talking to the moon

image credit... earthsky.org

i feel as if i have just finished a really long novel such as "war and peace", "the stand", or "illness as metaphor". i guess i could just as easily say i feel spent. this past week has been a whirlwind of activity and emotion. i have watched breakdowns, several crises, a firing of a co-worker, the amazingly heart-breaking quality of an addicted person utterly lying unabashedly with complete disregard for my disbelief, an increased level of social activity, 

perhaps it is my ancient cellular memory, but i attribute the recent spike in mayhem to that big planet we call "the moon". and this solstice finds it nearing us even more and i believe that action demands a reaction. 

i really don't mind any of this. as a matter of fact, it instills a sense of reassurance that the universe is bigger than my life and that whatever spiritual program i ascribe to, i better lean on it a little more right now. and so i do. 

despite the recent fireworks, there is quite a bit of hope and excitement in my life. changes keep rolling into my life just as the tides do- also, btw, very influenced by the moon i am told. the solstice signals change to the extreme. the days begin to shorten. the temps begin to climb. most crops begin to bear fruit. and the planet positions seem to shift as the axis of the earth dances with the sun.

my work in all this moon and solstice madness is to remember that today and its emotion and its mood are only notes and stanzas not the entire symphony. i get so caught up in the swell of it all that i forget what has gone and what's to come. so i am gonna try this weekend to really remember what a gift it all is really. the craggy parts as well as the smooth ones. and i hope i get the chance to imagine flicking the supermoon with my fingers as the skullcrushers might. 

and here's the cooking fun this weekend... 

© John Kernick

Ginger, Green Apple, Sweet Onion and Coconut Salad

1. 2 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)—quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
2. 1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3. One 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8-by-2-inch matchsticks
4. 1/2 cup finely grated peeled fresh coconut
5. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6. 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
8. Lemon Verbena Oil

1. Toss the apples with the onion, ginger, coconut, lemon juice and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons of Lemon Verbena Oil and toss; serve.

NOTES To grate your own coconut, start by preheating the oven to 350°. Twist a screwdriver into 2 of the eyes (small indentations) at one end of the coconut, and drain the liquid inside. Bake the coconut for 20 minutes to help the flesh pull away from the sides. Wrap the coconut in a towel, place it on a hard surface and crack it open with a hammer. Pull apart the pieces, and use the screwdriver to snap the white flesh away from the shell. Peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler, then grate the flesh on a box grater.