Moon+Reflections

=PERCEPTION.=

The two dates I chose are the 18th of November: DAY and DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 18 TIME: 17:47 POSITION / PLACE: Beach road. CONDITIONS: • Temperature: Slight chill when not moving. • Air: At times chilly breeze, otherwise clear. • Light: Sun setting, light on horizon.

MOON OBSERVATIONS: • Shape: Extremely thin crescent. • Colour: Bright White. • Size: one twelfth of its actual size.

DAY and DATE: 4/12/09 TIME: 22:23 POSITION / PLACE: Park benches near the mosque. CONDITIONS: Temperature: slightly humid. Air: Calm breeze, partially cloudy. Light: Moderate light pollution.

MOON OBSERVATIONS Shape: Appears full Colour: Bright timeline Light: Slight light pollution Extra: Extremely bright moon shadow

These observations gave me a chance actually accurately observe the moon. This is something that many people take for granted. Most of us see the moon almost every night yet we never actually look at it. throughout the duration of the assignment I have learned that to observe the moon every night is something that should not be taken lightly. In ancient times it was something that was possible because most people did not have business of everyday life which we experience today. It is an arduous process. I learnt that when the moon can be considered "young" it rises in the same direction that the sun sets. This is strange because it seems logical that if the sun rises in the east and sets in west, the moon would come up in the east and then set in the west too. During the first observation the moon was actually only visible while the sun was setting.

An important thing that I have realized about the natural world around me is that without actually looking we never actually see much. What I mean is that from day to day we continue with the mundane sequence of events we call living, and all the while never actually think about what is happening in the world right in front of us. We see but are blind. The natural world is not easily comprehended. Even something as simple as viewing the moon each night, can be complicated because life, in a modern sense, is hectic. Another interesting thing which occurred to me as a I was choosing which observations to use, is that when I observed the moon while it was really low in the sky it seemed a lot bigger than when I viewed it while it was further from the horizon. Is that physically possible that the moon could lessen is such a visible way in such a short amount of time?

Historically the moon has been a symbol of the womans menstrual cycle. throughout ancient history there have been many lunar deities. The moon god has been called Thoth for the Egyptians, Selene and Phoebe and Artemis for the Greeks, Luna and Diana for the Romans. Many words such as "looney", "lunatic" and "lunacy" are derived from the word luna because it was believed that the moon was a source of unnatural behavior. It has also been associated with Witch Trials. In Salem, Massachusetts, those who were seen paying to much attention to the moon were put on trial for the witchcraft. To test for witches the authorities would tie rocks to the person and throw them into the river. If they floated they were innocent, if they sunk it meant they were a witch.

Ways I perceive the moon:

Shape, texture, brightness, shadow, contrast, halo, reflection on clouds, position, opaqueness, shifts in position, distinctive features.

Noble, lonely, silent, clear, imperfect, vigilant, foreboding.

Ways the moon was perceived in the past:

Feasting, association of tides of river, crops, werewolves and vampires in europe, evil, Gods - Egyptians,Greeks..., crazy, lunatic,

=Emotion.=

By Nic Harris.

I sit and look, I see the lingering ghost of the night.

She is still but seems to wander, always seeking, day after day after day what can never be found.

She is lonely but never alone, always vigilant, forever destined to look and never find, what is never to be found.

She is noble yet imperfect, scarred and marked, left incomplete by some unknown. Empty and absolute.

By William Shakespeare


 * =“O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.”= ||

These are just two emotional response towards the moon. One is a poem I wrote myself and the other is a quote from a sonnet of Shakespeare's. People form emotional responses towards the moon based mainly on what they perceive about it. As with Shakespeare, "the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb", this emotional response is based solely upon the fact that he has witness or understands that the moon takes one month to complete a cycle and is therefore ultimately always changing, or inconsistent. Im my poem I describe the moon as lonely but never alone. This is use to indicate that because even though the moon is not alone in the sky, i.e stars, because it is the dominant feature it appears to be so. I based this off of my perception that the luminosity of the moon is much greater than that of the stars. In this way the moon definitely creates an opportunity for response. We see something which at the same is constant while being very distinct. The moon is there almost every day and yet within the night sky is the dominant feature. Because of this in a way creates responses to itself, by being a prevalent perception, something that provokes constant thought.

The purpose of these responses is exactly as the name suggests, they are expressions of feelings or emotions which the writer has towards the moon. As to whether emotional responses are valid and trustworthy is directly related to each persons opinion. Due to the fact that emotional responses are completely subjective their interpretation varies form reader to reader. Considering this, it is important to understand that some people may be able to justify certain conclusions based upon their interpretation of certain elements of the work. While others may not reach the same conclusions within the same text, each and every opinion is valid because an emotional response is exactly that, emotional.

=Reason=

1. The moon is made out of cheese. Belief due to the fact the moon has craters in it, which from a distance appear as if they are the hole within a piece of cheese. At times the moon also appears yellow adding to this opinion. 2. Due to the cycle of the moon it has been associated with life and death. Some ancient Greek sects believed that the moon was the home of the dead. 3.

If we take into account the time period, the technology the people had, we see that often beliefs can seem valid. The idea that the moon is made out of cheese seems absurd today because we have reason and evidence that is otherwise. In ancient times, even hundreds of years ago, it is easy to understand why it was thought that the moon was made out of cheese. It had holes on it, the same holes that were found in cheese, and it at times was yellow. If there was no other information to consider then, yes, the moon is cheese, it looks like cheese so why should it not be.

In a modern sense none of these explanation are valid because we now have methods for determining the composition of the moon. But if were look at these reasons in a purely historical sense, shut out all modern conceptions, then they would seem valid because they are based off of perceptions made by more that one person, usually a whole civilization as a matter of fact.