Ballad of the Moon

This story happened a long time ago.

This story happened before day and night even existed.

This story happened when the moon was still wandering the universe, not bound to anything.

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One day, the Sun saw the white lady and fell in love. He was bright and golden.

The Moon, unbound, white and pure, found no interest in his attraction.

So the Sun asked Cupid, god of desire and seduction, to strike the Moon with an arrow of love.

Little could he do, as it was a lunar eclipse: Luna, the Moon, was wandering just behind Gaia, the Earth, away from the gaze of the Sun.

The eclipse lasted for days, months and years, the Sun boiling with passion and lust could wait no more.

"Enough! ready your quiver and your bow, your aim better be good enough as you claim, or you'll be god of ash and dust" shouted the Sun.

From the heaven above Cupid shot a fierce arrow of desire.

Flew it did, first through the air and then through the spheres. although love might be blind, yet his sight was true. The shot was precise: Tip, shaft and nock broke deep inside the moon.

Luna was wounded.

But what she saw was no Sun, but Earth, so she fell in love with her, and started revolving around the blue globe.

It has to be said that the Earth was already in love with the white lady. Every time ponds, rivers and trees would reflect upon her pure light, the sea and oceans would boil and grow, and the wind and breeze would howl and mourn every moment she was gone.

"What in the heavens happened?" shouted the Sun "Can't she see I'm lord of gold and light? Is she blind? Can't she see I'm the brightest of the stars, that all I want, I get ?"

"Sometimes blindness isn't just a disease" whispered Cupid to himself "If a mere impulse to desire gets mistaken for love, then he who seeks love sees desire only for himself, and he who seeks love only to subject and possess, does not see what love was created to be."

The Sun got furious, burn he did.

All in his path was turned to ashes.

Trees, gardens and bees were no more maidens of green, but just fuel for ire.

Lord of flames, anger and fire, he who once was the Lord of gold.

The Moon, worried, said to the Sun, that love for Gaia was all she had, and that something to be loved, cannot be possessed.

The Sun in response cursed the love of the Moon and the Earth, forcing Luna to show only her wounded side to Earth, wishing that would be enough to stop their love.

But that was in vain, as Gaia loved not with her sight but with her core, which was true and warm.

The Sun was proud and hurt.

The light that was once bestowed became darkness once more, as the Sun decided to set, denying his light of life to all the creatures ever born.

Mercury, the messenger of gods, saw what was happening, and decided to wake up Jupiter from his slumber.

"The Sun is gone, and thy reign is dark, now is not the time for idle rest" Mercury said.

As Jupiter woke up, thunder and rain burst as he growled.

He who was Lord of the heavens and the lord of storms.

"Reasons are to be heard, all Gods come forth, or I'll smite and sunder all who defies my word." shouted Jupiter.

Cupid, afraid of Jupiter's anger, confessed : "The Sun asked me to shoot the Moon with an arrow of love. Love she did, but for what there is to be loved in love is a mystery, for the love she had was for Earth instead."

"Thy bow and arrow are meant for joy and delight, not to bring forth eternal night !" shouted Mercury.

"My arrow and bow are meant for desire and fire, love does not alter your soul, or remove warmth from your control, the love that she felt was the love that she had, for love is not love of just a beautiful sight, but love is a marriage of two true minds." replied Cupid.

"Enough" cried Jupiter, "The realm is dark and the heavens in peril. We must go"

The father of heavens and Gods decided to take matters in his own hands, and with the God of desire and the winged one he went down to Earth.

Jupiter saw red flames of fire where once all had been green.

"This is how unbridled passion and pride, left with no humility to guide, can turn the embers of love into cinders of fury" Mercury said

Cupid, God of dust and ashes, he who once was God of love, cried hot tears.

Jupiter had seen enough, he asked the Gods to restore order, to extinguish the flames of love and wrath.

Cupids charm was broken.

But to everyone's surprise the Moon decided to stay with the Earth.

Jupiter wanted to make amends, so he went to the Sun and said : "Vanity is the curse of us Gods, to the lords of storm, desire or word alike. We keep our crown high, as high as our power goes, but if power is given to vanity, you might as well be the lord of fools and gowns, because first and foremost power and crowns give us duty to hold."

"You burned with anger and now I command you to rise, shine and dawn on all life on Earth."

The Sun asked for forgiveness and mercy.

"Fail me once more and your flames shall be no more" replied Jupiter.

To Cupid, the father of gods, gave him a new arrow and bow, but ordered him to stay away from the natural powers and godly affairs.

To the two lovers, Jupiter gave the night, so that the Moon could shine, and at its darkest hour the Earth could have her white pure light.

But the Earth said to the Moon "I cannot hold you, if wander you want."

and the Moon replied "You are my heart's desire, my love and my home, but free must I be. There will be nights with me, and ones where you shall not see me"

and the Earth said "We are bound, not by charm or oath, but by our new-found souls"

The Moon that day became the mistress of gardens, lakes and ponds as the Earth decided to gift them to her.

And the Earth became Luna's lover and home.

And a new order was born that day.

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This is the ballad of how the day and the night came to be, why the Moon follows the Earth, why we see only one side of it, and the phasing of the Moon.