Typically moonlight is described as reflected sunlight, but moonlight is the reflected light of all celestial objects, including the stars. So, Full Moon can be imagined as a time when all available celestial light is focused by the Moon onto the Earth. Add to this phenomena the fact that sometimes the Full Moon is closer to us than at other times, like it will be on Wednesday this week, and a beautiful picture starts to emerge.
In the ancient Greek tradition, the Titan Goddess of the Moon was Selene. One night, over the cracks and crags and caves of the Earth she leaned in for a closer look, and her gaze fell upon the sleeping shepherd Endymion. She fell deeply in love and asked Zeus to grant Endymion eternal sleep, so they could meet each night in dream, which he did.
It might seem inconsequential that once each year the Full Moon is closer to us than at other times, but in ancient cultures, the closest Moon of the year was the most fertile or activating of all things Moon-related. It intensified the sunlight and the starlight by concentrating it into its own being before moving in close and casting it earthward.
This month, the closest Moon occurs while the Moon moves through the Milky Way, so it’s even further amplified with enchantment.
Unlike sunlight, which supports the waking and thinking life, moonlight is often associated more with a mood of soul and feeling. So the thing to do is listen to your dreams, to imagine the Moon looking on, offering sunlight and starlight for reflection in the feeling life.
The Moon comes exactly Full Wednesday July 13 at 2:39 pm, so pay special attention overnight Tuesday, when it rises half an hour before sunset, assuming its position on the eastern horizon for weaving the magic of dreams into the night.
