I give thanks to the Lady for the gift of poets & their words which guide me. May you find your guides too.
Blessings to you this Esbat, my friends.
6 comments:
Bless you Moma.. This moon is making me so restless..
Thank you so much for sharing my poem and reminding the poet of his own words and need to let interconnectedness be, and guidance to come of its own accord.
my dear, thank you for your inspiration and your fine words and food for thoughts. Makes me think of how once long long ago, I was in Japan and missing my loved ones and I looked up at the moon and realized she was the same being soon to shine upon my friends on the other side of the world. Bringing us together from beyond our sphere. Love you.
wow, I love that poem "she has been here since before we began". Did you write it?
Bless you too John. I am so sorry to hear you are feeling restless. Perhaps I should talk to Her about that. ;)
Then again, possibly the restlessness is the stirrings of a new artistic expression waiting to be loosed, unleashed upon the page? Or perhaps more travel is in order? (Ha, ok that might be a selfishly motivated suggestion since I so enjoyed your travel photos.)
❤ Exactly, yes, same, dear one.
You know, it's interesting that you would call it a"poem." That is just a way I sometimes write down my thoughts, like a sort of thinking exercise. I tend to be verbose, so I will write important thoughts in short lines to limit my words, to condense my thoughts into the most important points. It forces me to cast away all the extraneous letters. I don't think of this kind of writing as poetry, I don't sit down & think, "now i shall compose an ode to the babbling brook..." It's more of a mental exercise. So yes, I wrote it & very I am flattered that it made you think of poetry. Poets are a very rare breed -- I have much esteem for the word-weavers & their craft.
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