December Lunar Eclipse

The Full Moon for December is tomorrow, December 10th. The traditional Native American names for this Full Moon are the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon. The tribes usually related the name of the moon to some natural aspect associated with the month. The Cold Moon gets its name because December is the month when Winter takes hold and it really starts to get cold. It was a period of little food and survival. The term Long Night Moon is appropriate name because the nights are at their longest and darkest around and on the Solstice. The full moon name often used by the European settlers is the "Moon before Yule". Yule is an old northern European winter festival that is now associated with Christmas.

The Full Moon in Gemini brings with a a lunar eclipse. An eclipse takes place when the sun, moon and earth are aligned. In a lunar eclipse, the earth passes directly between the sun and moon. This lunar eclipse is said to be a 'total' lunar eclipse so you should see the shadow of the Earth pass over and darken the entire moon. The Earth will be between the sun and the moon so it will cast it's shadow in such a way that we can see it.

Full Moons always require a balancing act between the qualities of the two signs involved. Under a Gemini Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, expect the unexpected. Gemini governs thought, ideas, communication, interaction, education, and short travel. Sagittarius is Gemini's opposite sign and governs generosity, enthusiasm, exploration, honesty, and personal Full growth through experiences or higher education. The Gemini-Sagittarius set of eclipses highlights the polarity between Gemini and Sagittarius and to balance the qualities of each sign--what we believe in (Sagittarius), and how do we navigate in daily lives (Gemini).

At a Lunar Eclipse

Thy shadow, Earth, from Pole to Central Sea, 

Now steals along upon the Moon's meek shine 

In even monochrome and curving line 

Of imperturbable serenity. 

How shall I link such sun-cast symmetry 

With the torn troubled form I know as thine, 

That profile, placid as a brow divine, 

With continents of moil and misery? 

And can immense Mortality but throw 

So small a shade, and Heaven's high human scheme 

Be hemmed within the coasts yon arc implies? 

Is such the stellar gauge of earthly show, 

Nation at war with nation, brains that teem, 

Heroes, and women fairer than the skies?

By Thomas Hardy

Busy, busy time for me.  Yesterday we hung the rods for curtains...and hung what curtains I had.  Because I have no windows here in my present home, I haven't had to buy curtains in years...and the last time I bought them, you got two panels in each package.  I should have realized that things change.  Now, I have to make a trip to the store to buy a few more panels, but we hung what I had...and they look so nice.  Funny, when I was buying the curtains to begin with, many of the packages boasted of being room-darkening.  Well, after 15 years of a dark house, you just know I didn't buy any of them.  

Also found some time last night to fix all my blogs.  Some I had to get rid of templates all together and start fresh, and others I was able to fix.  Seems that Picasa has changed their image loading so that the maximum image, which was what you originally got when you downloaded a background, has basically disappeared.  To change backgrounds back to original size I had to change the URL for the background image, by adding s1600 to each URL.  Some worked.  Some were too far gone so template and all were changed.  I don't know why they have to keep changing things instead of leaving well enough alone. 

I can't believe how short the time is to the move.  So much left to be done. The two families are STILL trying to keep me in the middle of their family feud.    Even with less than a week to go, they they are STILL trying to get me to take sides.  My landlady had called and asked me to let her know when I am going because she will send her son to pick up my keys. She is not moving up here and has plans of just letting the house sit rather than pay all the bills for the guy upstairs.   'Under no circumstances' was the guy upstairs to have them.  Hey, I understand that.  It IS her half of the house, after all.  

Then, last night comes a knock at my door.  It's the guy upstairs asking me to leave the keys with him.  I tell him that I will be leaving them with my landlady's son.  "When you go, I'm going to be alone upstairs, and you know how bad the electricity is here.  I'll have to have the keys to make sure everything is okay."  he says.  I assure him that the electricity will not be a problem because it will be OFF as of the 16th.  Don't think he was too happy with that one.  I could just hear the wheels turning in his head planning all the parties he was going to have here...at my expense, of course.   I just know he wasn't expecting that one.  I left it that if he wanted a copy of the keys, he had to talk to my landlady's son.  I rent from her and have to obey her wishes.  Thank goodness all that nonsense is almost over.  

Of all things, it's a cooking weekend, as well. Almost bowed out of it because of all the things still waiting to be done, but we have to eat...and certainly cannot afford to eat out every night.  

So, here's wishing you all a wonderful weekend.  Hopefully, I'll be able to spend a little time with Mother Moon tonight in quiet retrospection.  This will be my last Full Moon in the yard, so I plan to make it a very special night.