On the Eve of the Wolf Moon

 “By the full moon’s light our desires we know.
By the waning quarter we ebb and flow…”
— Unknown 

The moon, our ever-constant companion, mysterious light in the darkness… goddess, night traveler, ruler of oceans— nearly all civilizations from ancient to modern have been captivated by you, following you, reveliing in your story. Cerridwen, Luna, Artemis, Selene, known by these and so many other names. Even our Native Americans had titles for the you— Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, Corn Moon, Hunter’s Moon—in your cycles through the heavens ruling the months and seasons. We gaze at you from afar, shadowing you, observing your transformation as you recede past full and transition into final quarter. Though you are slowly waning, your light still shines brighter than all of the other lights in the night sky. And as you transform, so your dominance on nature evolves with you. Even the mighty oceans and seas bend to your influence: the tides slipping now to Neap phase— a time of balance, a time of least difference between high and low water. Is it any wonder that we humans—who are composed of 77% water—may be governed by your changes as well; that your lunar body may indeed play a critical role in the tides of our consciousness?

We sense your changes deep in our souls. This is a time of releasing, a time of forgiveness, a time of cleaning up; of putting everything back into place and letting go of the emotional intensity of previous weeks.  During this disseminating phase the time arrives for us to reap the rewards of a job well done with celebration and accolade. As writers, we intuitively sense these cosmic changes deep within our being.  We reflect on them and are drawn to share them in our words—perhaps in the sharing to better understand the shifts and rifts, the effects of these changes inside us;  or perhaps to allow us to open our hearts and minds, discovering the pathways of our own release.  I know the allure, the call of your waning moon, have felt your invitation to release the pain of the past through words that rise from deep within me. And I have found myself adrift, caught in your Neap phase: a limbo with no “high” no “low,” lost somewhere between the ebb and flow.  

Oh pale-faced Huntress of Souls, we feel your command, convergence, confluence— with all of our being. You shine on the pathways our consciousness, and in your waning light we come to understand that all things have a season, and that all that fades will again be reborn.

 

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Re: quote at beginning: it is an excerpt of a longer poem I discovered in my research. Sharing full poem below.  Credited to ‘Unknown’ author.  Here it is in full: 

Bide by the moon, follow her glow,

By the light of the new we renew and grow.

By the waxing quarter our determination shows,

By the full moon’s light our desires we know.

By the waning quarter we ebb and flow,

By the dark moon’s presence we return what we’ve sown.

Bide by the moon,

Follow her glow.

–        Unknown

      *Chapter 7 Intro, Last Quarter Moon, 2016 "Poetry as a Spiritual Practice, Illuminating the Awakened Woman"