Moon Maiden

Sun sets, and the planets shine and then the moon comes over the edge of the corn...

There is a bit of exquisite pleasure in sleeping in a moonbeam. I have always loved the moon, although, spending many of my formitive years in the Connecticut woods made my relationship with the moon one of hide and seek. But I feel a little more "me" when in the rays of the moon. Here, in the windswept farmlands, the moon is much easier to find. In fact, she follows me down from the barn at night, giving me a moon shadow, then waits outside my bedroom window to show her stuff when I get out of the tub. There is a different smell in the air on bright moonlit nights, kind of an ozoney smell. And falling asleep is so comfortingly easy. This affinity for the moon may be tied into my horoscope sign. I am a cancer, and I as I've heard it said, cancer's are moon maidens. The lore also says moody and sensitive too. I'm not so sure about moody. My sister, Aunt E. would probably be able to illuminate the connection further. She knows all sort of cool stuff, like how to read tarot cards, and how to press on part of my foot and make my uterus hurt. Badly. ( If you don't believe you can feel individual organs screaming for mercy, don't put your foot in my sister's lap.) The closest I've come to much astrological knowledge was during college I regularly consulted Linda Goodman's 1968 classic Sun Signs and her follow up Love Signs published a decade later when deciding on worthwhile dates. I disregarded most of her advice anyway as I don't find myself to be the crabby, modest, weepy, reticent or clutching Cancerian she describes, although, to be fair I do have a hard time letting go of mementos and I do like food, so maybe she's not off base completely. Still, Cancer is said to be ruled by the moon, and even if I'm not sure what she means by "ruled", I'm pretty sure the moon and I do have something special.