Our relationship with Mahina, Earth's Moon

"Tonight – June 19, 2016 – it’s solstice eve and the moon you’ll see shining near Saturn and the star Antares may look full. The 2016 June full moon and solstice fall on the same date, June 20. But, for the Americas, the June 19 moon is closer to the crest of the moon’s full phase than the moon June 20. Although the full moon and solstice happen at the same instant all around the world, the clock reading differs by time zone. At U.S. time zones, the moon turns precisely full on June 20 at 7:02 a.m. EDT, 6:02 a.m. CDT, 5:02 a.m. MDT and 4:02 a.m. PDT.So, if you’re in the Americas, as we are, the moon you’ll see during the night tonight is closer to full than tomorrow night’s solstice full moon.The June solstice comes on June 20, 2016 at 6:34 p.m. EDT, 5:34 p.m. CDT, 4:34 p.m. MDT and 3:34 p.m. PDT...For the entire world, this year’s June full moon is somewhat unusual in that it’s the fourth of four full moons in one season. Normally, there are only three full moons in a season. But when a season harbors four full moons, the third of these four full moons is often called a Blue Moon." - Earthsky.org

Today, we are woven into the four full moons of Kaulana Mahina the Hawaiian Moon Calendar. If we name her phase last night it would have been her gown of Akua that we saw, Later tonight in the deeply shrouded Salish sky the Hoku Moon will lighten the heavens. Fattening as my Ancestors would have observed, Mahina the moon deserved to be recognized in her four nights of ripening. She is a woman maturing, makuahine o'o and each cycle each malama she matures to fully ripe before she seems to disappear into the slim twist of Hilo, barely visible in a deep dark heaven. There are many ways to name our reality, and those ways change over time.

As Mahina ripens into her fullness, the door of our Quonset hut is wide open. The sun is newly risen the air of the forest is cool caressing my bare feet and ankles. It is quiet now, no birdsong and my fingers peck a rhythm of words into sentences. There is much to consider as the Sagittarius Full Moon, Blue Moon and Summer Solstice marks itself on life here. Here, where I live now. Ah, there. The song of Robin or Sparrow I am not awake alone. How lucky for me.

Yesterday I sat behind the wheel of our faithful old car, Scout the Subaru. I was waiting for Pete who was inside the big gray house at the top of the moss edged stone driveway. A skillful and generous friend and practitioner of Somatics was working with him/on him. Lucky Pete. Lucky us. Earlier in the month old habits and misuses of muscles stopped Pete in his usual tracks. A'ole, no more at least for now. The pain and the disability was a marker. A stop sign.

So yesterday I sat behind the wheel of our faithful old car, waiting to be Pete's driver. A shift in kuleana I was glad to assume. Lucky us. Outside the rain washed over the windows and dark green painted body and with some effort I could see the heads of people riding in their golf carts on the manicured lawns of the golf course. Knowing Pete's appointment would be lengthy I brought a new library book, and needlework to busy myself. Keola Beamer and George Kahamoku were singing sweet island music on the car's c.d. player as I pulled the needle and waxed thread into tiny 'invisible' stitches. I am appliqueing an old favorite piece of cloth onto a new brown linen jumper I plan to wear to a celebration next weekend.

The stitching of old cloth to new is close work. My eyes were tired after thirty minutes, and though I try to relax my shoulders when I do needlework my intensity shows up any way. I put the needle (still threaded) into a spot in the jumper and folded the work up. Within seconds my cellphone rang. I recognized the name of my friend, and sister moon lover was calling. She was on the line for some thoughts about this Sagittarius Moon. "The Moon is right up my alley," I laughed a full belly rumble. We had a good chuckle over that. How wonderful to be known among your community as the Moon Lady.

Astrologers and astronomers have lots of thoughts, predictions, observations and a fire moon ritual to prepare for this full moon. Here are a few links that might interest you.

http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/qt/Sagittarius-Full-Moon-may-25th-2013.htm

http://www.elsaelsa.com/astrology/full-moon-in-sagittarius-may-21-2016-war

http://astrology.about.com/od/fullmoonmagicrituals/fl/Ritual-Ideas-for-Fire-Moons.htm

Tonight Pete is having a night out with a friend at a local Chinese restaurant where they will eat Chinese food and watch the basketball playoffs. Me and the birds are at home in the woods, and after a full day of living life on this Salish Island, the breeze is once again caressing my barefeet and bare legs. Their songs -- those birds are sweet sounds that I appreciate.

By the clock it is not yet 5:00 P.M. Sparrow thinks the open door means open house. Towhee agrees. They're both in the Quonset until they squabble over the crumbs we've dropped on the floor and flitter out the door and on their wings away.

Tonight is Hoku Moon. Mahina will rise before the sun sets. Both of them visible in the heaven at the edge of a full day of sun. I may dress for a little drive out of the forest and head to the muliwai to catch the moon rise. This relationship I have with Mahina is a solid one. I malama her, I care for her and care about the way she cares for me and us.

The Moon Mahina connects me to my na'au, my gut my roots across the great Moana nui the ocean. When we thought there was no place for us years ago, Mahina knew we were wrong. She cared for us when we thought we were all alone. It was just that we were in the early stages of becoming ki'inoho, at home in our bodies, again. It's a cycle the moon teaches each malama (month) time and time again. Lucky us.

That theme ki'inoho, hou, to become a homebody, again it has a sweet ring to it like birdsong. I think I'm onto something I can count on. Nice place to be as the moon ripens.

E'o Mahina