Sheer Lunacy

Sheer Lunacy

As the second most prominent astronomical feature in the sky – the sun being the first – the moon has attracted a lot of attention for human kind. It has been important in folklore, astronomy, and astrology. It has been seen as a Goddess, a bringer of romance and insanity as well as having some effect on the tides. Do you know your lunar lingo?

Blue moon: a) when the full moon lasts an extra day b) the third full moon in a season with four full moons c) when a really cold prankster bares their behind at you d) when the moon makes you sad.

Cislunar: a) lying between the Earth and the Moon b) the co-moon that was destroyed 2 billion years ago by a giant asteroid c) the bubbling effect that the moon has on the outgoing tide d) lying outside the orbit of the moon.

Esbat: a) a species of bat that will not fly if the moon is not visible in the sky b) a monk who worships the moon c) an ancient Egyptian Goddess associated with the moon d) a neopagan celebration held on he full moon of every month

Gibbous: a) convexly rounded b) seen with more than half, but not all of a disc revealed c) having a hump d) all of the above. e) none of the above.

Harvest moon: a) in Native American folklore the full moon after the Mead Moon, but before the Snow Moon b) a night long celebration of feasting on the first full moon after the final summer harvest c) full moon nearest the autumnal equinox d) a popular film by Bruce Springsteen

Hunter’s moon: a) the full moon when Neolithic tribesmen stole their brides b) the full moon after the harvest moon. c) the full moon before the Harvest Moon, d) the celebration of a young hunter’s first kill, held on the full moon nearest to the first successful hunt.

Lunacy: a) insanity or extreme folly b) a Looney-Tunes convention held once every four years, c) the original name of the Lindy-Hop d) fear of the dark on moonless nights.

Lunatic Fringe: a) the long fringe worn by flappers in the 1920s b) members of a movement espousing extreme, eccentric or fanatical views c) the group of artists and writers that come before the avant garde d) nudists

Moonlighting: a) showing your bare bottom to an unsuspecting victim. b) working as a private investigator c) to date two people at the same time without either of them knowing about the other d) to hold a second job

Moonshine: a) the light of the moon b) intoxicating brew generally distilled illegally or at home c) empty talk d) all of the above.

Moon-struck: a) same as awestruck or dumbstruck b) being so taken with the beauty of the moon that one is speechless c) a rare phenomena when someone comes out of extended darkness and is temporarily blinded by moon light d) romantic sentimentality to the point of being mentally unbalanced.

Dark Moon: a) the period in the lunar cycle when the moon is in conjunction with the sun and is not visible to the naked eye b) an anti-moon that cannot be seen from Earth but that does effect the tides c) the part of the moon that cannot be seen on Earth. d) the moon that draws vampires out into the night.

Selenium: a) a Greek Goddess b) a non-metallic chemical that varies in electrical conductivity based on the intensity of its illumination. c) a rock that glows in moonlight d) a mineral taken to cure night blindness.

Sanguine Moon: a) the full moon seen in summers in the Northern reaches b) name for eggs pickled in sangria c) another name for the Hunter’s moon d) the full moon reflected in salt water

Waning: a) to grow gradually smaller b) to grow gradually bigger c) to flicker like the moon on a stormy night d) the sound that dogs, wolves and coyotes make when they howl at the moon

Waxing: a) to decrease in size, like a melting candle b) swaying side to side, like dancers in the ancient moon cults of Mesopotamia c) to increase in size, volume or duration. d) to behave in a dramatic fashion