Friday, July 11, 2014

Grandmother Moon


      I’ve always had a fascination for the Moon. On a full moon, I like to sit on the deck and bathe in the moonlight. Surely the energy from the moon is good for us.  It changes the tides so it is a strong energy. Cavemen drew pictures of the moon on cave walls.  Native Americans have ceremonies only performed during the full moon.  The moon is embedded in their culture. Farmers know to plant and that crops grow faster during a full moon.  women have honored the moon through out the ages.
     The moon touches all our lives.


     When I lived in Michigan on a clear winter’s night when the moon was full I’d don my snow boots, mittens and parka, and go for a walk in the moonlight.  It was like fairy light. I could see deep into the woods with no flashlight at all. My kids enjoyed a walk in the snow at night, but most times the Michigan winter was too cold for them and I’d walk by myself. Alone, but not alone because the moon was hanging in the night sky and watched over me.

     Lakes, Oceans and rivers look magical with the moon reflecting  and dancing on the waters. That is why we chose a moon for on the cover of Love & Magick.

     I read Judith Ashley’s story “Grandmother Moon”, published in the anthology “Love & Magick” and I could relate to the excitement Emaline felt waiting for the rise of Grandmother Moon. While I have paid homage to the moon by admiring and enjoying the night filled with moonlight,  Emaline or Em pays homage by drumming.

     This excerpt is part way through the story. Em has bought and moved to a ranch in Fairbault, OR. This is the first full moon since she has moved in.

     For your enjoyment here is a passage from Judith’s story, “Grandmother Moon”.
# # #
                Em shrugged off the blanket and stretched.  Rising, she crossed the room, picked up her horsehide drum, and waited for the moment the moon came into view. Curbing her eagerness to see the full moon for the first time from this house, she radiated expectancy in her stillness. In the city Grandmother Moon’s light is dimmed. Here I can feel the strength of her light.

There She was! Full, bright, shimmering pale yellow ringed with a silvery circle. She started a slow beat mesmerized as the orb crossed the pane. As the moon slipped out of sight, Em increased the beat and moved outside to her deck where she stood, head up and shoulders back. The thrumming of the drum beat reverberated down her spine, through her legs, into her feet and on downward—through the wood of the decking and into the ground. I am so blessed to live in this house, on this land, in this country; so blessed to have the space to drum outside without bothering my neighbors; so blessed to release my feelings in this primal way.
silhouette woman meditation
Em held her drum high so it covered the moon and continued to strike the hide, seeing the light of the moon seep around the edges. Standing tall, she continued to drum. The light from Grandmother Moon flowed around her, encasing her in its muted glow as the round orb traced an ancient path across the starlit sky.
# # #
 Thanks for writing this beautiful passage, Judith. 


Do you enjoy going out on a full moon?  Do you howl at the moon? Have you ever Mooned over someone or something? Do you have any Moon memories, myths or anything else to share?

13 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

Thank you, Diana. And your post falls on the Full Moon! Just last night I watched Grandmother Moon pass by the window, just as Emaline does in the story but without the drumming.

I've never howled at the moon but certainly have 'mooned' over someone. Tonight I'll stand on my deck and bathe in the Grandmother's light, giving thanks that it is clear enough to see Her and saying prayers. If all goes well, I'll also talk to my friend in Arizona or at least I'll know that she has stopped during her evening, watched the Grandmother and thought of me. The moon is a great touchstone for people who live distances apart to have a way to energetically stay connected.

I'd love to take a walk in the moonlight through the woods!

Diana McCollum said...

Tonight I'll be sitting on the deck for a while in the Moonlight. I'll be thinking of friends near and far, including you.

Diana McCollum said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Patricia Rickrode w/a Jansen Schmidt said...

Love the excerpt Judy. Thanks for sharing this Diana!

Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt

Judith Ashley said...

And I'll be thinking of you, Diana.

Sarah Raplee said...

Wonderful post! When my husband travels I always reflect on the fact that the same moon shines on us both. Remember the song, 'Somewhere Out There' from the old children'ss movie about Fievel, a Russian immigrant mouse?

Somewhere out there,
Beneath the pale moonlight,
Someone's thinking of me
And loving me tonight.

Grandmother Moon is a unique love story that I hope you all will read and enjoy as I did!

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks, for stopping by Patricia! Ah-h, yes I remember that song, Sarah! Thanks for leaving a comment. I was hoping to enjoy the moon tonight, but the Bend skies have clouded over and there is a chance for rain. :((

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Diana,
Interesting post. Lovely excerpt.

Regards

Margaret

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks, Margaret! How are things Down Under? Stinking hot here in Bend, Oregon. Have a wonderful summer.

Danita Cahill said...

Enjoyed the post, Diana. Beautiful excerpt of Judy's story. I've heard of drum circles and women chanting, dancing and beating drums in the moonlight. I never really got it, but after reading this I think I do.

I enjoy looking at the moon in all its phases, although now we live in a house surrounded by trees and the moon isn't always easy to see.

When my daughter was little she noticed a crescent moon in the sky and said, "Look Mommy, the moon is a sliver slice!"

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks for stopping by Danita! That's so sweet what your daughter said about the slice of moon! Out of the mouths of babes!

Pippa Jay said...

I love the moon! When it's full, or especially bright, I like to leave my curtains open and stare at it until I fall asleep. But I don't like walking out in the dark, even with plenty of moonlight.

Deb N said...

A beautiful post, Diana - and a beautiful excerpt, Judith. The moon is magical. The only bad part is I am never able to sleep well during the full moon phase. the good part of that is that I am up and wandering the house often, so I do watch the moon cross the sky. I live in a town, so no woods, but I do go out on the deck, even in winter to look at the moon.

When I visited Colorado when my grandson was a toddler, we always read bedtime stories on a bench underneath the window. I would hold him up so he could see the moon, no matter the phase. But the full moon elicited such joy from him.

The other memory in CO, was Christmas Eve. Full Moon. As we left my daughter-in-laws after a beautiful family dinner, the snow started, but you could still see the moon through the haze of snowflakes. As we started down the road, my daughter stopped the car rather suddenly. We found ourselves in the midst of an Elk herd as far as you could see and all around us - the outlines shimmering (and looming) in the full moon and snow. Probably one of the most magical moments of my life--a scene I put in one of my Colorado rancher books that I hope to release in 2018.

PS - love the new look of the Blog!