A Bite of Blood Moon Pie

Last week saw me living for nothing but deadlines with my dead beat sky, but this town doesn’t look the same tonight. These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere, and in all my life I don’t know that I ever felt so alive. ~ Switchfoot, “Awakening”

Scene: Midnight ~ that paradoxical hour that divides our sense of time. (“Is it night or is it morning?” Hmm…both.) Happy Blood Moon and Pi Day! I feel like there’s been a lack of social awareness for this grand celestial event which happens to be in congruence with all math lovers’ favorite day of the year. Last year millions of people embarked on trips across the states to view the solar eclipse while sporting eclipse glasses and souvenir t-shirts and indulging in special eclipse-themed snacks. I think this lunar eclipse deserves equal attention. We all should have planned to collectively eat moon pies at 3:14 in the morning, while solving mathematical equations under the crescent of light that will be present during this eclipse. Instead, a few dedicated moon lovers will be turning their gaze and their cameras upward on this “once in a red moon” kind of night…

(continued from above)…While “once in a red moon” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “once in a blue moon” does, I think it’s an ideal time to sit in stillness, contemplating life and the universe. This particular Blood Moon is known as the Worm Moon because of the month on the proverbial wall calendar on which we currently find ourselves hanging. The ground is softening, and the earthworms are again making their debut on the scene, doing their very best to avoid all the early birds. And while those early birds are currently sleeping right now, this night owl appears to be the only one out here for the watch party of the Worm Moon. Where is everyone?

It’s 12:23 AM, and I’m standing outside under the midnight sky full of stars. I always feel a oneness with nature while gazing up at the moon. It’s so peaceful; I think I could stay out here all night. So far the moon only has a tiny bite out of it, giving the appearance of a white beanie hat up in the sky. If the moon doesn’t actually turn red, I might throw a fit.

My rectangular technological pocket watch says it’s approximately 1 AM. The gentle coolness in the air is comforting to my dog and me, now camped out on the balcony. We’re sitting on the wooden floor boards while the camera is sitting on a tripod pointing in a straight line up to the moon. Settling down, I’m tuning into nature, and while I appear to be the only person outside, there are some actual early birds out here making their presence known.

Birds. Lately I’ve been paying more attention to them during my nature walks. The circling motions of their necks, the way they poke their tails upward, and their outstretched movements with their wings. I feel like I’ve made some similar bird-like moves in dance classes, and that makes me smile. But there was one particular bird that made an impression on me. He was walking up what looked to be a small hill from my vantage point, but was probably a decent upward slope for him. I could tell he was on a mission. The way his wings were positioned at his sides, I imagined him to be carrying two suitcases. Maybe he was a little tired, and wouldn’t it be nice if he could just take a little rest or do some carefree light-as-a-feather dancing?

I had this imagery in my mind as I was walking to my car to go to work, loaded down with several bags. I realized that I was like that busy bird on a mission. How often do I feel loaded down with suitcases full of stress, and I just wish I could be a carefree bird and set my suitcases down to soar in the wind? Every day we need some soul rejuvenation. So, I dare you to…GROOVE! Be the dancing bird, even for a short length of time or spend a few moments being part of nature. It can give us a sense of wonder as we go about the day, and maybe then those suitcases will feel a little lighter…

A rooster crowing in the distance centers me in the present. It’s 3:14 AM. Happy Pi Day! Time for everyone to eat those moon pies…

The phrase “asking for the moon” is more than an irrational idiom to me. It’s a representation of my imagination being curious about all the ideas beyond what is seen. What’s on the other side? Metaphorically speaking, I want to bring the moon in closer. I feel such a pull to art while sitting under the light of a full moon; it’s been a constant symbol of creativity to me. (That sixteen year old girl still has dreams that go on forever.) I read a quote recently that really resonated with me. “The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and mundane and get to what might otherwise be invisible.” (Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being.)

Being out here on the balcony with my dog for the past three hours, staring up at the sky, listening to the birds, experimenting with my camera settings, feeling the coolness of the early morning air, and listening to a particular Relient K song which takes me to another place and time…there is creativity in all of that. This moon-gazing morning has been so refreshing. A vital reminder of the vastness of nature and the value in letting it take a bite out of my day to “waste my time”. Art is all around us in the seemingly simple. It’s just waiting for our awareness to tune in to the actual complexity of it all. Nature beckons us to bear witness to the wonder of the wild. May we find ourselves lingering to watch a bird hop up a hill, or let ourselves get lost in the gravity of a certain underrated nocturnal celestial sphere.

It’s 3:41 AM, and through the viewfinder, my eye sees the moon which now resembles an eyeball on fire…my cue to rest these eyes with some much needed sleep. They say there are storms on the horizon, but this morning has been beyond beautiful. Goodnight to the night owls, and good morning to the early birds. Don’t worry, there’s still a fraction of time to catch a glimpse of the Worm Moon…

Blood Worm Moon watch party after thoughts: Watching the sky early this morning has made the same music I was listening to yesterday come even more alive today. The imagery is electrifying. It seems to me that nature is a vast canyon where music reverberates back and forth between our souls and the universe. Music and nature must be one and the same…

Stars lookin’ at our planet, watching entropy and pain. And maybe start to wonder how the chaos in our lives could pass as sane. I’ve been thinking ’bout the meaning of resistance, of a hope beyond my own. And suddenly the infinite and penitent begin to look like home. I’ve been thinking ’bout everyone, everyone you look so empty. But when I look at the stars, I see someone else. When I look at the stars, I feel like myself. ~ Switchfoot, “Stars”