the Cemetery Moon...

Super Moon in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. 05/05/12

This past weekend, not only did people celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but many went out that evening to witness the 2012 Super Moon.

Living in New England, I grew up hearing some really amazing superstitions and beliefs. Not knowing any better I ended up believing in most of them. Who was I to question Fate?

So very many of these tales concerned death  - what could prematurely speed up it's arrival and those things that were said to surely foretell it.

Even the moon is tied to death folklore.
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Growing up part time on an island in the Bay of Fundy, I witnessed first hand the power that the moon has over the tides. The Bay of Fundy is known for have the highest and lowest tides in the world, mix in the new moon and full moon twice a month and you have extra massive tides! These super high tides are also known as Spring Tides. As the water seems to spring up even  higher than normal.

The moon controls the tides in the Bay of Fundy

So what does the moon and tide have to do with the cemetery?

At one time, it was a commonly held belief for those keeping a death bed vigil, that a dying person would only relinquish their hold on life during an ebb tide. (low water) If they made it through the ebb and the water began to once again rise, the person would live until at least the next ebb tide. Then the process of watching and waiting began again. If the person did pass, another custom was that at no time would the body be left alone. I actually have family members alive today that can remember this practice. Even during the overnight hours and until the time of burial, someone needed to accompany the body every single minute.

So, are the veils between the worlds thinner during a full moon? Take a walk through a cemetery on a full moon night... and you tell me.