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Apollo 11, astronauts, divine, moon, mysteries of the universe, The Sophia Center for Spirituality
This week, on two successive evenings, I watched the TV video recounting of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, from “lift-off” to “splash-down.” It was the complete experience with footage from the NASA installation at Cape Canaveral, inside the space capsule and the historic first steps on the moon. I was taken by the closeup footage of the three astronauts. Without words, the enormity of what was happening was present in their eyes at each moment. When they did speak, their lightheartedness often belied the seriousness of their mission and spoke of their courage and willingness to “get the job done.” It was a gripping recounting of that historic event from fifty years ago.
Upon arising today at 6:10 AM, I went to the window to view the morning, already shining brightly through the glass. The sun was lighting up my panoramic view of a cloudless sky and 6 stories down the traffic moved soundlessly along the highway. As I looked to the left, there was the moon, still and beautiful in a 3/4ths – 7/8ths presence to me. I smiled and said “Good morning, Moon,” giving thanks for the brilliant minds that further our knowledge of far away places but grateful as well for the mysteries of the universe that serve to keep us on a steady course to the Divine.
I would guess that people in Los Angeles who made the trip to Griffith Observatory this morning to see (exactly one hour ago – 3:48AM Pacific time) the moment of total eclipse of the moon are beginning to make their way home by now. Why would someone make that trek in the middle of the night just to see the moon? Well, maybe because it wasn’t just the full moon but rather a “Super Blue Blood Moon!” What does that mean? A blue moon is a rather frequent experience: the second full moon in the same month of the year. What makes it “super” is the fact that it reaches its closest position to earth, thus making it appear larger and brighter in the sky than normal. The “blood” designation comes from the fact that there is a red tinted shadow across the face of the moon due to the rays of sunlight passing through earth’s atmosphere as the moon falls into earth’s shadow. To add to all those necessary conditions for this phenomenon is the weather. Chances were good for a clear night in Alaska, Hawaii and California. I’m sure the resulting pictures will be glorious – and bountiful, especially since this is the first time this phenomenon was visible in North America since 1866!
This morning there was a shaft of light across my bed as I was throwing back the covers. I thought something – the wind or some animal – had tripped the light over the carport outside. When I looked out I saw a brilliant waning moon with the nearby morning star shining in response to its light. I don’t know when I first heard the line: The morning star shines clear in the sky, offering it the Word of Life, but it always comes to me automatically when I catch sight of that loveliness.
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 