Moon over Chicago

Full moon over Chicago from the Cenacle roof

(Click on photo to view full size.)

THE MOON IS ALSO BUSY

I bow to God in gratitude,

And I find the moon is also busy

Doing the same.

I bow to God in great happiniess,

And I learn from where the suns

And the children

And my heart

All borrow their Light.

I bow to the Friend in deep reverence

And discover a marvelous secret carried in the air:

This whole Universe is just as blessed

And divinely crazed as I,

And just as lost in this Wonderful Holy Dance.

My dear,

After such a long, long journey,

God has made another soul

Free!

Now all Hafiz wants to do

Is open a beautiful Tavern

Where this Sacred Wine

Of God's Truth, Knowledge and Love

Is forever and ever

Freely offered to you.

O bow to God in gratitude,

And some day

You will see how

The moon is also busy doing the same.

I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy (Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky) Penguin, 2006.

Super Moon Rising

(Click to view full size.)

While I was watching the moon from the upstairs porch, one of the Great Horned Owls who live on the property flew by and landed on the roof.  So for a while we were three: the moon, the owl, and myself.  It was lovely.

Waning Moon

Waning Moon and Clouds

May 27

I confess having to take two photos as the camera will not focus on both the moon and the clouds at the same time.  The finished photograph is composed of several layers.

Faithful Witness

Moon Rising Behind Bare Branches

Psalm 68 calls the moon a "faithful witness in the sky."  Amid all the uncertainties of our world, she keeps rising and setting.  She waxes and wanes and waxes again.

(This photo, taken March 2, is of a waning moon.)

Far more faithful than even the moon is the love of God toward us.

Thy steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    thy faithfulness to the clouds.

(Psalm 36:5) 

Nor the Moon by Night

Full Moon with Cloud Halo

(Click photo to view full size)

The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.

Psalm 91:5-8

Mega Moon Rising

Mega Moon March 19
(Click on image to view full size.)

Because of our dense tree cover, we drove out to Paynes Prairie to view the super moon rise, which was indeed spectacular. (And yes, this was the actual color.) As it turned out, many others had the same idea, and the highway was lined with cars.

Full Moon at Perigee

The colors are changing and the shape appears less flattened as the moon rises and the sky darkens.