I have never known whether the moon was in wax or wane and I have always felt inferior as a human resident of this planet not to know that.
I finally learned how to tell in a way which I remember and I think it may have come from Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna. Maybe.
Anyway, it is thus:
If the moon's belly makes a D shape, it is waxing. D stands for Dios or God.
If the moon's belly makes a C shape, the curve to the left, it is waning. The C stands for Christo, Christ, who is always and perpetually dying.
Pobre Christo.
And so you can see that right now we are in a waxing moon which may explain a lot. Or may explain nothing but there it is, whichever.
Thanks for these pointers, Ms Moon. I too did not know the difference. Perhaps it links to notions of concave and convex. So a waning moon is concave and a waxing moon is convex....maybe.
ReplyDeleteI love the words "wax" and "wane," and while I know what they mean, I so completely never knew what you've described. And I'm going to have to read it again because I still don't quite get it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the explanation. The only way i've ever been able to tell is to look at the calendar.
ReplyDeleteIt's much simpler than that. If it growing, it's waxing. If it's shrinking (getting smaller), it's waning. Just think of the definition of wane...becoming weaker, less vigorous or less extensive. Wax is the opposite. No need to bring religion into it.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth- In one, the moon curves out one way, in the other, the other. I never realized this.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- It's too simple. If it makes a D shape, it is waxing. If it makes a C shape, it is waning. Curve to the right is growing, curve to the left is shrinking.
messymimi- Me too.
Ellen Abbott- I knew what the words meant, it was just that I couldn't tell from looking at the moon if it was growing or shrinking. And of course I am not really bringing religion into it, it's just a memory device that is working for me.
Gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy water world is all about the moon. I know that body well.
ReplyDeleteFunny, at first I had no idea what you were talking about. But then I realized that it was a donkey bridge to remember the stands of the moon. In Belgium the donkey bridge is in french, although I am a Flemish Belgian. P is Premier, which translates in to first. So P is first quarter. D is for Dernier which is latest quarter. No idea what happened to the other stands. I forgot.
ReplyDeleteWhen's the full moon? That's probably when your new grandbaby will arrive.
ReplyDeleteLucy
Funny the things we see and don't even think about...now I know something I wasn't even aware I didn't know.
ReplyDeleteThe full moon is the 8th, trust me my fingers are crossed! Even a few days early would be awesome, but I am not getting my hopes up.
ReplyDeleteCool, thank you!
ReplyDeleteChrissy- It was such an epiphany to me that I had to share.
ReplyDeleteSyd- I know you do, brother.
Photocat- Now I am confused all over again!
Lucy- I always had my babies on the waning moon, right after the full.
Jeannie- Funny the things we can not know, isn't it?
Lily- That baby will come when that baby is ready. Amen and I love you!
Jo- You're welcome, my love!