A night of romance under a blue moon

Carolinians have been looking forward to the rising of a blue moon, a rare event that happens only about every two and a half years, in calendar months exceeding 29.5 days.

This Friday, after sundown, nature will be making such an unusual “blue moon” showing that we can welcome as a rare heavenly sponsored (and controversial) celebrity show when the moon rises out of the east beyond wild cypress stands.

Some folks have been taught “once in a blue moon” relates to the moon seen through the hazy volcanic or smoke of forest fires. However, others explain the phrase as tied to time and an uncommonly seen phenomena.

Early Catholicism went so far as to insist any extra full moon within a month brought a warning of disaster. If such an event occurred within the month of Easter or Lent, it was labeled as an evil or a “betrayer moon” that warned that anything planted beneath its light would be doomed to failure.

Man has never quite fully agreed on the measuring of time, his most valued and wasted commodity. But it continues on its independent way despite the best efforts of kings and pontiffs, sorcerers and scholarly ponderings. Today, authorities relating to a blue moon are speaking in terms of the second full moon in a calendar month. Friday’s mid-summer blue moon illuminating the heavens is nature’s invitation to enjoy a special night of romance.

This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "A night of romance under a blue moon."