Bowing to the Moon

After journaling this morning and with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I started reading a passage from this book on Scottish folk belief.

I’m about midway through it and have learned so much!

The stories of the great ancestors Bodach and Cailleach (and how they are currently represented by large stones outside of a house in a valley, that people still tend and that you can hike to!); the differing beliefs by area of house sprites, who require milk or cream sacrifices be left for them in very specific places; and now, this morning, about the moon.

One of my most favorite topics.

Beautiful fall in Vermont.

The author wrote about how, in different parts of Scotland, folks used to literally bow to the new moon. And not any little nod of the head either- more like a courtier doffing his hat and bowing deeply to a king.

A real, deep, reverent bow.

Often, the bow-er (one who bows?) gathered something from the ground as she did it. A bit of grass, a twig, a pebble- and offered it to the moon as a way of saying thank you for returning and beginning the cycle anew.

Do you also feel this deeply in your bones and your soul?

Yeah, me too.

Maya exploring the trails behind our Airbnb.

The last two years that we lived in Charlotte, Ryan and I would take Maya out for walks around our very developed and tree-less townhome neighborhood. Every single time that the moon appeared, I’d gasp- and often I’d go out later in the evening just to chase her down, to get another glimpse.

Sometimes I’d involuntarily put my hand on my heart, but I never bowed. What would the neighbors think?

Here in New England, where so much of our time has been spent outside in nature (and the nature is NEXT LEVEL, friends) I’m starting to feel more and more that a bow to the moon is completely warranted. We drive to and then spend hours hiking in technicolor trees that stretch up to the blue sky and I can’t stop myself from standing in awe.

Why would I want to?

So I’m taking these feelings and learnings about myself, that my body is meant to be out here- in nature, in reverence- and I’m curious about how it will translate to our next great experiment: trying out Chattanooga as a potential home base.

In the past, I would’ve focused on the “how” of it all. We can easily get to hikes, we can join these groups that do trail maintenance, we can take a few months every year and get away.

And I’m doing that now too, to be honest- because I’m really excited to see what Chattanooga has in store for us.

But I also want to be here, where I am right now. Soak up this stunning New England fall, stand in reverence and amazement and if I get brave enough, to doff my hiking hat and bow.