Circles and Cycles

silverlight
lays
shadows down
bright
sky above
soft
on
the ground

all
is peaceful
all
is clear
things
far away
seem
very near

moon
so brilliant
moon
so bright
shares
with earth
her
silverlight

Once again I am able to walk around at night without my flashlight, thanks to the waxing moon. I have become very aware of the moon’s cycle here, and of the circularity and cycles of life and the Universe.

I have long been enthralled by the moon, especially when it is bright enough to see by. There is something magical about being out in the moonlight – the bright disc in the sky, the gentle silver light all around, the soft shadows on the ground. Last month at about this point in the moon cycle, I sat outside every night before work just enjoying the moonlight. One of those nights inspired me to write the poem at the beginning of the post, probably the first one I’ve written as an adult!

Being up and about at night now, I try to remember to stop and look at the stars when I do get outside. I particularly enjoy watching Orion’s progress across the night sky, starting in the east in early evening and finally disappearing in the west towards sunrise. Likewise the Big Dipper catches my attention, usually after midnight when it is high overhead. It is fascinating to think that the stars, which within our tiny lifetimes seem fixed and steady, are actually moving through space with the expansion of the Universe.

I only see the sun for a little bit each morning between getting off shift about sunrise and going to sleep an hour or so later. I spend most of that time outside reading, except when it is raining. It is both relaxing and invigorating to sit in the sunlight and cold, crisp air. By the time I stir from my tent in the evening, the sun has usually set.

Seeing these daily and monthly cycles of sun, stars, and moon brings to mind a novel by Hal Borland called When the Legends Die, about a Ute boy who is raised in the traditional way in southern Colorado. When his parents die, he is forced to live on a reservation and learn the “new ways;” after initially resisting this change, he adapts and goes through a journey of self-discovery as a rodeo bronc rider. In the first part of the book, his mother sings him a song about the circularity of things – the Earth, the lodge in which they live, a little boy’s arm, the sun, and the seasons. This idea of circularity has always appealed to me, perhaps because a circle has no beginning and no end.

As the Winter Solstice fast approaches, we mark another cycle of the years with a season of renewed hope, as the dark recedes and we herald the return of the light. Celebrating the (re)birth of the Sun (Son) has a place in human spirituality throughout all ages and cultures, from Zoroaster to Jesus, Yule to Kwanzaa, and Saturnalia to Christmas.

If you can, go outside this evening and watch the sun set and the moon as it sails high in the darkening sky. Consider the cycles of the moon and sun, and honor the Solstice as marking another trip of the earth around the sun and another year of seasons. Reflect how our lives mirror the cycles of the earth and sky, and how this common heritage binds all humanity as one great family.