#WingedWordsWeekly: 2024/07/24 -- Science & Spirituality of the Moon

 

WINGED WORDS WEEKLY

Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo)

Editorial Associate: S. A. Sonnenschein

Vol. 3, No. 37: Week of July 24, 2024

 

 

July Theme: Science & Spirituality

Episode #3: The Spirituality of the Moon

 

Editor’s Note

                During the month of July, our blog’s focus is on science and spirituality – two spheres of human experience that have often been at odds over the centuries. And yet, as our esteemed authors have reminded us this month, these two areas of our lives overlap quite a bit, and they have the potential to enrich our world all the more as they begin to reconverge after a long time apart.

                This week, please join me in appreciating the following poems, both old and new, which celebrate the 55^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 21, 1969!

 

“Ode to Luna”

By Wendy Applegate, Staff Writer

 

Gleaming sentinel of the night,

A brilliant orb hung in the sky,

Illuminating our darkened world,

Cast your glow upon us with might.

 

You inspire dreamers, artists and lovers,

With your beauty, mystery and wonder,

Bringing forth the ebb and flow of tides,

Your gentle glow lights up our darker hours.

 

Your reflected light upon the waters,

Illuminates life on Earth below,

From moonlit sails to shimmering stars,

You captivate our hearts with your power.

 

You call to the wild, to the dreamer,

To the artist, the poet and seer,

In your presence, we feel your pull,

Like a gentle, silvery siren.

 

Your face shows the signs of time,

Craters, seas, and shadows cast in space,

A cosmic painter, you wear your marks,

Our loyal friend, a beacon of grace.

 

From ancient civilizations to modern lives,

You have been a muse and a guide,

From lunar calendars to silver screen,

You are the eternal source of our dreams.

 

In the shadows, you bring comfort and peace,

A silvery glow upon the night sky,

You reflect our emotions, dreams and fears,

A constant companion, always nearby.

 

From lunar eclipses to the darkest night,

You remain unchanged, true and steadfast,

No matter where we may roam,

Your watchful gaze gives light and rest.

 

You inspire scientists and philosophers,

To question, explore and seek the truth,

In your vastness, we find our place,

A tiny speck in this vast infinite space.

 

In the stillness, you teach us patience,

In the ebb and flow, to find our own pace,

Your calm indifference, a lesson to us all,

To flow like the tide, and trust in time's grace.

 

In the cycle of the year, you mark the seasons,

From the first signs of spring to the cool of winter,

Each phase reminds us of life's eternal dance,

With the Earth, Moon and Sun, in perfect balance we all sway.

 

In times of doubt and uncertainty,

We turn to you, as our guiding light,

Your gentle presence a beacon of hope,

A steady constant in our changing day and night.

 

As night deepens and the sky grows dark,

We look up to you, a shining star,

Your cool, silvery light guides us home,

A constant companion, through the endless hours.

 

In the quiet of the night, we look to you,

Our Luna, our teacher, our muse and guide,

Your beauty eternal, your presence strong,

In the night sky, forever our sublime ride.

 

Wendy, the author of  the above poem, is pictured here in front of her recent painting of the full Moon with an owl. (Image Credit: Caitlin Applegate, digitized by the Editor.)

 

"Full Moon Haiku"

By Teresa Haynes & Donna Haynes, Staff Writers

 

Silver disk in dark sky,

Shining down on Earth below:

Beauty in darkness.

 

“The Moonlight”

By Alyssa M. Brooks, Staff Writer

 

The pale moon beams down from high overhead, 

Shining with a soft, soothing white. 

Its moonlight glimmers on the tranquil, wide ocean, 

Making the waves dance under its light.

 

It blankets the sky like a thin sheet, 

And paints the world in delicate hues. 

The moonlight is magical, wondrous, 

And makes my heart swoon with its beauty.

 

“The Queen of Night”

By Bliss Carman (1861-1929)

 

Mortal, mortal, have you seen

In the scented summer night,

Great Astartë, clad in green

With a veil of mystic light,

Passing on her silent way,

Pale and lovelier than day?

 

Mortal, mortal, have you heard,

On an odorous summer eve,

Rumors of an unknown word

Bidding sorrow not to grieve, —

Echoes of a silver voice

Bidding every heart rejoice?

 

Mortal, when the slim New Moon

Hangs above the western hill,

When the year comes round to June

And the leafy world is still,

Then, enraptured, you shall hear

Secrets for a poet’s ear.

 

Mortal, mortal, come with me,

When the Moon is rising large,

Through the wood or from the sea,

Or by some lone river marge.

There, entranced, you shall behold

Beauty’s self, that grows not old.

 

Homeric Hymn #32: “To the Moon”

Translated by George Chapman (1559-1634)

 

The Moon, now, Muses, teach me to resound,

Whose wide wings measure such a world of ground;

Jove’s daughter, decked with the mellifluous tongue,

And seen in all the sacred art of song.

Whose deathless brows when she from heaven displays,

All earth she wraps up in her orient rays.

A heaven of ornament in earth is raised

When her beams rise. The subtle air is sais’d

Of delicate splendor from her crown of gold.

And when her silver bosom is extolled,

Washed in the ocean, in day’s equaled noon

Is midnight seated; but when she puts on

Her far-off-sprinkling-luster evening weeds,

(The month is two cut; her high-breasted steeds

Man’d all with curled flames, put in coach and all,

Her huge orb filled,) her whole trims then exhale

Unspeakable splendors from the glorious sky.

And out of that state mortal men imply

Many predictions. And with her then,

In love mixed, lay the King of Gods and men;

By whom made fruitful, she Pandea bore,

And added her state to the’ Immortal Store.

Hail, Queen, and Goddess, the’ ivory-wristed Moon

Divine, prompt, fair-haired! With thy grace begun,

My Muse shall forth, and celebrate the praise

Of men whose states the Deities did raise

To semi-deities; whose deeds to endless date

Muse-loved and sweet-sung poets celebrate.

 

Enheduanna (pictured above) was the daughter of Sargon the Great, the founding ruler of the Akkadian Empire. During the 23^rd century BCE, Enheduanna was High Priestess of the Moon in the city of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia. She is the first poet in world literature whose name is known to us. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)

 

Orphic Hymn #8: “To the Moon”

Translated by Thomas Taylor (1758-1835) with Slight Revisions by the Editor

“But [Jupiter] fabricated another boundless Earth, which the immortals call Selenë [Moon], but [Earthlings call it] Menë [Month]. which has many mountains, many cities, many houses." – Fragment from the Orphic Rhapsodies

 

Hear, divine queen, diffusing silver light,

Bull-horned and wandering through the gloom of Night.

With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide

Night’s torch extending, through the heavens you ride:

Female and Male with borrowed rays you shine,

And now full-orbed, now tending to decline.

Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon,

Whose amber orb makes Night’s reflected noon:

Lover of horses, splendid, queen of Night,

All-seeing power bedecked with starry light.

Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife,

In peace rejoicing, and a prudent life:

Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend,

Who gives to Nature’s works their destined end.

Queen of the stars, all-wife Diana hail!

Decked with a graceful robe and shining veil;

Come, blessed, divine, prudent, starry, bright,

Come lunar-lamp with chaste and splendid light,

Shine on these sacred rites with prosperous rays,

And pleased accept your suppliant’s mystic praise.

 

Here are some timeless words of wisdom from Thales, the ancient Greek philosopher. "Know thyself" – this is a powerful reminder to look within and understand your own strengths and weaknesses. à Contributed by Tabitha Siduri, Staff Writer

 

Weekly Words of Wisdom

By Viviana Rivera, Staff Writer

                The night sky is indeed ever-changing, just like life itself. The phases of the Moon can be seen as a beautiful metaphor for the cycle of life - the waxing and waning, the ebbs and flows. Just as the Moon goes through different phases, we too go through different stages in life. The message is resilience and adaptability. Embrace the changes, for they are a part of life's natural rhythm. :)

 

Stoic Proverb of the Week

Contributed by Amy Kendrick, Staff Writer

"The Universe is change, life is understanding it." à Marcus Aurelius

                This proverb reminds us that the world is constantly changing and everything is impermanent. But instead of getting bogged down by this fact, we can use it as an opportunity to cultivate understanding and wisdom. By accepting the shifting nature of reality, we can find peace and contentment in the present moment. Life is not about finding fixed truths, but rather about gaining insight and perspective as we journey through life. :)