The Moon Watcher's Companion is ideal if you love the moon and can't get enough of Her, or Him, as the case may be; Henes informs us that in some cultures, the moon is considered male. Actually, Henes educates us about an awful lot in this beautiful reference book.
There is a moving ode to Diana in her chapter on "Lunar Invocations" as well as poetry sprinkled throughout. I particularly like:
The Moon rises Stealing the sun's light Between her thighs The man steals her nectar Between her thighs~ Folk Song, Chhattisgarh, India (p. 61)
Sexy! Henes’ writing is always entertaining: "Two of the names of the Roman Moon goddess were Luna and Mana. Her devotees, lunatics and maniacs, were condemned by the Church as mad, crazy, or 'silly' - a word which had formerly meant blessed." (p. 55)
And this brought back shades of Judy Bloom for me ("I must. I must, I must increase my bust!"): “. . .the women of Naples, Italy, would pray to the ripening round moon for a bigger bosom. Standing alone and naked, arms raised in petition, they intoned nine times
Santa Luna, Santa Stella / Holy Moon, Holy Star
famnii crescere questa mammella” / make this breast grow for me
Astronomy buffs are not left out. Henes includes the names of lunar seas, the names of the ten largest craters, and other information regarding the silvery orb.
Oh, here's another interesting fact: Moon Watcher's Companion is intended to accompany the "moon watch." What is that? It is a watch that constantly shows the moon's phase on its dial. Got $1200 burning a hole in your pocket? (That four-digit number is NOT a typo.) Then check it out at www.moonwatch.com. Otherwise, I'm content with the book at $14.00.
~review by Diane Saarinen
Author: Donna Henes, 2002
128 pp., $14.00
