Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Ann Poplin
Nov 4 · 4 min read

Depths of the Shadows

“Everybody is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody,” quoted from Mark Twain.

This weekend is the weekend of the year when my social media accounts light up (no pun intended) with the moans and groans of my friends who hate the darkness, the cold, the entry into the perceived realm of hibernation. I live in a part of the country that recognizes Daylight Savings Time for eight months of the year, and Standard time for the other third of the annual cycle.

I’ll admit, I am in the minority. I thrive in the darkness. I love to don a sweater against the chill. I live for these four months of the year. My fair skin and body are not tolerant of extreme heat and overbearing sun. I spend eight months of the year mostly inside, where temperatures and humidity can be easily regulated.

My best friends will tell you that I am the one who moans and complains when the switch gets flipped again in March. I don’t sleep as well. I don’t feel rested in the mornings. During Scorpio season, though, I come alive. I am definitely a daughter of the moon.

Let’s take a look at why the moon is so important for our planet and our very survival.

The moon performs the following functions during her cycle, and all on seemingly automatic pilot:

· Stabilizes gravitational pull (no small feat)

· Slows the spin of the earth, which is crucial for human survival

· Powers the very tides of the oceans

This tells me that while the sun is responsible for photosynthesis for plant life, warming our human skin and helping with synthesis of Vitamin D in our bodies, the moon and the dark times are just as vital to our lives.

Don’t even ask about the birth explosion that occurs more often during the cycle of the full moon (it’s not just a myth, it’s a legend).

Balances between light and darkness are necessary to spark the spawning of certain marine species. In that way, the moon and the sun work together to regulate the rhythms of plant, animal and human life. Our very internal rhythms are synchronized by the external signals of light and dark.

I am one who sometimes feels these signals at my very core. Scientific studies have been performed in recent years, tracking Circadian rhythms during the full moon. It’s believed that in our species, the increased light from a full moon provides neurological input to stimulate the retina of the eye, which in turn signals the endocrine cells of the pineal gland (buried deep within the center of the brain) to secrete less of the sleep hormone melatonin.

I find myself to be more restless and sleepless during a full moon. As the moon affects the tides of the ocean, I also find that my body is a more apt to hold a couple of extra pounds of fluid during the full moon phase.

Where am I going with this, you ask?

I invite you to embrace the magic and nature of the few months of darkness we have coming. Nurture your body. Instead of constantly pushing and going for 18 hours a day, enjoy some down time if you can.

Build a bonfire and enjoy the way it lights up the night. Sit around it with your favorite people, laughing and telling stories. The way of our ancestors.

Take a long, hot, steamy bath.

Cook a decadent meal and sit and take time to savor and enjoy it (no electronic devices allowed).

Write in your journal.

Snuggle with your dog or cat (or other species of pet).

Cuddle with your favorite human.

Embrace cold weather clothes. Buy a colorful scarf or a snazzy rain jacket or snow boots.

Most of all, remember that the darkness is only temporary. Yet it is a great time for healing, gentleness and introspection.

All across nature, there are countless examples of the contribution of the darkness. Most with befitting names. As a child, I remember helping my grandfather dig for nightcrawler worms. For the locals, these were essential for catching a nice bream, bass or crappie at one of the many local ponds. Nightcrawlers are soil dwellers and like to burrow a couple of feet down in to the warm, moist, dark earth.

Don’t forget the stargazers — — the astronomers and astrologers, as well as the rest of the lot of us who just like to sit out in the dark and admire the heavens. I find this is best done from my uncovered hot tub, preferably with a glass of nice cabernet.

I think of all the things I would have missed, if not for the clear, crisp natural darkness. Meteor showers would not be visible to the naked eye, nor would shooting stars. I would not be aware of the fingernail moon, often mentioned by my now grown daughters, as pointed out and taught them by their beloved deceased grandfather. Without the total cloak of darkness, I would not have been able to witness the sheer awe and excitement of the Northern Lights, that I finally was able to gaze at during an Iceland adventure a few months back. This is bucket list stuff, folks!

And last but not least, let us not forget the song by Meredith Wilson, sang as a lullaby during our childhoods bygone:

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

And the moon sees the one that I long to see.

So God bless the moon and God bless me.

And God bless the one that I long to see.

Nurse practitioner, Reiki Master, Magical Creator, Lover of Wit and Sarcasm, Weaver of Different Realities

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