There is something particularly
romantic and mystical about a full moon..
The moon has been the subject of man's
fascination, inspiring countless writers, scientists, artists, musicians, and
lovers for centuries.
There are several magical folklore
about the moon.
I do have fond memories of
“The Highway man” by Alfred Noyes.
THE wind was a torrent of
darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Every
full moon night when I see the clouds casting their shadows,
I recall sitting outside my campus along the rippling waters of the River
Mandovi ,watching the moon rise over the river, the buzz and chatter of my friends in the background and Toni Braxton fervently
pleading to be loved again!
Yes, not all
about the moon is about love; there are scary legends about vampires, ghosts
and werewolves.
The influence
of the moon and behavior has been called "The Lunar Effect". The
belief that the full moon causes mental disorders and strange behavior was
widespread throughout Europe in the middle ages. Even the word
"lunacy" meaning "insanity" comes from the Latin word for
"moon."
“Although
most experiments fail to show a relationship between the phase of the moon and
abnormal behavior, the belief in the "lunar effect" is still strong
among many people. Unfortunately, the occasional newspaper story that describes
strange behaviors during a full moon only reinforces this myth.”
Probably the ‘Sea
of Crisis’ and ‘Ocean of Storms’, play a pivotal role in influencing their behavior.
For me, ‘Sea
of Tranquility’ and ‘Sea of Serenity’ take over and have such a calming effect
when I sit and stare at the luminous ball.
For more on
the seas and oceans of the moon refer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_maria_on_the_Moon
Perhaps the most notable Moon event
for mankind was when Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person
to step foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Tonight is the Harvest Moon.
This is supposed to be the full moon
of the year, just before the Autumn Equinox on Sep 23rd.
Am no astronomer, not even amateur..
Even a tattoo of the Virgo constellation, does not an astronomer make!
I do know a few constellations, some
stars and planets which shine bright on occasions.
But yeah, am a sucker for the shooting
stars, though living in the dust spangled city, makes these sightings a rarity.
This week, though, has a lot of shiny
treats for those who look up to the sky!
Venus, shines like the Star of David,
so bright in the entire heavens. Even the cloudscape cannot dull its sheen!
Some lucky souls may be able to see
Saturn close on the heels of Venus, though faint. A decent telescope can
help you see Saturn’s rings.
But of course what would be a
treat for the eyes, is to see Uranus lighting up the September sky, on
the night of the Harvest Moon!
“Oh, Shine on, shine on harvest moon, way up in the sky;
I ain't had no lovin' since April, January, June or July.”
I ain't had no lovin' since April, January, June or July.”
So…
Relax, stretch back, bid goodbye to
cloudy skies!
The romantic in me tells me “go to a
lovely terrace restaurant in the company of a few good men and enjoy the night
sky”!
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