Full moon

 

One of the ways in which we mark and honor the turning of the year is to celebrate when the moon is full.

There is a certain magic to being outdoors in the dark of night...for kids and grownups alike. What in the daylight is a mundane and familiar backyard becomes a place of mystery at night, under the moon.

 

(Naya)

Do you know this lovely round?

round and round the earth is turning

turning ever round 'til morning

then from morning round 'til night

(I learned it with my children at a Waldorf school, so while I'm sure it shows up in a book somewhere, written by someone, I don't know to whom the credit goes...but I love the song and the sentiment.)

Watching the moon wax and wane and come into fullness in rhythmic cycles is another way to be mindful of our connection to this earth we live on. I want that connection to be palpable for my children...I want them to feel that bond as a stabilizing force in their lives.

(Sodie)


Last month when the moon was full, our fields were covered in 6 inches of snow and we spent the night sledding in the dark. Tonight we went out into the cold and built a bonfire...someone (more than one!) sneaked off to build this fairy house:

I am keen on checking it out more fully tomorrow in the sunshine.

 

We sipped hot lemonade and had a festive meal of sauerkraut, frankfurters, potatoes, and applesauce.

 Mado played the harmonica (she can play anything...gah)

So, her trusty (and imitative) little sidekick ran to fetch her ocarina.






There is no ritual or ceremony involved here...no formal verse or incantation.

Just us, outside under the sky, again, just like we were 28 days ago....and 28 days before that.
Just us, feeling a little awe at the dark magic of night.