To the Moon and Back
Mother, Mary, Mission, Mantra
The moon bathes in the searing light of the sun. Or as Yeats put it “a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun” (The Second Coming, 1919). He imagined the deserts of Arabia, the patriarchal, judgmental sun from which sprang the Abrahamic religions.
The Moon reflects and deflects this gaze. She softens and mediates it, bestowing on us the cool, calm sweetness of night. The harmonic combination of sun and moon is the miracle of balance upon which all human life depends—call it the magic of the Goldilocks zone. The moon manifests the heartbeat of our mother earth. In human belief systems, she has a multitude of names and representations. Artemis is one. Mary is another.
The moon, Artemis, Mary and their ilk have been under prolonged assault in these last days of patriarchy, which is throwing tantrums that feel like delirium tremens—really the drunken hubris of malevolent leaders who misunderstand the world and think they are more powerful than the life force. and the laws of nature. These are not normal men, they are a perversion of maleness. It is delusion.
Saturday morning, Pope Leo, beloved around the world and especially in this city of Chicago, held a prayer vigil for Peace, invoking Mary and her Sacred Mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious). He reminded us of the power of mantra, the calming heartbeat of repetitive prayer, Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. I am not religious but I have never failed to say the Hail Mary upon takeoff. We are in times of trouble, and we want our Divine Mother to come and speak words of wisdom (let it be, let it be).
I adore Pope Leo. He wears fancy robes and in the feminist world of 1970, we sisters spent much ‘woke’ outrage on the way the patriarchy had coopted the ancient powers of women—from priestess to midwife and all the witching powers in between. True.
But that is no longer (if it ever was) a helpful way of seeing where we are now. I revere this man who has chosen not to be a “manly man” by the values of our stupidest leaders—the likes of Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump, and your personal favorite macho idiot in government (fill in the blank here) _____.
There are many wonderful manly men, the kind I want—and have!—in my life. And Pope Leo is one of them.
And let go resentment, you fallen away Catholics (some of my very best friends). I am a fallen away Universalist—if such a thing is possible. Religion has provoked wicked wars and horrific oppression throughout the world, for millenia. But, duh, it persists (in multiple forms) because it also offers truth, beauty, mystery, wonder, hope, comfort and consolation. It holds communities together. And in Rome lately, there is enlightenment. We are blessed to have a Pope who manifests love, preaches peace, and is not afraid to call out the wicked.
I am smitten with real men who eat quiche, actually love women, and fulfill their ancient, primal role as guardians and protectors, though the nuances of those roles have changed profoundly, along with technology. I see them as the protective dragons in the Dao de Jing, tenderly embracing our planet, seeing with clarity, acting with purpose, projecting compassionate power.
Now the faux macho men (with their Stepford wives) have drawn us deep into war fueled by ego, lust, hate, greed and paranoia—sprung from an unholy alliance between Israel and the US, nurtured over decades by unhinged Zionist propaganda, and fueled by the spirit of hate. This is surely that rough beast Yeats foresaw, which has slouched to Bethlehem for its misbegotten birth. It must be banished from our civilization.
Meanwhile, the four astronauts reentered earth’s atmosphere and splashed down on Friday night. I was moved far beyond my expectation. A small technical glitch delayed their exit from the capsule and I felt a surge of relief when they finally exited the craft. They are a splendid, soulful team of brilliant and loving human beings. Ditto their enormous support team.
The splashdown turned my kaleidoscope.
News anchors wanted to frame the landing in the vocabulary of conquest—America wins the “space race”. Once upon a time it was Russia, now it’s China. The commentator crowed as if this were a World Cup victory.
To the rescue came Dr. Mae Jemison, former astronaut and wise woman. Patiently, diplomatically, she rebutted that narrative framing and widened the picture to focus on the larger humanistic triumph in all its dimensions, invoking the long-term cooperation that effected this technological triumph; and the contributions from people and nations all over the world. She invoked the chain of scientists and mathematicians upon whose work the space program depends. And the transformative revelations that come from seeing and contemplating earth from space—the realization that we are all one on our fragile beautiful planet. That we must work together to love and sustain this planet.
Dr. Jemison also quoted Christina Koch, the only woman on Artemis, who had shared her newfound appreciation for the meaning of crew: “A crew is a group that is in it all the time, no matter what, that is stroking together every minute with the same purpose, that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other, that gives grace, that holds accountable […] a crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked….” She saw Earth as a ‘lifeboat’ hanging in a universe of blackness. “Planet Earth, you are a crew.”
The chest-thumping commentators shifted uncomfortably as Dr. Jemison schooled them, until former astronaut and Florida senator Bill Nelson pivoted to humanism.
It should be obvious that if we carry into space all the unresolved nationalistic insanity here on earth, then we are in serious trouble. And if we see the moon as simply another piece of real estate up for grabs—to dominate, colonize and exploit for further imperialist adventures in space, we are seeding our doom in new dimensions.
Commentators made much of the new reality that this effort is no longer strictly governmental—that it is only happening thanks to partnership with private enterprise. Think of the players and their agendas. Elon Musk? Jeff Bezos? Who do you suppose they’re looking out for?
No, just plain NO to that.
I don’t know how to stop this madness any more than I know how to stop the war in Iran. At root, they share delusions of conquest and colony. Of personal ownership. Of the idea that everything can be quantified, monetized and reduced to transaction. Of one-up, one-down. Of winners and losers. Win space? No, this idea is not sustainable. And yet it still dominates. What can we do to stop it, beyond defending our democracy? Maybe we need Jihad. In its primary meaning.
/jĭ-häd′/ 1. An individual’s striving for spiritual self-perfection.
We need the warrior women and the warrior men. We need the earth mothers and the men who are fixers and soothers, the guys who bring their inner protective dragon to the spiritual battle. We need the Divine Mother. We all do.
At least we can mobilize the energetic power of mantra. Dona Nobis Pacem. Om, Shanti, shanti, shanti. Let it Be.
The Beatles’ hit single, Let It Be (composed by Paul McCartney) was first recorded in 1969, months before Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
LET IT BE
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, let it be,Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be,Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be, yeah
Let it be, let it be,Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be
Reading this in the darkness before the dawn felt like going to church, complete with special music. Thank you 💕🙏🏽😽
Henrietta, thank you so much for sharing your insight and beautiful light!