Let the Moon Inspire You and Your Life
By Jasmine Clark, Live Well Enhance You Contributing Writer
For all of human history, humans have been inspired by the moon, looking up to it as it beautifully shined light during the night. Then we eventually went beyond just looking at it and actually walked on it!
Moon Day is celebrated on July 20th because it’s the anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. So dive in and learn more about the importance of this day and how the symbolism of the moon relates to your life.
The moon landing story
The moon landing story is a shining example of how it’s possible to overcome challenges and do things that used to be impossible. We take it for granted because it happened in the past, but if you think about it, it’s incredible that there was a time when humans had never walked on the moon before and then we figured out how. How cool is that?
National Today has an excellent summary and timeline of the moon landing. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, it was an extremely powerful moment captured on live TV and watched by hundreds of millions. But that moment was the result of years of hard work that many people were involved in, including the African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose story was depicted in the movie Hidden Figures.
The moon landing represents human triumph and progress. So next time you feel like you’re struggling and you just can’t do something, remember, people achieved the impossible and walked on the moon. As the saying goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
The science of the moon
There’s no shortage of fascinating facts about the moon. Here are just a few:
It’s well known that the moon affects the tides because of its gravity. Check out these animations from NASA that show how the moon affects tides.
You always see the same side of the moon even though it’s rotating.
And of course, one of the most intriguing things about the moon is its phases. This is an example of how cycles and phases are naturally found in the universe; it’s completely natural for things to go through cycles and phases. This applies to your life, too. In fact, there are many more ways the moon can apply to your life…
Meanings of the moon
The moon has always been an important cultural influence. There’s the word Monday, which means “moon’s day” in multiple languages. Think about how many books, songs, movies, and artwork include “moon” or related words in the title. Also, the moon has a major influence on religion and spirituality.
For example, in the Baha’i faith, the moon symbolizes enlightenment and wisdom given to people by God. The moon shines a brilliant light, but the sun is the source of that light. Likewise, human beings have wisdom, but God is the source of it, meaning that as much wisdom humans have, our wisdom is limited and there’s something bigger than all of us.
Another Baha’i example is that the sun and moon are compared to the daily rituals of fasting and prayer, respectively. In this context, the moon is a reminder that daily rituals are helpful for everyone to strengthen their mind-body-spirit connection and increase mental and spiritual wellness. Is there any daily ritual you do that strengthens your mind-body-spirit connection?
In astrology, the moon represents deep, subconscious feelings and instincts. Just like the moon “reacts to” the sun’s light by reflecting it, your subconscious feelings affect the way you react to things that happen to you. In other words, the moon represents the raw, uncensored, unfiltered version of you – which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Cafe Astrology sums it up well: “For true happiness in life, it is wise to neither give your Moon too much nor too little importance in your life.”
Celebrating Moon Day reminds us that we’re all so small in this huge universe. The moon helps us gain inspiration and wisdom for our lives as well as hope for new scientific discoveries. In the future, humans will surely travel to the moon again – but the moon is still wonderful and powerful even just looking at it here on Earth.
Jasmine Clark is a freelance writer from North Carolina. She enjoys writing about topics such as stress relief and positive thinking. She likes to encourage others to find ways to calm down and relax. In her spare time, she loves to write fiction stories and watch TV and YouTube. You can find her on Instagram @cozysachi.