Enjoy the Full Moon Tonight

I just realized that tonight is the Full Moon, so I thought I would share the traditional names for the full moon  in April. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, some Native American peoples referred this the April full moon as Full Pink Moon.  Lovely name, and it is NOT because of the color but rather because of a certain wildflower that has "pinked" petals! (Pinked means notched or serrated, like pinking shears if you know what those are!) 

Photographer: Bransford,W.D. and Dolphia,
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Here in the eastern U.S., this full moon often coincides with the appearance of moss pinks, or wild ground phlox, a woodland wildflower. I remember seeing them on spring walks through the forest, back when I lived in the "real" country (now I have yard rather than a forest). I think they're usually pinkish or purplish, but our were actually pale pink, almost white sometimes. Here are some purple ones (Everything purple today in honor of Prince.)

The April full moon, according to the Almanac, was also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon!

The sweetest little witch...

I love love love this little ATC created by Michele Storms! This little witch girl with her red hat and black cat is one of my favorite Victorian Halloween images, and Michele has added just the perfect wings and tiny black flower, against a red and black background and big friendly vintage harvest moon. 

This trio (witch, cat & moon!) are here to remind you that All Hallow's Eve is very near... and that means you have just a few more days to show us your Gothic/Halloween-themed cards and creations in my challenge ~ enter for your chance to win $15 credit at Lunagirl.com. You know you need some goodies for the upcoming Winter months. Cold days and long nights are the perfect time for crafting :-)

MICHELE STORMS: the cute little vintage witch is from the "witching hour" collage sheet and her wings are from the "gothic wings" collage sheet. the moon is from "harvest moon" and the background is from the "gothic backgrounds -red" collage sheet, all by Lunagirl.  i have a little bit black vine ribbon and a silvery flower (a brad) as accents on this ATC.

Music and Dance Challenge: Second Week!

Silvery Moon tag by Michele Storms

My Music & Dance challenge theme continues all this week.  Be sure to check out the lovely entries so far and add your own!

Here is more magical inspiration from the Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team...
There's a full moon coming up in a couple of days... let the light of the silvery moon inspire your creativity! Show us the music and dance in your soul :-)

Vicki Romaine:
"I created two altered playing cards for this challenge.  I used designer paper for my background.  After using the LG images which I fussy cut, I added some scroll stickers and some metal musical embellishments from my stash."

Winning Moon Goddess: Paper Whims (Wendylynn)

Well, we didn't get as many moon goddesses as I expected... but that's OK, I know you're out there. This challenge was timing with the waning moon (there's a tiny new moon tonight) so maybe the lunar energy just wasn't strong enough.

The moon goddesses who showed up are fabulous, aren't they? Thank you to everyone who entered your charming goddesses. They were fun and elegant.

And now for the winner of my random drawing... who will receive $10 credit at Lunagirl.com for some image shopping...

Entry #5 by Paper Whims! Wendylynn is a regular in our Moonbeams challenges, and her two matching moon goddesses in this challenge were wonderful!  Congrats, Wendy -- email me at info@lunagirl.com to claim your credit.

And everyone please visit again tomorrow for the start of the new challenge.  My next theme will be MUSIC AND DANCE. I have several new collage sheets on that theme to show off, and the Moonbeams Design Team will have some lovely inspiring pieces to show as always!

Altered Card Moon Goddesses by Vicki!

Vicki has been busy creating more cards for her altered playing cards deck (remember her fabulous chickens from last time?). This pair features two moon goddesses for the Moon Goddess challenge that's going on this week.

VICKI ROMAINE: This is two Altered Playing Cards using Lunagirl images.  The background was made with watercolors. Silver  Stickles was used for "stars".

Those pretty crescent moons look alot like the waning crescent that will be in the night sky tonight. I like the silver stars that Vicki added, and that purple and blue sky background.

Anyone else doing the altered playing card challenge? Make one a moon goddess and link it up with us!

Moon Goddess Challenge: Second Week

MICHELE STORMS:
Moon Goddess Beholds the Skies

Good news! Our Moon Goddess challenges continues all this week, so you still have time to enter for a chance to play and maybe win some Lunagirl store credit.  Visit the challenge to see the lovely entries so far and the inspiring pieces by the Design Team, and link up your own Moon Goddess!

Moon Goddess Challenge

Here is a another lovely moon goddess by Mandy Chilvers of my DT. She reminds you to dream passionately, live beautifully... and enter our Moon Goddess challenge which continues all through next week!

Creative Challenge: MOON GODDESS

Luna or Loonie -- what kind of moon goddess are you today?

I was preparing the post and badge for this challenge, and couldn't decide which of these ladies to go with. So I decided to use both, and inspire you with the question:

Which kind of Moon Goddess are you today? 

Oh-so-elegant ethereal Luna or a wild Loony Bird? 

Yes, you can be both -- enter twice (or thrice!)  

And instead of my usual aqua/turquoise I chose pink text for Breast Cancer awareness month.

These moon goddesses are from my Lunagirl collage sheets Ethereal and Celestial II, both of which you can find in my online shop along with more moon goddesses and fantasy women.  Be sure to scroll down for more inspiration from the Moonbeams Design Team!

Here are the CHALLENGE GUIDELINES:

Any craft or medium is OK.

Limit of 3 entries from one person in each challenge, please.

Vintage style is encouraged.

Use a Lunagirl image or element and your entry will count twice in the drawing!

Remember to link to this blog and to Lunagirl.com on your site if you have one.

Prize:  Winner will be selected randomly to receive a $10 credit at Lunagirl.com!

Challenge ends at noon CST on October 26.

I love it you use Lunagirl images, and I hope you'll go take a look at my collections... but that's not a requirement!  But do remember that if you use a Lunagirl image, you will be entered TWICE in the drawing! I welcome everyone and every style but also want to give a little something extra to my wonderful customers! Most important is have fun, get creative, enjoy vintage. 

An InLinkz Link-up

LUNAGIRL MOONBEAMS DESIGN TEAM INSPIRATION!

MICHELE STORMS:
Moon Goddess in Love ATC!

MANDY CHILVERS

VICKI ROMAINE:
"Here is a tag I made using a Gelli plate to make my background.  On it I placed the Lunagirl Moon Goddess image.  I added a very small star to the tip of the moon.  Even though it is hard to see in the scan there are numerous "stars", made with drops of silver Stickles, surrounding the image.  A silver bow made from an elastic cord completes the tag."

Lady of the Crescent Moon

Yesterday was the dark new moon, and tonight there will be just a tiny crescent, and I've been contemplating the symbol of the New Moon.

The Dark Moon, when there is "no moon," is actually the end and beginning of the cycle. I think of it as the energy of a seed.  The seed is the culmination of a plant's life, but also holds the potential for a new plant. The energy of a Dark Moon is like a seed lying under ground, full of stored energy and potential for growth but not yet manifest, still unseen. It looks like "nothing is happening" but there is tremendous potential in the dark.

Then there's that new silver crescent -- truly the start of something new. Energy "waxes" -- grows stronger -- day by day, until the fullness of expression in a bright Full Moon.

Today I'm still at the little crescent! Just the smallest glimpse of something new, something starting to grow, like the tiny new moon in the sky tonight. Here is a lady with the waxing crescent. She is sitting still but looks impatient. That's me lately! As her moon energy grows I hope she will blossom and burst forth out of her stillness (and maybe out of that corset!). The swirls of red around her show something is brewing and stirring, and I think that bright purple butterfly is inspiration, and a vision of her self-expression to come.

Well, the stuff that goes on in one's mind at the New Moon... I actually have a "Moon Goddess" theme scheduled for sometime in October, so I hope your own moon energy is stirring...

Starry Night tag by Michele

Michele Storms created this beautiful "starry night" tag for a challenge at Tag Tuesday.  Don't I have a wonderful Design Team here at the Moonbeams blog?  :-)

This tag uses images from my Lunagirl Celestial digital collage sheet, btw.

Visit Michele at Artfromthewell.blogspot.com and see more of her work!

The Blue Christmas blog challenge is continuing until the 29th, so join the fun and link up your blue Christmas creation!

Long Nights

The Winter Solstice is almost upon us -- the longest night (and shortest day) of the year, and the original winter festival! This is the darkest time of the year, but also the turning point when the days begin to lengthen again -- Light overcomes Darkness as the Sun is "reborn" and moves toward the promise of Spring, when Light finally triumphs at the Spring Equinox.  The Winter Solstice is a perfect time for any Festival of Lights, and candles, twinkling lights, Yuletide fires, evergreens, etc.

Tonight go outside and you'll see the Moon is full.  The full moon of December is sometimes called the Cold Moon or Long Nights Moon.  The term Long Night Moon is especially appropriate because not only are the midwinter nights especially long, but also because the moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low sun.

The nights are cold, but the stars are bright.

Exclusive image from our Victorian Holidays Volume One collection available on CD.

Autumn Leaves and Harvest Moon: NEW STUFF!

Still more autumnal collage sheets!  I couldn't resist creating a design of falling Fall leaves.  There is also a pretty Victorian painting of little girls with a pile of autumn leaves, and a little bird.  And the Shine On Harvest Moon sheet music I shared the other day inspired a whole design of full moon faces and other harvest moon pictures.  These are both available at Lunagirl.com along with a whole collection of autumn-themed and autumn-related collage sheets and image collections.  All at a special new price of just $2.50 each.  Have fun, and enter the Autumn blog challenge!  Now I really must stop working and go cook supper!

Shine On, Harvest Moon

The Full Moon tonight is the HARVEST MOON.

Check out our "Celestial" collage sheet HERE (second row down).

The Harvest Moon is the moon closest to the Autumn Equinox (the first day of Fall, when the day and night are exactly the same length), which this year is on Sunday, September 22.  The next full moon, usually in October, is named the Hunter's Moon.

The Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon appear larger and brighter to some people, but they're really not. This time of year there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise of the full moon, so the night seems brighter than usual. This allowed farmers to stay out and work in their fields by moonlight under the Harvest Moon, and later, under the Hunter's Moon, allowed hunters to see the deer and other animals that came out to browse in the then-harvested fields.

Go out and dance under the big bright moon!

What is a BLUE MOON? When there are two full moons during one month, the second one is called the Blue Moon.

FAIRY MOON? When there are two NEW moons (dark moons, or "moonless" nights) during one month, the second is called a Fairy Moon.

The Moon in June

You may have heard that tonight's full moon is a "Supermoon."  That's a fairly new term for what astronomers call a perigee moon ~ the moon's "perigee" is the closest point to earth in the moon's orbit.  When the moon's perigee (closest point) coincides with a full moon, which it does about once a year, you get a full moon that can appear somewhat bigger and brighter than usual.

Did you know all the Full Moons (in each month of the year) have names in many cultures?  The full moon in June was the Strawberry Moon for Algonquin Native American groups and Ripe Berry Moon for the Dakotah, as it was a signal to look for ripening fruit.  The Cherokee called it the Green Corn Moon.  In Europe it was sometimes called the Full Rose Moon.  All of those are still appropriate here in Tennessee.

And why is June traditionally the month for weddings?  Because it is named for Juno, the Roman goddess of wives and marriage.  Happy full moon, from a June bride!

Full Moon in May: Flower Moon or Milk Moon

I love the moon, obviously I guess, and I like to include some moon lore now and then.  Did you know that the full moons of each month have names?  The full moon in May (which is tonight, by the way!) is sometimes called the Flower Moon. Obviously, many wildflowers are in full bloom this time of year, wherever you are. 

Another name for the May full moon -- Milk Moon -- has a less obvious origin. Cows, goats and other grazing animals can find good green pastures this time of year, to help them make plenty of milk for their babies born in the early spring. And in far northern countries without many crops until later in the summer, milk would be a major part of their diet this time of year. The Old English name for the month of May meant "the month in which cows can be milked three times a day"!

The current name comes from the Greek goddess Maia, a Greek goddess whom I always associate with the wildflowers that blanket the hills of Crete (and Tennessee).

Just FYI, May is Teacher Appreciation Month, Historic Preservation Month, and Eat Locally Month. So thank a teacher for all their hard work and dedication, enjoy some beautiful old buildings and learn about the past, and visit your local farmer's market (or better yet plant a vegetable garden!)  And don't forget to enjoy the May full moon this weekend if you can.

FULL MOON LORE

The full moon in August was known among some Native Americans as the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon. Some called it the Red Moon because the rising moon would sometimes appear red through the summer haze. Another common name was Sturgeon Moon, because this was a time when the Great Lakes were full of fish.

This year there will be a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible from much of Europe, Africa and western Asia ... over three-quarters of the full moon will be covered by the Earth's shadow during the eclipse ... spooky and cool if you're lucky enough to be able to see it! The full moon this month is on the 16th.

Moon Lore: Flower Moon in May

We've been enjoying the flowers in full bloom all around us lately - roses, peonies, iris, azaleas, even the little clover flowers.

It's no surprise that the full moon in May was called the Full Flower Moon! It will be on May 27.

Learn about the Victorian Language of Flowers and Fans in our feature article: http://www.summertownsun.com/FEATURE_victorian_language_of_flowers.htm

Blue Moon

A full moon on New Year's Eve! How wonderful. A traditional name for the full moon after Christmas was Wolf Moon, evoking images of wolves howling in a moonlit winter landscape. It was also known as the Old Moon or simply the Moon After Yule.

Tonight's full moon is also a "Blue Moon." A Blue Moon is when there is a second full moon in one month. The first one this month was December 2, and we get another one tonight! So if there's something you do just "once in a blue moon"... tonight's the night.

September 6: The Feast of Artemis

Artemis is known as the Greek goddess of the hunt and the new moon, daughter of Leto and sister of Apollo. She is most likely a very ancient Anatolian goddess, one of the ancient goddesses of the near east much older than the Greek civilization.

She was a virgin goddess ~ which meant she was unmarried, free, untamed, wild ~ whole unto herself. One of her titles was 'many-breasted' because she nurtured animals and humans, and she was the protector of women in childbirth. Although she is usually associated with the new crescent moon, in her more ancient guise she was not only Maiden but also Mother and Crone, associated with all phases of the moon.

Things sacred to Artemis include: animals, especially bears, wolves, deer, dogs, birds and all wild animals; young girls and unmarried women; silver, pearl and moonstone; forests, woodland sanctuaries; artemisia, moneyplant, cypress, cedar, laurel; unplowed fields, blank pages, potential and possibility

Strawberry/Rose Moon

Tonight's full moon is the Strawberry Moon! In Europe it was called the Rose Moon. Obviously, it's the time when strawberries are ripe and the wild roses bloom.

This is the month named in honor of Juno, the Roman Queen of Heaven, goddess of wives and marriage (thus making it a lucky month for weddings and June brides).




It's warm at night and the moon is bright ... perfect for midnight walks and moonlit dancing ... Once upon a time I lived near a large rose garden, and used to wander through it in the early morning hours, to enjoy the roses covered with dew. I've always found moonlight good for the soul.

(Thus the name: Lunagirl!)