Good Night, Moon

I don't want us to suffer from moon fatigue, so I'll be moving on to other topics. But don't worry, we'll revisit the moon from time to time.

Before we go, though, one more thing: this very easy synopsis of how you can tell when the moon will rise: The new moon always rises at sunrise, the first quarter moon rises at noon, the full moon rises at sunset and the last quarter moon at midnight. I've always been confused by this, because sometimes you see the moon during the day and sometimes you don't. This is the kind of information you might come across in old novels, when someone has to make an escape at night and waits for the moon to set so it's completely dark. See how handy this stuff is?

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Starlight Plateau

This week's lullaby is a meditative song featuring a Native American flute melody. I love the sound of Native American flute - so rich and vibrant. I find it very relaxing to listen to. This song was written and performed by Jim Cook, who played both the flute and keyboards.

The Rabbit in the Moon

Here is an animated version of the traditional Asian tale that explains how the rabbit ended up on the moon. I like this story, as it honors kindness while recognizing its limits. I hope you enjoy this wonderful story.

The Many Inhabitants of the Moon

Everyone knows about the man in the moon, a mysterious figure who nevertheless, according to tradition, enjoys a glass or two of red wine. But people in other cultures see different figures in the moon, including a woman, a rabbit, a moose, a buffalo and a dragon (although probably not all at once). It's an example of pareidolia - finding order or structure in random images or sounds. Another example is looking for animals or faces in clouds.

There is a theory that the traditional figures people see in the moon (a man in Europe and a rabbit in Asia) may be related to the latitude of their location, since the moon appears somewhat differently in different latitudes. To explore this idea, follow this link for more information.

Take some time to look at the moon image above and see what other moon inhabitants you can imagine. If I squint right, I can almost see the buffalo...

Halloween Thoughts, and a Real Ghost Story

What is it about the night that enchants children? So many children's books show their characters going out into the night for a great adventure (and almost always leaving their parents behind).

The great fun of Halloween isn't just the candy. It's a chance for children to roam their neighborhoods in the dark, to confirm their suspicions that things really are different at night. That's when the imagination can take over, filling in the gaps left by the absent light.

The origins of Halloween go back to the Celts, who celebrated Samhain, a harvest festival, in the late autumn. They believed it was a night when the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds became very thin. This allowed spirits into the world to cause problems for humans. To confuse the spirits, people dressed as ghosts and ghouls, hoping to trick the spirits into moving away from their village.

Ghost stories are still with us, of course. A 2003 poll found that 51% of US adults believe in ghosts. Some people have speculated that ghosts are actually time-space anomalies, or some sort of electromagnetic residue. Others view ghosts as psychological projections of our fears.

In celebration of Halloween, take a look at the above video, which is an actual account of an encounter with a ghost known as the Ada Witch. It takes a while to get to the story, so be patient. For more information on this particular ghost, follow
this link and have a Happy Halloween!