Walking in Moonlight

And the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams… ~ Edgar Allan Poe ~

I remember one winter night, when I lived in the mountains, the ground was covered with snow. The moon was full and bright, and moonlight reflected on the snow and seemed to come to life in the air around me. As I stood in the moonlight that night, I felt like I’d wandered into another world.

I have always been fascinated with the moon. As a child, I found it astounding that one night the moon could be out, full and bright, but then another night I may see just a sliver, or no moon at all. And eclipses were magical events that happened in fairy tales, so when one happened in real life I felt the magic in the air.

As an adult, I still have the same fascination with the moon, and though I now understand the science behind its phases, it’s still every bit as magical.

In most folktales and mythologies, the moon is a feminine energy. Moon goddesses such as Epona, Rhiannon, Diana and Cerridwen, generally represent intuition, dreaming, femininity and strength. Even Archangel Gabrielle, the angel of the moon, is an angel of dreaming and childbirth.

The moon reflects the light of the sun; it’s not its own light source. I believe we, very similarly, reflect light. We are not our own light Source. There is a greater energy that feeds and fuels everything around us, and we are a creation of that energy and part of that energy, but not the source of that energy.

When the moon is full, it is at its brightest and it reminds us to be at our brightest. It’s a time to reflect what is best in the world around us; love, gratitude, and creativity. It’s a time to express and give.

When the moon is new, it makes no appearance in the night sky. Because its rising and setting times coincide with the Sun, we are unable to see it. At this time the moon, known as the dark moon, does not reflect any light (at least not from our perspective). It’s a time to look inward. We cannot express all the time without depleting ourselves, so during the new moon we take that time to focus within and fill our own well.

During a solar eclipse, the moon comes between the earth and the sun. The sun and moon team up to propel us forward.

During a lunar eclipse the earth comes between the sun and the moon. During a lunar eclipse we may have trouble “seeing the light” due to our beliefs in the material world.

For me, the idea of walking a spiritual path means connecting with the planet upon which I walk that path, and the universe around me. The earth reminds me to ground myself, find my strength, and nurture myself and my offspring. The moon reminds me to pay attention to my dreams and to tap into my own inner wisdom and intuition.

Walking in moonlight reminds me that life is a mystery, and when we can feel the magic in the moonlight, it’s just a reminder that we are part of something magical; something beautiful and pure.