Watch out for werewolves if you plan on crossing any moors tonight, because we are under the mystic influence of a blue moon. The technical meaning of the term blue moon is the manifestation of two full moons in a single calendar month. When people began using the term around 400 years ago, the meaning was entirely different. Back then it was used as slang for something impossible that could never happen, along the same lines of “when hell freezes over.” Since the fire and brimstone of hell purportedly never freezes over, the saying meant “never.” If a girl told a man she’d allow him to court her in a blue moon or when the moon turned blue, that meant he had no chance she’d ever step out with him. Today’s colloquial speech uses blue moon to mean rare. You find true love once in a blue moon.
Something unexpected happened in August of 1883 that gave a different perspective to blue moons, however. A massive volcanic eruption blew most of the uninhabited Indonesian island of Krakatoa off the globe and plunged it into the sea like a modern day Atlantis. The ensuing nightmare brought monstrous tsunamis and horrendous flooding to the coastlines of neighboring islands including Java and Sumatra, ravaging the land and flattening villages. Currents or flows of hot gas and rock that traveled a distance of 25 miles also resulted in burns and deaths. Over 36,000 people died as a result of the Krakatoan disaster. The final explosion was heard nearly 3,000 miles away and throughout the Indian Ocean.
A significant drop in temperature and atmospheric anomalies resulted from the hot flows and volcanic ash that rose up and took only two weeks to spread around the equator. The high layer of filmy debris in the heavens traveled north and south at times and lasted for years. Spectacular atmospheric effects were seen by 70 percent of the earth’s population. These included blue moons, green sunsets, and persimmon colored skies. In 1883 and for years afterward, there were many blue moons.
Can you imagine?
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Interesting etymology of “blue moon”idiom. Anyway he effects of that volcanic explosion brought phenomena similar to what happened after Tunguska explosion, it seems. People could read the newspaper at midnight without any light and the sunsets were something spectacular.
Thank you for a great post, again! I’ll take care and avoid walking the moors tonight. Especially that we are expecting a storm here.
Yes, please do be careful on those moors. Did you ever see American Werewolf in London? It is a favorite of my son’s. I’ll have to look up Tunguska. Thanks, Carmen.
Intriguing post . I did not know the history though blue moon analogies are favorites… I did tell my sister n law yesterd we must be under a moon change n I could feel it in the air and people seemed even more stressed and rushed lol
I’ve heard people say that this week– like pressurized. Thanks, Cathy.
What a timely post. I was just explaining to someone yesterday what a blue moon was, and at my office two people have commented to me that “it must be full moon because we’re getting crazy calls.” I do believe a full moon impacts our emotions…at least, I personally love them and always feel uplifted and given to a sense of awe.
I’d never heard the story the Krakatoan disaster. How horrible….and yet how spectacular in how it played out in the skies. They must have been something to see.
Wonderful post, Flossie!
That used to happen to us at the library back in the early days when I worked the desk as far as the public’s attitude went. What you said is logical, since we’re mostly water and the moon pulls water. There have been other disasters that changed the appearance of the heavens too– one in 1951. I’ll have to write about that sometime. Thanks, Mae.
Blue Moon…always an intriguing idea for a paranormal. I hope to get pictures of it tonight.
Yes, you’re right- that would be a good them. Get some good pix!