Total lunar eclipse

The moon is a grand thing.

When a brilliant star dangles of the cusp of a crescent moon, it's worth staying up - or getting up - to see; when it's full and resting on the horizon, it fills the eye with possibility. When have we not thought of the moon as having magical, helpful properties?

There are Harvest Moons, Hunter's Moons, Storm Moons and Honey Moons, all of them awesome in some way. Then there is the Blue Moon, a second full moon appearing in the same calendar month, with special magical powers.

Maybe it's just that we understand on some level the moon is always smiling at us, sometimes like a Cheshire cat (thinly, arced to one side); sometimes full-faced with eyes wide open.

When my sisters and I were young, the two-year-old found a wooden moon on the beach at Kingsport, a crescent painted white on one side, bare wood on the other. What a lovely gift, this floating moon, waved to the sands, spelled by heavenly moon itself. All the edges were worn smooth by the sand. She carried that moon everywhere she went, the way some toddlers cherish a blankie or cuddle toy. It was a good thing it was too big and too hard to misplace for very long. Distressed cries of "Moon? Moon?" were sure to penetrate the cottage if ever it was out of sight, out of touch. Even now, she caresses the word as she speaks it.

I find it hard to understand how such a stiff, unyielding thing could give so much comfort. Maybe she thought, as she cradled it, she held the power of the moon in her hands. Throughout her life, the moon has been symbol of many things. What I know is: none of us ever mistook it for a smile, which, with a slight re-angling and a bit of Crayola, it could just as aptly represented.

There is a moon, not spoken of with joy and satisfied smiles. Scripture calls it a "dark moon;” always it is associated with judgment, horror and passing away. Ezekiel (32:7) writes, "When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light." Am I glad I'm not Pharaoh, King of Egypt, or King of Babylon!

Which emotion will be whetting your anticipation as we await the darkening of the moon at moonrise March 3, 2007? As for me, I am fervently hoping there will be no cloud cover or fog because it seems we will have front row seats for the celestial event. At that time, there will be a total eclipse of the moon. Those who study such things tell us the moon will appear red and will blink briefly out of sight. Mark your calendar - we won't have many opportunities in our lifetime to see this show!

On the web: www.space.com/eclipse/ www.hermit.org/Eclipse/2007-03-03/ www.shadowandsubstance.com