September 4, 2023

person pointing at moon

Moon Memories

By: Morgan O'Neil
@astraea_moonbeam

When we look up and see the full moon shining it's light on all of us, we know we are all here together on this Earth cosmically connected through space and time. Seeing the light and knowing it is the same for everyone.

These are some of our favorite memories.

Let us know one of yours.

White Nature Backs Logo
Moon
Photo of Desert Shrubs

ARIZONA MOONRISE

I had been on the road for almost three months. Traveling from Arkansas through Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and back to Arkansas.

I saw a moonrise in Arizona I'll never forget.

I left the Eastern Sierras that morning right after dawn and drove through a thunderstorm in the Mojave Desert. I had been driving for hours taking little breaks as I needed and looking ahead to where I would camp that night somewhere outside of Phoenix.

A couple of hours before sunset, I found a spot on some public lands for free camping. There was no one around.

I could see rocky hills with cactus surrounding me in every direction. The sun was setting to the west and I knew the moon would be rising in the east about the same time. I set up my air mattress outside and laid down to watch the sky change from light to dark. The clouds shift in colors of white to pink to purple to dark grey. Everything changing in the moments of twilight to reveal the light of the moon in the distance.

I heard the sound of donkeys braying somewhere around me although I could never find them with all my wandering around camp.

As the last light of the sunset slipped beyond the horizon, the full moon rose up behind the hills next to me. Bright with energy, I could see everything around me without a light.

Laying there beneath the moon gave me such a feeling of peace and belonging. I knew my friends and family were under the same moon. I knew that we were all feeling it's shine.

Find yourself beneath the light of the moon and known that we are all sharing the moment together on this earth. Step outside, see the moon, and feel the connection to all.

Much love and all the light,

Morgan

Photo of desert shrubs
Sun in the sky
Leafless tree in desert

Community Moon adventures

Moon on Mountain line - Big Bend
Big Bend National Park

"I remember experiencing the beautiful transition of a sunset to a moon rise! I could remember the colors pink, purple, and red glowing over the horizon as the moon rose over the mountain. I could remember how Mother Nature reminded me why I fell in love with nature in the first place! This is the kind of view that keeps you in awe."

@adventurer_aaron

Sun & Mountains - Smokey Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains

It was something that’s hard to explain because words won’t be able to express the feeling. Laying with the moon and watching it move through the night gave me a sense of calmness through the cold and wind. As if I was in a trance and it was just the moon and I in our own universe."

@angelatran23

Bright Moon - Michigan
Michigan

"Taking the time to see the full moon with your own eyes is something else. You can feel the energy at the full moon and the calm that comes in the days afterwards."

@the_patalive

Cactus - Big Bend
Texas

"I remember it was the first sunset during the Big Bend trip. I remember I was trying to get different angles on how to capture the moon than just a straight forward shot. It was crazy how it was still light out but you could see the moon rising bright."

@story_of_ari

Beautiful Lightning Storm - Idaho
Idaho

I once saw the moon in a lightning storm! I love when the sky puts on a magical show. Just another way to connect with nature."

@merrill.writes

Kayaker on Lake Wedington
Lake Wedington, ARkansas

"I always find myself grateful coming to this spot and watching the colors come and go as the day evolves into night. This is only 15 minutes away from our house and despite seeing the moon in many epic locations, this one will always move me. An easy reminder to look for and discover the beauty that is always around you."

@bo.thom

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