Somewhere it was spring.
In that Somewhere it was night, and the earth had pulled back the curtain of the sky so that the stars and the moon could look in. The moon was full and shone silvery spotlights all across the secret happenings of the night. The stars looked on in silent rapture at the illuminated night theater of this curious planet.
Somewhere else it was day, but the day knew it was the time of the full moon. The forests and meadows were bristling with anticipation at being outlined in silver and drenched with dew with which to catch the gleam of the moonbeams. It was Earth’s turn to pretend to be studded with sparkling stars.
Trees, vines, grasses, and flowers all were feeling the ecstatic pull of the moon. They grew furiously, expanding and blossoming in all shapes and colours in preparation as the time of the full moon approached. Even the animals felt it and were slightly more frolicsome and twitterpated than usual.
One creature, a girl, waited in anticipation as well. When the day of the night came, she joined the rest of nature in the monthly ritual of preparing for the moon-drenched party. She slipped into her moon clothes. White to match the moon, filmy to make moon-shadows from moonbeams, flowing to dance with the wind and anyone else who would be dancing in the theater of night. After all, what’s a party without a dress? And what actor doesn’t wear a costume? Call it playing her part if you will. She would celebrate with the best of them. She wore her moon pendant. A white and silver sparkling stone found
washed up on a northern beach.
As you can imagine, the day of the night was glorious. The forest absolutely carpeted itself in purples of the lilac, violet, and phlox sort… a purple-carpet welcome so to speak for the moon. The honey-suckle exploded with blossoms and its fragrance went cascading down the valley. Buttercups glowed all over the meadows already pretending to be morning-stars. In fact, the entire meadow had grown its own constellations and nebulae of miniature wildflowers. Pinks, purples, blues, yellows, even a few red flowers made a dazzling display. The songbirds fought to out-sing each other as if each one had a solo to practice.
The pink of sunset eventually faded into the purple-blue haze of night and a dewy hush fell over the meadows and forests. Softly at first, and then growing in strength, the cricket orchestra joined by the treefrog choir broke the silence. A soft glow began to be seen at the tops of the trees, it grew into a silvery edge and soon the first gleaming moonbeams came flooding into the valley. When the broadly grinning face of the moon appeared over the crest of the hill, the trees applauded in the breeze. And the 1st Act began.
….
And? Do the deer parade solemnly through the glittering meadow with moonlight tangled in their antlers? Do the roses shimmer like floral royalty in their jewels and dewy tiaras? Do the bats dance ecstatically in the night air? Do the owls sing their melancholy solos? Do the trees in their dazzling new green clothes dance with the moonbeams? And does the meadow with its wildflower constellations glimmer in the moonlight like a million tiny stars? Well, you’ll have to find your own moon-clothes and go join the party to find out!
There’s a lot to be said for rituals. Rituals don’t have to be pretentious or intense. They can be as simple as having your morning coffee in your special mug by the window. Rituals serve to mark the passage of time. They create rhythm, and something to look forward to. Simple daily rituals are stress-relieving and bring structure to life (cue the images of family dinners and of bed-time stories for kids). Rituals for special occasions make them all the more special. Easy examples are graduation ceremonies and all the traditions people due at Christmas. The beauty of rituals is that you can make up your own and that it’s actually a beneficial and healthy thing to do. A ritual is just a set of actions you choose to take with intention and which you imbue with meaning.
For me, rituals are really important. They make my life so much more interesting, meaningful, and positive. I’ve got heaps of them. A full-moon ritual is a fun one! My full-moon rituals change based off of the time of year and whether I can rally some friends up or if it’s just me. I may throw a moonlight dance party or go midnight swimming in a lake. It doesn’t matter what- it’s more about the intention you put behind it. Get creative! Other rituals to explore are ‘family’ style dinners, or themed dinners with friends, spa days/moments involving blocking out the world with a bath and candles and tea, Saturday morning pancake brunch, weekly hike with friends, game night, celebrating the changing of the seasons… the list is only limited by your imagination.
Words by Lydia
Photos by Lydia, Rachel, and Celeste Poole McGowan
