Over the past few weeks due to two different workshops I have attended, I’ve been very interested in learning a little more about the moon and it’s cycles. Coincidentally and unrelated to the workshops, an organization I volunteer for is having a retreat in the Catskills one weekend to learn more about the moon.
The moon affects our tides and the sea. They are predictable, as predictable as the sun rising and setting. We can look up the sunrise, moon phases and tide tables for the next hundred years and be sure that is what is going to happen.
For my birthday this year Daren booked a trip a few months ahead to one of our favorite destinations in the world – York, ME. We are here now. We left yesterday afternoon and drove up in the pouring rain. As we pulled into the Airbnb he rented on the water, the rain stopped and the sun began an attempt to peep through the grey clouds.
Situated at the end of a small street extension, the quaint New England house from the outside was adorable. As we opened the lockbox to get the key I was already sad we only had three nights here.
We opened the door to the house and were instantly in awe at the view of the ocean from the house. The inside was even more special. We went upstairs to drop off our bags and the view from the master bedroom was even more amazing. I felt my heart slow down, my blood pressure decrease and an overall sense of peace. I love coming to Maine. We have vacationed here with the kids and alone for at least six years now. It’s like coming home.
There is something about being near the ocean that calms me and feels like home. The smell of marine life, the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the mystery and vastness… how it can look so different at any time of the day or year. Between the tide changes, sun position, weather… it never gets old.
We only live about 45 minutes from the Long Island sound, but it’s the furthest I’ve lived from the water in my life. It’s probably no coincidence that at this time in life I suffer from anxiety. There are definable other factors too- the second half of life, blended family woes, being more spiritual… but I can’t discount the lack of water in my life.
In a workshop I attended last week I learned that water absorbs our heavy energies and carries it away. I can almost feel this. It might be why I feel like a completely different person when we spend time in the house that we have on the Airbnb market in Branford, CT.
I feel that being near the water and being more directly, physically affected by the tides also helps to put us even more in touch with nature. For example here in Maine and in Branford, certain beaches don’t even exist at high tide. At our home in Branford during low tide you can actually walk down the steps in our yard to the cove and over to the sound or across to another house, or during high tide you can use those same steps to kayak away from the house. Fisherman, seaside towns, and many maritime cultures alike live and plan their day by the tides. When you accept that you can only do certain things as nature provides it to you, I feel it can help you accept that we can’t always manipulate life and that it’s important to live with the elements. Overall we became more adaptable, well adjusted people who can steer a sailboat (figuratively) using the elements of life rather than trying to fight them.
At our home in Branford, I provide our renters with a sunrise & set schedule so they can decide if they would like to watch it. I let them know where the best places are whether it be in our yard or down the street to catch either. I also provide a little chart with the tides and phases of the moon. The full moon at the beach 100 steps from our front door is not a site to be missed on a clear night. The tides in our area will dictate when you can sit on the beach or kayak.
I don’t think many folks know why, but in many comments in the guest book or on the sites where the vacation rental is listed, our guests have commented about how calm they feel and that they felt so connected to nature there.
Living in, around, and with nature helps us feel connected to it. In our modern lives we almost never feel that connection. Somehow the tree’s leaves just appeared or it was daytime. Sensing the change and being witness to the artistic beauty the universe provides helps me to be connected to the universe itself. Being connected gives me clarity about the role of my small, selfish thoughts in the big picture; helps me feel the divine connection I have to everyone and everything, and helps me to want to just be a better person.
Below,in order, is the view as I write this blog this morning,the sunrise that woke us up from the master bedroom window and some lobster traps left for the season at Perkins Cove last night
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tide/
If you enjoyed my writing, consider leaving a comment, sharing with others, or following my blog
esterinaanderson.com 
2 thoughts on “On the Sun, Moon & Tides”