Thursday, 4 December 2025

December Full Moon

  The December full moon, tonight, is a Super moon again and was once called  'The Moon Before Yule' or 'The Cold Moon' or 'Long Night Moon'. A super moon is when a full moon happens at its closest to earth.

I found this picture online, it's a copy of a painting by Leeds artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893). He was known as a painter of night scenes in urban environments. .....and fairies! The moonlight scenes he painted are all beautiful.




Found this poem online too.           Winter's Moon by Nina Hughes

Cold blue ice ball in the sky
winter's full moon flots serenely
on a sea of tranquil black
bobbing like a whale on windblown waves
She watches all below.

She peeks through a veil of wispy cloud
To spy on lovers through their windows
Smiling softly she moves on
gigantic mistress of the night.

All creation on the earth loos up in wonder
Rabbit squirrel, horse and cow know her well
Little babies hide their faces in mothers fur
She coaxes them to remember 
"Oh it's you! Hello!"

The graveyard tombs like candles on a cake
She lights them one by one
and those who hide in fear
for what they had done
She shines on them all.

Sinner, saint and bogeyman are subject to her reign
Trees bow in reverent homage,
each flower preens for her delight.
She follows little children to light their way in darkest night.

Fairies dance like fire flies underneath her glow
witches pass by her face on broomsticks, tickling her nose
Pagans ever paginating under her watchful eye
Tribes of wayward waifs sneaking out late at night

Seas obey her every whim
Calendars mark her regal passage
Fields and garden give her everything they have
Times goes on and she has seen it all.........


Day three of the coffee advent was Columbian - so I'm still waiting for something a bit unusual and my car suspension is fixed, no longer going crunch, crunch over bumps in the road and I've parted with £164 - the first December big bill sorted. Only four or even five more to come.....................

24 comments:

  1. Ooh John Atkinson Grimshaw, I had a look and they're displaying some of his paintings at Leeds Art Gallery at the moment, I might go visit. I love the atmospheric moon paintings so much! Thank you for sharing.

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    1. I'd not heard of him before but his paintings of moonlight are clever

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  2. The moon was lovely last night. Sorry about your car bill...

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    1. I looked at the moon as it was rising and thought 'must go and take a photo when it's a bit further' Did I remember? No - of course not!

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  3. John Atkinson Grimshaw pictures feature on a lot of jigsaws too. He has a beautiful way with light, thank you for posting it.
    Glad the car is fixed....even if it was a biggish bill.

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    1. I don't think I'd want to do a jigsaw of a moon lit scene - I'd never have the patience but the paintings are rather good

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  4. What a lovely atmospheric painting.
    Glad the cars fixed, you might be able to squeeze in another Christmas fair!
    Penny

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  5. Glad your car is fixed. The full moon was stunning when I came home about 4.30 yesterday afternoon. I stood for a few minutes on the doorstep just admiring it. Catriona

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    1. I bet tonight will be cloudy and I'll have missed a photo again!

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  6. We saw Grimshaws paintings in the flesh in Scarborough in their art gallery. They are wonderful and so atmospheric.

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    1. How good to see them in real life. I guess I'd not heard of him because we tend to have painters with rural scenes rather than urban here. I was pleased to find out about him

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  7. I love the painting. It reminds me of scenes from Mary Poppins. I hope the other bills you're expecting won't be quite as high. That would be a lovely Christmas surprise.

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    1. Unfortunately at least two of the other bills will be even more!

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  8. It's good to hear that you're mobile again - what a relief.

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    1. I thought it best not to drive it once the problem was diagnosed - hope I didn't miss anything exciting at all the Christmas fairs!

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  9. That's a beautiful painting! I love to look at in the night at the bright moon. I hope we have clear skies tonight so I can see this Super moon. Thanks for the reminder, Sue!

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    1. Very cloudy here so doubt I will see this super moon

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  10. Gorgeous painting
    Alison in Devon x

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    1. I was pleased to find this new-to-me artist when I googled

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  11. I saw the almost full moon last night. Tonight, I will look forward to seeing the full Winter moon.
    The moon paintings are lovely and true to life with a bit of cold/cloud/haze surrounding the moon.

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  12. I love seeing all the supermoons we have gotten lately. I hope the clouds go away so I can see this one as well.

    God bless.

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  13. The moon was wonderful last night, my whole bedroom was illuminated for far longer than it should have been. I guess it serves me right for choosing thermal curtain lining instead of black-out!!

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  14. Lovely poem.
    I missed the moon at night, but it was still bright in the sky when I got up in the morning, so I took a few photos then.

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