New moon on August 16, 2023
It’s a Blue Moon! Not at all apropos of that, the theme this month is Aetiology. An aetiological story explains how something came to be. How did the elephant get such a long nose? How did the Britons come to be called Britons? Why does the groom carry their new bride over the threshold the first time they enter their home together?
I’ve always liked these kinds of stories, and the more outlandish the better I enjoy them. I hurry to say that the honest search for origins is important in so many facets of our lives and that I’m thankful for the rigors that the scientific method demands of us as we attempt to explain our place in the universe and our duties to one another. But that’s not this.
Origin stories are common in mythology and folklore, and they’re popular all over the world. Modernity is perfectly amenable to the theme. Who says you can’t tell a better tale than Kipling to explain how the leopard got its spots? I say you can.
We hope this month’s prompts inspire you in your work!