Sunrise/Moonset

The full moon is setting just as the sun is about to rise. There's something magnificent about this timing, something that inspires me to go outside and try to stare at the whole sky at once. Venus and Jupiter still glimmer in the pre-dawn light, though the other planets are now too faint to make out.

It would take a better photographer than I to capture it, and I won't try. With digital cameras making it so easy to take tons of pictures, I've discovered something...taking pictures is wonderful, but it's also a distraction. I can't say how many times I had to stop myself trying to snap the perfect scene on a road trip because it wasn't coming out or we couldn't stop the car and I'd get more and more frustrated and forget to just enjoy the moment. Photographs help to remember the moment - but the zeal in getting the perfect shot can take you out of the moment you're trying to capture.

Well, it does that to me, anyway.

The January full moon is called Cold Moon, Snow Moon, Wolf Moon, depending on who you ask (and, presumably, what part of the world you're in; my perspective is always going to reflect North America and the climate of Colorado). Cold and Snow are pretty self-explanatory; Wolf Moon comes from the howling of hungry wolves outside, while the people huddled in their lodges during the long dark nights.

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However, the sunsets are later and the days are a wee bit longer, even now. Somebody posted '57 days to spring' on Facebook a couple of days ago, and I have to admit, the older I get, the less I enjoy winter and the more I look forward to the return of the green.

In the meantime, though, winter has a beauty all its own. The cold crisp air and the sparkle of the stars in the night sky. Silver moonlight across the snow. And while it was in the 50s yesterday, it's going to snow again soon - tonight, I think - and there's something about the changeability of the weather that will always make me love my home.

Because it is home.

Denver plays New England for the AFC Championship today. Go Broncos!

Cold Moon

It seems this is the first full moon to fall on Christmas since 1977. Can't see it tonight, unfortunately. It's been cloudy for most of the night here in my corner of Colorado.

Interestingly, I moved from Florida to Colorado in 1977. I'd just turned six, so I don't remember it.

It snowed today, a relatively rare white Christmas. Only an inch or two, but it was welcome all the same - there's something about the crisp cold air and a soft falling snow that just makes the holiday feel more...authentic.

I grew up Catholic, but I've been Pagan for many years now, and no longer celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. Nevertheless, the day holds a special place in my heart and memories, and I struggled for some years with the dilemma of whether or not I could continue to observe it. I've decided there's no reason why I can't embrace the turning of the wheel at Yule and still enjoy the spirit of goodwill of Christmas.

There's a thousand articles detailing all the ways Christmas was stolen from pagan traditions, etc., and I have no desire to beat that horse here. Rather, I'd like to think about what it means to observe traditions.

Yule  - the long dark night, followed by the promise of longer days - is one of my favorite days of the year. Near my house is a park with a lovely little square, marked by standing stones at the cardinal directions and the sunrise and sunsets of the solstices. The markers aren't perfectly aligned, but I appreciate the spirit of the thing. This is the philosophy I carry into much of my spirituality; the spirit in which a thing is intended.

The value of tradition is found in its connection to the past. Generation to generation, we pass on beliefs and behaviors with the intention of keeping our families connected across the span of time. It's a beautiful thing, mostly. It's the reason I still sing Christmas carols, even though I no longer believe in the stories they tell.

In my journey, I'm looking to create new traditions. I've been a haphazard practitioner of my faith up to now, and as we move into a new year, new resolutions, one of mine is to embrace spirituality on a daily basis. This blog is the beginning of that journey.

To be continued!