Posted by Michael Finkelstein | March 8th, 2012

Last Full Moon of Winter

This full moon is the last full moon of the winter and by now, despite how mild the winter was for many of us, we’re eager to enter the new season. Indeed, perhaps we are beginning to sense the shift and changes ahead. Springtime, the season of rebirth, is almost upon us. But, before we jump into something new, it’s most Skillful for us to take into account what we must finish in our current state — taking things one step at a time and reflect once more on the deeper meaning of this very moment. In some cultures, today’s moon is referred to as the Moon of the Fish, so let’s look into that some more…

Perhaps it was no coincidence then, that of all things I was just fishing. Yes, I was in the southern hemisphere where it is the end of summer, enjoying the contrast in so many ways. But it so happened that I was there during the New Moon past. My guide, a young Chilean man with great knowledge of nature, warned us that the fishing would not be good that day. Apparently, the fish are sensitive to the shifts in the gravitational pull and light that the moon phases control. I was impressed by Carlos’ sensitivity even more. For me, this was a living example of connectivity to nature. The reverence for nature that this displayed was not only of interest but was critical to our very survival up until recently. With all our technology nowadays we seem to get away without such regard, but I don’t believe that is a good thing. We can all learn from this and follow the fish as they efficiently navigate the course of the river they find themselves in. The corollary for us is that we recognize how wholly singular all life is and that we tune back into our world on all levels.