Coleridge invites us to listen and to think, and think again, about the music of quiet, and the words we use to describe it. Peaceful. Calm. Still. Hush. Dim. Secret. That word “secret” in the very first line of the poem would have suggested quiet to Coleridge’s first readers, since “secret” carried the sense, no longer current, of reticence, of quiet and closeness (keeping something close, keeping it secret). A secret is unsounded. Silent. The frost “performs a secret ministry”. We do not hear the icy patterns forming on the windowpane. Nor do we hear the poem’s first rhyme, between “ministry” and “cry”, it is an eye rhyme, silent.

J une’s full moon is the Mead Moon or Horse Moon, a time of celebration and abundance. The newlywed couple was believed to drink mead for one full moon cycle to promote health, prosperity, and fertility.

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One of our favorite Celtic full moon names is Flower Moon, which is May’s full moon. It is a time to tend to your own life and ensure that the seeds you’ve planted continue to grow. The April full moon is the Growing Moon or Pink Moon, representing the growth of love and the harvest season.

In a lecture about Ted Hughes given at Oxford University in November 2020, and available online, Oswald describes the white space at the end of a line as a listening space: “A good poem gives up its knowingness at the end of each line, inhales, listens and then starts again.” The end of a line is figured as a moment of breathing, and of listening; the poem itself is listening, listening out, into the silence, into the whiteness of space; listening out for what will happen next. The ancient Celts lived by and worshipped the moon. While modern, digital life is often at odds with nature – rubbing against it rather than working in harmony with it – is there something to be said for embracing this ancient way of being and reconnecting to the moon’s natural calendar?* Each chapter title is a traditional Celtic full moon name like the Quiet Moon for January and the Harvest Moon for October. The author delves deep into the etymological origins of the lunar months introducing the reader to the Coligny calendar- the oldest lunisolar calendar made in Roman Gaul perhaps in the second century CE. Physically, the Coligny is a fragmented bronze plaque written in Latin inscriptional capitals and numerals, but the terms are in the Gaulish language. There are twelve lunar months and an intercalary month is inserted before every 2.5 years- titled the Blue Moon in this book’s epilogue. In January, the full moon is known as the Quiet Moon, Wolf Moon, or Cold Moon, depending on the Celtic tribe.The stars were particularly important to the Celts during their travels as they were used to navigate during the night. This is more than a gentle meander around the Dorset countryside though. Parr uses nature as a crutch to get him through the tough moments in his life. The book is split into twelve chapters each with a title of a moon, with wonderful names such as The Moon of Ice, The Moon of Dispute, The Bright Moon and it begins with the Quiet Moon.

The December full moon is known as the Cold Moon, Singing Moon or Wolf Moon by ancient Celts. It is a time to celebrate Yule or the Winter Solstice and the return of longer days. Spend time with family and friends and celebrate the beginning of winter. It is a strange coincidence that I finished reading Kevin Parr’s The Quiet Moon on a New Moon. It made me think of several conversations in recent weeks about the calendar year, alternative calendars, and the concept of time. Austin Kleon wrote about the difference between experiencing time as linear vs. circular. How almanacs and lunar cycles observe the passage of time as the birth and rebirth of seasons, crops, and life itself. Humankind has needed a linear time structure to record and plan events. It is how the world runs. But simultaneously, the pandemic showed us that experience of time is subjective. It waxes and wanes just like the moon despite what the calendar says. I love how Parr describes ‘time’ in the prologue of this book: Parr doesn’t shy away from personal narratives in the book. Some of them are very honest and give the book an alloy-like strength. His struggles with mental health and anecdotes from his younger years actually elevate the core sense of this book- the way of being- life being a vast sum of cycles and seasons. The cycles of the moon have been followed by people for centuries. Monthly moons helped guide planting seasons, celebrations and religious observances. Full moon names were common among ancient peoples all over the world. Here is a list of common full moon names used by the Ancient Celtic people in Europe. On Thursday 13th April we are happy to host an in-store event with author Kevin Parr, who will present his latest book THE QUIET MOON: Pathways to an Ancient Way of Being.The full moon names were associated with specific natural events, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs prevalent during different months of the year. From the Quiet Moon reflecting rest and reflection to the Grain Moon signifying feasts and festivals, these names provide insights into the Celts’ seasonal activities, rituals, and societal values. The moon names served as both symbolic expressions and practical guides for the Celts’ daily lives and communal interactions. The August full moon was known to the ancient Celts as the Grain Moon or the Dispute Moon. August was the time of the first harvest of the year, the Celtic and to celebrate the occasion with feasts and festivals. It was also a time to resolve disputes between neighbors. This tradition of summertime legalese continued well into the 19th Century in different parts of Britain, where August 1st (aka Lughnasadh & Lammas) was a traditional time to collect rent and pay workers. Today the August Full Moon is a time to celebrate all your work and progress during the year, knowing that you are also prepared for the months ahead. The Celtic people not only observed the cycles of the moon but also used them for navigation and timekeeping. They were skilled astronomers and mapped the stars to create constellations and understand the movement of the planets.