6 Ways to Honor the Moon

Want to deepen your connection with the natural world but don’t know how to go about it? One way is to choose a specific aspect of nature and attend to it over a period of weeks and months, letting it reveal both itself and your connection with it. The moon is a good place to start–it sails across the sky in all seasons and affects us in ways we are only dimly aware of.

What do you know about the moon? It waxes and wanes, and it is sometimes visible during the day. It pulls at the ocean, causing the tides to ebb and flow. You have been seeing it all your life, but have you ever given it your attention? Here’s a quick list of questions to contemplate:

• As you read this, is the moon waxing or waning?

• If the sky were clear would it be visible now? Would you know where in the sky to look?

• Where does does the moon rise and where does it set?

• If the moon rose around 9:30 last night, when will it rise tonight?

• When you see a crescent moon just before sunrise, is it waxing or waning? What if you see it after sunset?

• When a gibbous moon sets before midnight, is it waxing or waning? (What is a gibbous moon, anyway?)

If you’re stumped for answers, avoid the temptation to ask someone or Google the answers. Instead, simply look up. Watch the moon and watch what feelings watching it evokes. As it reveals its secrets, you’ll feel connected to the natural world even if you are dwelling in a glass and concrete canyon.