“The Inconstant Moon”*
The most mesmerizing feature of the night sky is the moon, when it
first shows itself as a fine sliver for a few minutes after sunset, when it
lies on its side like a slice of lemon, in its breathtaking fullness on the
fourteenth day. We are treated to Blue Moons, Blood Moons, Harvest Moons, Super
Moons. Sometimes we see the old moon in the new moon’s arms. It has a mysterious dark side we never get to
see.
From the dawn of civilization, myths and folklore have grown
around the magical qualities of the moon. From the healing properties of
absorbing the rays of the full moon, to its ability to transform humans into
werewolves, the moon is both loved and feared.
The full moon affects nature from coral reproduction, flowers that only
bloom under the full moon, to affecting human emotions. The moon has inspired lovers,
poets, science fiction writers, filmmakers and artists.
Moon deities wielded great power in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome,
the Americas, India, Africa, China and Japan.
Japanese aristocrats would gather for Tsukimi or moon viewing, reciting
poetry under the full moon. In pre television days of Pakistan, when people sat
outdoors at night, the full moon inspired songs such as “Chaudhvin ka chaand
ho, yaa aafataab ho”, called people Chanda, or likened the beloved’s face to
the glow of the full moon.
The earliest calendar was lunar, found in the Lascaux caves (15,500
BC). As agricultural production developed, the solar calendar was created to
define seasons. The Gregorian solar calendar, established by Pope Gregory XIII
in 1582, heralded modernism – a world financially driven rather than
spiritually, and increasingly interdependent.
Europe adopted it from the 16-18C, spreading it to their colonies,
China, Russia, the Ottomans and Greece in the early 20C, and Saudi Arabia in
2016. Think tanks in Britain highlight the need to further fine tune it so that
public holidays fall on weekends allowing gross domestic product to
increase. Time is placed at the service
of Mammon.
Many countries maintain parallel traditional calendars – Muslim
countries, Israel, India, Japan, and China amongst others. If the solar
calendar introduces stability, predictability and rationality, the lunar
calendar accepts uncertainty, remains connected to nature and spirituality.
Time dwells asymmetrically in a flexible container.
Much has been written about the science of lunar activity and its
physical impact on humans, plants, animals and insects. Less information exists
on how it affects social behavior and cultural expression. The uncertainty of
the new moon appearing on the 29th or 30th of the month
means decisions and plans can be altered at the last minute, such as at the end
of Ramzan. Does this follow through in general reliability and time
keeping?
Asymmetry is an aesthetic principle in
Japanese compositions, transferred to European Impressionist painters and the
Bauhaus style. Asymmetry is also an
interesting feature of Arabic music rhythms in contrast to the predictable
rhythms of western music, influencing Spanish and North African music and jazz.
Indian classical music employs subtle forays
of musical notes or sur into komal (flat) and teevar (sharp ) variations.
Natural evolution prefers disordered,
asymmetrical patterns over symmetry and uniformity. As the world staggers under
the threat of climate change, we need to listen to nature rather than impose
upon it.
Science journalist Ferris Jabr reminds
us “From the beginning of life on this
planet, the moon profoundly shaped the rhythms of Earth and its collective life
forms. The moon, our silver sister, was always right here with us, awash in our
seas, pooling in our eyes, written into the planet’s very DNA.”
* Romeo
and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Durriya Kazi
December 2, 2019
Comments
Post a Comment