A bonus mid-week post.
Since my moon post on the 10th March, our nearest neighbour in space has been on my mind a lot. Partly that's because the new moon (or "dark moon" if you prefer) was on 13th March and the nights have been so dark the sheep are invisible. There is little light pollution where I live so the moon really is the light in our night sky.
Just as some people suffer from Seasonally Affected Disorder and crave sunlight during the winter months, I miss the moon when she goes dark. If I'm trying to photograph something else, like meteors or the Milky Way, then of course a dark moon makes that easier but when night after night ths sky is dark it feels like something is missing, even though she's still there waiting for the sun to light her up her familiar face once more.
Of course, the moon has held meaning for those who observe her for thousands, maybe millions, of years and while I can't presume to know what feelings others experience when they look up at the night sky I recently heard Sandi Toksvig talk about what it means to her.
Looking for something relaxing to listen to on the radio I came across some episodes of a show called "Sandi Toksvig's Hygge" - prounonce that "hoo-ga." What could be more relaxing than Sandi talking to her guests about what simple pleasures bring them contentment? So over a few evenings as I chopped the veg for dinner I listened to the show.
The episode that really stuck out of me was episode three - available here for those who can access iPlayer/BBC Sounds. Sandi talks about when her children were young and she was doing a lot of travelling in the days before mobile phones were in almost everyone's pockets. Sometimes she was in places where phoning home might not be possible. She told her children, "It doesn't matter where I am in the world guys. If I look up at the moon at night please know that when you look up at the moon at night we're looking at the same moon." She continued, "So instead of saying I love you, my kids and I, we say 'same moon' because wherever we are in the world, it connects us." I thought in these physically distanced times that was a wonderful thought and worth sharing. Hopefully Sandi won't mind, given that she said it on the radio.
Time and technology have of course moved on and now we can phone, or message, Skype or email, even pop a bit of niff naff on Facebook to say we're still here. And I encourage you to do that. Let those you love know you are okay. But when words fail you, look up at the night sky, look at the moon and know that when those you love look up you're both looking at the same moon and you are connected.
The image accompanying this post is a composite of images I took during the 2007 total lunar eclipse. If you want to see some moon inspired crafting and are on Facebook or Instagram look up "Passyflora Design" in particular her wonderful patchwork and thread-painted image of the full moon.
Do you miss the moon? Has it inspired you in your crafting? Why not share a link to your favourite moon inspired image or tell me who you'll think of the next time you look up at the moon. It's okay - I won't tell.
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