Yesterday I was up really early, a just finished sculpture was being collected, and I wanted to be ready and organised. Though it was hours before sunrise, it was almost light, the moon shone so bright. As I got to the sheds the geese greeted me, their whiteness almost luminous in the bluey beam, soft and glowing they appeared as magic geese.
Image and all moon names at Vivaboo
It was a full moon, the first of the year and known as the Wolf Moon. Full Moon names date back to Native Americans who used the full moon to help keep track of the seasons. In January amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled
hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full
Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule, Ice Moon or even the Full Snow Moon.
The moon has long been a source of fascinations and facts... of magic,
mystery, and research. It is most interesting when lore and science
collide, and even agree.
It is well-storied that the full moon was the catalyst that turned men
into werewolves, and current hospital records and police blotters show
that on full moon nights, the number of violent occurrences indeed does
rise. From "luna" (moon), comes the word "lunacy".
The moon eventually let go to a spectacular crimson sunrise and beautiful morning and we packed my sculpture into the van for the journey to its new home.
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Lovely photo of the moon, it looked pretty spectacular over here too.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for 2012!
On full moon nights in the canyon on the river, no artificial lights were necessary.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year too Ash - hope things have started well for you. Wasn't it spectacular.
ReplyDeleteEllen, I don't remember such brightness before, I didn't need light either and it casts such a silvery beautiful cast to everything.
I hope you don't mind that I've pinned the three weird sisters on to a pinterest board. Is it a William Blake? I can't see the signature.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Gerry, of course not (I just joined Pinterest today!) The image is Weird Sisters; Ministers of Darkness; Minions of the Moon (1791) by James Gillray. Visual metaphor of lunacy during the time of George III's madness with William Pitt the Younger, Queen Charlotte, and George III in the shadow of the moon. In 1783 Henry Fuseli painted a picture, Three Witches (from Shakespeare's Macbeth), in it, the witches are lined up and dramatically pointing at something all at once, their faces in profile. This painting was parodied by James Gillray in Weird Sisters.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting to read the history of your Gillray cartoon. Poor old George 111 had a bad time towards the end of his life.....
ReplyDeleteA beautiful morning moon photo. I hope your sculpture arrived safely at its destination. You must feel very protective as you send your creations off into the world.
Very beautiful photo of the moon and wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese have the Rabbit Moon.
DW - poor old George indeed! Yes, thankyou the sculpture arrived safely, it was wrapped in blankets and strapped well, and the driver beautifully caring! I do feel very protective, and suddenly there is a strange 'hole' in the workshop now he's gone.
ReplyDeleteBetsy - where does Rabbit Moon come from - do tell the story!