A fall moon, cloaked in clouds.
The moon enraptures those who gaze upon her, filling heart & imagination with dreams of what could be, or even what is, someplace else. She reminds us that our planet is one of countless heavenly bodies in the limitless expanse of space, reminds us that what we think is so important is mundane drudgery.
We feel this different kind of perspective, realizing that so many petty things just waste our time, distracting us, & for what purpose? Do we fool ourselves into thinking that if we just work hard enough, if we do enough, learn enough, explore enough, all of it… That maybe, just maybe it’s all worth something?
Moon over a quiet harbor.
One of my favorite musical compositions is Debussy’s distinctive “Claire de Lune,” an evocative piece that allows you to drift off in a reverie, floating with the clouds that enshroud a full moon. The light finds reflection on the water of the ocean, lake, river. Have you ever slept directly under the moon, in woods or field or on shore? A magical experience, isn’t it?
Moonlight through skylight.
Perhaps that’s why I love camping. I spent 8 summers at a residential Girl Scout camp in New England (VT & NH), each summer, as both camper & eventual counselor. The overnights with campfires & song, owls hooting & bullfrogs croaking with crickets in the background, Nature’s orchestra. And when only the coals were left, thowing off their last glow, the moon would show herself, dazzling us with her quiet beauty.
Cloaked in clouds.
Spreading light, illuminating the sky.
Maybe that’s also why I love songs like Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” Sting’s “Sister Moon” & “Moon over Bourbon Street,” Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon,” & King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight”? My mother would sing to me oldies like “Blue Moon,” “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” & “Moon River.”
And then there are more like “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens, Duran Duran’s “New Moon on Monday,” and the list goes on. That’s not even getting into classical and operatic arrangements.
My favorite moons are those over bodies of water at night.
There’s something about the moon that calms me, soothes my mind, quells any maelstrom of spirit. Sharing a moon is such a special experience. Sitting in the quiet, soaking in moon & stars, making wishes or searching for meteor showers. Maria Mitchell was a childhood hero of mine, and I’d imagine myself on a Nantucket widow’s walk, using my telescope to scrutinize the heavens, searching for a discovery.
Fellow introverts, what dreams come when you look at the moon or a starry night sky? Do you find the moon & stars as magical as I?
Misty moon.
A favorite at my house 😊
https://youtu.be/B-jo__d1jKk
Soooooooo good!
Beautiful post, makes me imagine spending a summer night gazing at the sky.
That’s what I was hoping for! Thank you for reading and giving the positive feedback! 😀
Yes, I find the moon and stars magical. It’s as though they do cast spells. I think of the full moon and the effect is has upon us humans (thinking of the word ‘lunatic’) and other creatures, such as the coral that chooses to spawn then. I dream of an orange moon in the middle of the Australian desert, low in the dusty sky, as I wait at a crossroads to change buses. Then there’s the reassuring moon, high and bright, a constant in the sky, a focus in an uneasy darkness.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a shooting star, with a bright tail. Moving in diagonally across the sky. It felt like a gift. I love the way they’re called ‘étoile filant’ (a smooth-flowing or ‘threading’ star) in French.
Wow, you’re a beautiful writer! Such lovely images!