MOON MAGIC

The moon has always captivated us. The moon has always influenced us: with its never changing face, circling us with a constancy that literally stabilizes us, its force controls the tides and ties us to a 29.5 day cycle of fertility.

The moon and its phases have forever inspired spirituality, art, music, poetry and our dreams.

MOON PHASES & MEANING

The moon has a day side (the side receiving sunlight) and a night side (the side facing away from the sun). Since the sun is always illuminating half of the moon, how much of the illuminated side we see changes as the moon travels through its orbit, creating the different phases.

A waxing crescent moon occurs when the illuminated half faces mostly away from us, creating that beloved sliver of silver.

With a waxing crescent moon we inhale. We breathe life and intention into our dreams. We focus, initiate and begin.

A full moon is the complete day half illuminated, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.

The full moon is reflection. In the full power and glory of the moonlight we can pause. We can use this moment to float in the moonlight, to position ourselves to acknowledge our accomplishments and be further inspired.

As the moon begins to travel back towards the sun, or wanes, the opposite side of the moon is illuminated, eventually becoming the waning crescent, a slender curve of silver.

With the waning moon we exhale. We calm and comfort ourselves and allow our work to be complete and to rest.

THE MOON IN ART & CULTURE

Spirituality and the moon have consistently had strong ties with symbols and writings appearing across all faiths and beliefs. Most often it is seen as a symbol of enlightenment; as a positive force. We all collectively look up at the same moon and that simple act binds all humanity. The moon is our rock.

The moon is present in all music regardless of genre or era. Beethoven's ‘Moonlight Sonata’ was actually titled, unromantically, ‘Piano Sonata #14’. It took romantic poet Ludwig Rellstab some years after the Master’s death to give it a name worthy of its beauty and importance as he likened it to a boat floating in the moonlight. Naming it after moonlight seems obvious. Those two magically beautiful things belong together.

In art the moon very often represents calm and beauty; nurturing and fertility. Any artist you favour will have found the moon's inspiration and there are innumerable interpretations of this spellbinding subject.

An incredible document of the moons beauty in perfect, artistically exacting detail, has been left to us from the 20 year series of works produced by John Russell in the 18th century. Can you believe this was created in pastel?