Many of you may have noticed the full moon on Wednesday night. Some may have watched as their kids behaved more wild than usual or your pets barked up a storm because a presence was in the sky.

I have not always been interested in the phases of the moon, but during my brief time living in Savannah, I learned a lot about myths, ghosts and going beyond the grave.

One of the things I remember hearing about was a “full moon ritual.” As many of you know, science and religion don’t mix and so it didn’t really make sense for me to wish on a full moon, but I thought the activity itself sounded exciting.

You take a piece of notebook paper and write a letter to the Universe, you tell it thank you for all you’ve given me, here are my wishes please honor what you see fit, and then you write down whatever you want.

After you’ve finished writing your letter, you go outside and get a clear vision of the moon and you pray a little prayer.

“I see the moon and the moon see me, God bless the moon and God bless me.”

You then lite your paper on fire and the ashes scatter into the Universe, and it is supposed to send you back what you need.

I know it sounds crazy, but it’s just something I enjoyed learning about. It’s not a regular tradition. I participated in it a few times while I lived there and once after I left, but my parents believed it was witchcraft, so I decided I better stop that.

However, I did want to share a poem I wrote about this sacred tradition that I wrote in my poetry class with you all. 

“It’s 11 p.m. in Bronxburg,

And more important it’s a full moon

MT invited over the girls for ritual

Ashley is lying in the grass, with her dog, Moon

Trying to think of wishes

Madison is sitting alone on the dock wondering

If she even believes, while Hannah drinks Black Box

Wishing she could take off her wedding ring

MT is already throwing hers into the marsh, to her

This is no game her wish list has been growing for days

Madison finally agrees and wishes for…

Nathan to come home of all things

Ashley has finished her list and moved to the dock

She wants to pass class and stop drinking glass after glass

Poor Hannah still fiddles with her ring

She makes her wish very clear:

That her fiancé would want to cancel the whole thing

I walk over to join MT to throw mine in, and we say our prayer:

“I see the moon and the moon sees me, God bless the moon

and God bless me.”

What did I wish for you ask

I already have everything I never asked for surrounding me here tonight

I asked for things to never change.”