‘The moon is in the east’

   
“When the sun and the moon are separated by the entire extent of the firmament, and the moon is in the east with the sun over against her in the west, she is completely relieved by her still greater distance from his rays, and so, on the fourteenth day, she is at the full, and her entire disc emits its light.”

Vitruvius
The Ten Books of Architecture
Book IX, Chapter 2


It’s a pleasure to read Vitruvius. Augustus was fond of saying how he found Rome built of brick but left it made of marble, but history remembers it was Vitruvius who made the transformation a reality. His decalogue on architecture encompasses far more than the technical know-how on constructing enduring buildings for all human needs. He provides insight into the ancient mind, and how it knowingly set about ordering life in that age. That long sentence quoted above is Vitruvius borrowing from Berosus, the Chaldean historian.

Moonlit Sea by Shoda Koho, woodblock print, 1920.

Anyway, you know the Summer Solstice is near when the Rosicrucian Order’s monthly Full Moon Meditation comes at the nine o’clock hour. I recommend this rewarding experience to you, and remember it is not necessary to be a member of the Order to participate.

June’s Full Moon Meditation will take place on Friday the 13th at 9:30 p.m. I have class at the School of Practical Philosophy and cannot join you, but gather at the Rosicrucian Cultural Center (2303 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. in Manhattan) for a period of mindfulness exercise at 9:30, after which the group will proceed to a nearby park for more spiritual work under the gaze of the full moon.

Trust me, if you’ve never done such a thing, this is fun if nothing else, but if you know about meditation, then this exercise will suit you in ways more direct.