Moonlit Illusions

 

As the Super Blue Moon is illuminating the night sky, it’s worth reconsidering its place in our imagination. For centuries, the Moon has been celebrated as a symbol of beauty, love, and mystery, romanticized in countless works of poetry, literature, and music. But is this fascination truly justified, or is it simply a comforting illusion?

The Moon’s allure is undeniable, from a distance. Its silvery light has inspired poets like Percy Bysshe Shelley and musicians like Ilaiyaraaja, turning it into a symbol of romance and elegance. However, this admiration remains distant, as none of these poets or artists have ever been to the Moon themselves.

In reality, the Moon is a cold, barren rock. Its surface is marked by craters and scars from countless asteroid impacts, offering a landscape that is anything but welcoming. The Moon’s atmosphere, if it can be called that, is a thin exosphere, far from breathable and far from the poetic mist it’s often imagined to be. Up close, the Moon is a harsh, inhospitable place, devoid of life and the qualities we so readily attribute to it.

Yet, the Luna continues to be romanticized and elevated to a status that it simply doesn’t deserve. Why? Because it’s easier to admire something from afar, to project ideals onto a distant object rather than confront its true nature. The Moon, as seen from Earth, is smooth, glowing, and mysterious, but this perception is nothing more than a comforting illusion.

The Moon's surface is rough, and its environment is unforgiving. It’s a place where survival would be impossible without the aid of technology, where the very conditions romanticized would quickly turn deadly. Despite this, the Moon is used as a metaphor for beauty, even compared to women, a comparison that falls flat when examined closely.

With all its craters and barren surface, the Moon is far from the gentle, nurturing symbol it has been made out to be. It’s time to question why this celestial body is idealized when, up close, it’s anything but beautiful. Why overlook the Sun, which gives warmth and sustains life, in favor of a distant, cold rock that offers nothing but reflected light?

The Moon, often seen as a symbol of beauty, actually represents our tendency to embrace comforting illusions over harsh realities. Its charm might be more about escaping the truth than genuine admiration. Maybe it’s time to find something that reflects real qualities rather than mere fantasy.