The Moon
I wanted the moon to fill up the night
like a presence we couldn’t ignore,
to shine bright as day in the dark quiet air
like’s been told in stories of yore.
I wanted the harvest moon rising
poetically over a hill.
But, I got a sliver of somebody’s nail
in a vast night-darkened shill.
Alas, tis the day and the tale needs a tell
there’s something to say, tho I should.
Though the moonlight last night was not a bit right,
but, I can’t speak a lie if I would.
So, I’ll tell of the dark and the failing moon too;
I’ll focus on darkness instead of the blue,
and woodland spirits will dance a sweet jig
on the single white shaft of dew.
By Annette Gagliardi
There are many names for moon. Our moon, ie. The Moon, has seasonal names. Here are a few of them: “Growing Moon. Planter’s Moon. Flower Moon. Seed Moon. Awakening Moon. Pink Moon. Sugar Maker Moon. Broken Snowshoe Moon. Peony Moon. Ice Breaking In The River Moon. Frog Moon. Blackberry Moon. New Spring Moon. Gray Goose Moon. Hare Moon. Big Spring Moon. Migrating Geese Moon. Budding Time Moon. Melting Moon. Great Sandstorm Moon. Sap Moon. Planting Corn Moon. Moon Of The Red Grass Appearing. Moon When The Geese Return In Scattered Formation. Moon When They Set Indian Corn. Moon When The Geese Lay Eggs. Moon Of Windbreak. Moon Of The Big Leaves. Moon When The Wife Cracks Bones For Marrow.” —from Erin Gergen Halls We also have Blue Moon, Full Moon, Half Moon, Harvest Moon and Super Moon. We are in love with the moon and cast our dramatic , heart-felt yearnings onto it.
The moon is our celestial partner and our only satellite. It is the only object in space whose surface can be seen with the naked eye. Even though we think of our moon as special; moons are not unique. Some planets, like Juniper and Saturn, have dozens of moons that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In fact, every planet that has a moon, has more than one moon — except Earth!
Another interesting fact: the Earth-Moon system is the closest we have to a twin planet in our solar system. With a radius of about 1,080 miles (1,740 kilometers), the Moon is less than a third of the width of Earth. The diameter of the Moon (~3,400 kilometers) is ~25 percent that of Earth’s (~12,700 kilometers) — a remarkably large ratio. (From: https://www.astronomy.com/science/whats-so-special-about-our-moon-anyway/) The rotations of the earth and the moon are so tidally locked; their rotations so in sync that we only see one side of the moon.
“If you set a single green pea next to a US nickel, you’d have a pretty close comparison of the size of the earth to the moon.” (Moon Facts)
The Moon, which is the brightest and largest object in our night sky, makes Earth a more livable planet. It moderates our home planet’s wobble on its axis which leads to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. (Moon Facts) Even though the earth and the moon are “simpatico“, the Moon is, in fact, slowly moving away from Earth. Every year the moon gets about an inch farther away.
People didn’t know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. In Latin, the Moon was called Luna, which is the main adjective for all things Moon-related: lunar.
The Moon (2)
The moon—shining;
It’s roundness
a large and mellow
brilliance. Shining
on you: the glow so
ethereal, so illuminating.
We diverged together
and softly kissed
the tender moonglow.
Gentle is the night,
soft the breeze
that keeps us
in that eternal kiss;
that perpetual glow—
the moon smiling.
By Annette Gagliardi
It is said that the moon affects us. There have been a multitude of studies to determine how and if the moon effects us. Does the full moon make werewolves howl, loosen pregnant women’s wombs or make some people crazy? It is a proven fact that during a full moon, people can see better and may be up during the night, or later in the evening due to the added light that the moon provides. As for the werewolves and inducing labor – that’s just conjecture. There is some evidence that either the luminescence or gravitational pull of the moon is intermittently synchronized with menstrual cycles of some women. A large data set that included 38.7 million births in France found small but significant variations in birth patterns related to moon phases. (Medical News Today)
Some events associated with human behavior, such as traffic accidents, crimes, and suicides, appeared to be influenced by the lunar cycle. However, a number of reports find no correlation between the lunar cycle and human reproduction and admittance to clinics and emergency units. So the jury is still out whether the moon affects us or not.
Michael Zimezki, from the National Library of Medicine, tells us that “Human and animal physiology are subject to seasonal, lunar, and circadian rhythms. The lunar cycle has an impact on human reproduction, in particular fertility, menstruation, and birth rate. Melatonin levels appear to correlate with the menstrual cycle. ”
We know as a fact that the moon’s gravitational pull affects our tides and the rhythms of certain insects. It is not such a large leap to think the moon has an affect on us as well. Although the seasonal and circadian rhythms have been fairly well described, little is known about the effects of the lunar cycle on the behavior and physiology of humans and animals.
But as the saying / song goes: “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza-pie — that’s amore . . . ” And that could lead to more pregnancies, more babies born under a full moon just because of the love light in your eyes.
Send me a comment. What does the moon mean to you? How does the moon affect you?
Resources
- “What’s so special about our Moon, anyway?” By Erik Klemetti | Published: June 17, 2019, at: https://www.astronomy.com/science/whats-so-special-about-our-moon-anyway/
- Moon Facts at: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/
- “The Full Moon: Effects on human health” by Medical News Today at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/full-moon-effects#:~:text=Folklore%20around%20the%20world%20has,of%20health%2C%20such%20as%20childbirth.
- The lunar cycle: effects on human and animal behavior and physiology by Michał Zimecki The National Library of Medicine at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16407788/#:~:text=The%20lunar%20cycle%20has%20an,correlate%20with%20the%20menstrual%20cycle.