Courtship with the Moon Incarnate
I am human because I dream. I dream because I am human.
I was on a family vacation with my mom, dad, and sister in some beautiful, tropical place. As soon as we arrived, I broke off from them and started exploring. It was a small island with a private beach club. There were mansions and sprawling resorts, and as I was taking it all in, I ran into a woman that I knew.
She was like a river nymph or a siren; I was drawn to her, and her presence felt other-worldly. She shape-shifted. At first she was a stranger I'd seen during the day. Then she was a woman I'd met years ago on a trip abroad. She appeared as seemingly random women from my memory, yet she embodied all the most powerful feminine energies I've ever encountered. It was as if she was the Moon incarnate.
She was as accomplished as the girl who taught me I could be clingy — an elite athlete with an intimidating intellect. She made me feel nostalgic, like the girl who was older than me and out of my league. She was as mysterious as the girl who ghosted me and as alluring as all the girls I never dated. I started playing a game with her, like I did in kindergarten with my first crush. I was going to run to the other side of the island while she chased me, and maybe she'd give me a kiss on the cheek if she caught me.
This woman was all the women that have ever made me feel something profound. We launched into an exhilarating chase through this beautiful place, energized by the whole game of courtship.
She chased me across a lagoon, through a hotel or two, around crowded swimming pools, and under giant palm trees. I cut through the men's locker room and gained some ground. At the next pool deck, I noticed I was no longer wearing my flip flops, and I stopped to wonder where I'd left them. As I stood there, my mom and sister walked out onto the pool deck, and just behind them was the shape-shifting woman, the Moon incarnate. When I saw her then, she was Taylor, my girlfriend.
I stopped running, and I walked over to embrace the three most important women in my life.
I woke up more energized than I've felt in weeks. I smiled and reveled in the feeling of this dream — such comfort and belonging!
It's rare for a dream to have such clear parallels with the events of the day. Just before going to sleep, I'd been talking to Taylor about how much I am drawn to feminine energy. I confessed that being in the arms of a woman feels like laying in the lap of God. That's exactly what this dream felt like. It was like my mind was giving itself a gift; after reflecting on the power of feminine energy, I spent a REM cycle dancing with a goddess.
I say that the shape-shifting woman is the Moon incarnate because the Moon is the archetype of feminine energy — both in my mind and in many myths. The moon is watchful, mysterious, caring, and cunning. You may know her as Artemis, Diana, or Selene. The Moon cradles the Earth in her gravity, twirls in the sky through her many phases, and kisses those sitting on the shore by bringing the tide up to meet their toes.
Most dream-content is incoherent, untethered from any grand meaning. But every part of this dream seems significant. It's comprised of my most impactful relationships and my deepest memories. The Moon incarnate reminded me of certain women in my life who have shaped my internal world — my desires, insecurities, self-confidence, and masculinity. Rather than lacking a narrative or a being vague, this dream was coherent and compelling. I flirted with all the women I've ever known — all at once. Then suddenly, I quit the game of courtship and was met with the three women I know best and admire most: my mom, my sister, and my girlfriend.
Springboard:
When in your life have you felt strong feminine energy? How would you feel if tonight you danced with the Moon incarnate?
Thank you to
for encouraging me to share this piece and for feedback along the way.For more on relationships and harmony:
Don't know if this was intentional but this line had strong last supper vibes. So good:
"I confessed that being in the arms of a woman feels like laying in the lap of God."
Recently I began embracing more of that feminine energy this year by praying the rosary. The Marian devotions were difficult for me to embrace throughout most of my life, but practicing those feminine disciplines recently has been refreshing and enriching to my faith.
Thank you for posting this piece and I hope you will continue to reprise this topic in your work!
Okay. Banger. This is one of the best pieces I’ve read about paying homage to women -- not in a “women are so great, look how strong they are, please don’t cancel me” way, but in a legitimate reflection of how women simply being women is beautiful, and they need no other introduction.
Now I want the Sun essay!!