The Hunger Moon

Summary

Erika Burkhalter presents a poetic and photographic tribute to the February full moon, known as the "Hunger Moon," reflecting on its significance in nature and human contemplation.

Abstract

The web content showcases a personal exploration of the February full moon, traditionally called the "Hunger Moon" by Native American cultures due to the scarcity of food during this month. Erika Burkhalter captures the moon's beauty in a photograph and accompanying poem, which delve into the themes of nature's pause, the impending arrival of spring, and the ephemeral nature of existence. The poem personifies the moon as an entity that witnesses the cycle of life and death, as symbolized by an owl's hunt. Burkhalter also shares her recent fascination with the moon's energy and proximity to Earth, inviting readers to contemplate the deeper connections between the celestial body and the Earth's seasonal rhythms. An embedded SoundCloud track complements the poem, offering an auditory experience of the Hunger Moon's atmosphere.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep connection with the moon, describing it as luminous and energetic, suggesting a sense of wonder and enchantment.
The poem conveys a reverence for nature's cycles, particularly the transition from winter to spring, as a time of renewal and reflection.
Burkhalter implies that the moon's phases and its proximity to Earth hold significant spiritual or existential meaning, which can inspire introspection about the nature of time and life.
The use of various names for the February full moon, such as "Ice Moon," "Snow Moon," and "Cleansing Moon," indicates an appreciation for cultural traditions and the diversity of interpretations surrounding celestial events.
By sharing her personal "moon quest," the author invites readers to engage with the natural world and to find their own moments of contemplation and connection.

A February full moon poem

A slip of song, a breath of ice, an echo of an owl’s discourse on the full moon rising.

A silvered pine, spattered stardust against an inky sky — I wonder who the owl calls for on this Snow Moon Night.

Beneath the wind-dried skin of winter, something skitters, thinks it’s safe.

But those talons, sharp, they prick the flesh, a delicate kill of a momentary nature.

The owl, she eats tonight, under the watchful eye of the Hunger Moon.

One less soul goes hungry.

And I am left to ponder the vacuous nature of spirit, bone, and time.

I’ve been on a bit of a moon quest of late. She’s seemed so luminous this month and has quite ensnared me in her energy. What I did not realize until last night was that February is when she is the very closest to Earth during the entire year.

Last month was the “Wolf Moon.” But this month’s full moon is known in Native American traditions as the “Hunger Moon,” because it was, traditionally, the time when food was the scarcest.

Other names for February’s full moon are the “Ice Moon,” the “Snow Moon,” and the “Cleansing Moon.”

Taking a few moments to notice her allows us to contemplate the pause in nature — the time when deep darkness and cold begin to shift and give way to the barest breath of spring. There is a stirring beneath the surface of the earth. You can almost hear the sap beginning to flow and the impending burst of leaf. It is a season to surrender to the Great Mother and to realize how ephemeral, really, are the very notions of spirit, bone and the passage of time itself.

Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).

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Poetry

The Hunger Moon

A February full moon poem

The Wolf Moon

A Goddess poem