December 21, 2010 - Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse
Did you know that the full moon in December is known as the Cold Moon? It's also known as the Long Night Moon, Oak Moon, Frost Moon and Moon Before Yule. 
I've been obsessed with the moon since I was a tiny little girl. It began as a fearful obsession. My father unwittingly caused me to be afraid of the moon by pointing out the "man in the moon," and my imagination took over from there. I had a recurring nightmare starring the man in the moon from which I awoke with a start when his disembodied voice began to talk to me from the sky in a disapproving tone and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.
By the time I was school aged, I had worked through my fears and and instead of feeling terror at the moon, I reveled in its beauty in all its phases. (Although I still occasionally have those dreams where a disembodied voice from the sky talks to me in a disapproving tone.)
I can still clearly remember the first time I witnessed a lunar eclipse. It was Saturday, the night before Easter, April 13, 1968. I was on vacation in Florida and the evening was warm. To my 11 year old mind, the totally eclipsed moon resembled a perfectly toasted marshmallow. And another special lunar eclipse that I remember was the night of my senior prom, May 25, 1975. 
I can well understand that a lunar eclipse struck fear in the hearts of people ages ago who didn't understand the workings of the solar system. I find it interesting that we are still awestruck by this phenomenon although we know it's only a matter of shadows. And I, for one, will continue to be forever fascinated by the night sky and the mystery that is our universe.
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