Hey, That's My Mythology!
Moon Myths and Why We Sometimes Enshrine Stories in Stone
Happy Full Moon, folks! I am still recovering from my Thanksgiving food coma (which corresponded with a head cold) so the prescription for the weekend was epic coziness. Hope you have also gotten a moment to rest and reflect.
I’m also thinking a lot about gratitude these days, and in particular about my wonderful writing group, The Exiles. This December will mark my 6th anniversary of being a member (which feels like a long time!), but the group has existed long before me, for MANY MANY years, perhaps dating back even into the late 1990s. (I will have to confirm that with my group buddies next week at our meeting!)
The longevity of this writing group is fairly astonishing, but it persists in large part due to the strong commitment of its members, the seriousness of all of us in producing new pages for new projects, and our structure (two people go each month, we write each other written feedback that often includes line notes/margin comments/a detailed end note, and in-person meetings typically did not include drinking).
Before the pandemic, we met in person at someone’s home, which included Thai takeout for dinner (I still miss those dinner feasts) and an hour-long workshop per submitter. Sometimes it took me until midnight to get home on the subway, if I was returning to deep Queens from deep Brooklyn!
But now, we meet on Zoom, which is easier and more convenient but a tiny bit less congenial, and while we don’t eat dinner together, we do catch up on each other’s lives in a way that is sweet, supportive, and continues to nurture those social and collegial bonds that a long-term writing group must have in order to flourish. These days, we often meet up for in-person hangs at AWP (the writing conference, more on this in a future post) or at someone’s apartment or a local bar. But for the most part, my writing group buddies are a little separate from other friends. They play a huge role in my creative life, but that role is largely separate from the other aspects of my world. So it’s special.
One could even say, perhaps, that our writing group is unique, a golden unicorn among writing groups that often fizzle or fade over time. Could you say that it’s mythological, finding a perfect writing group as a writer?
When I was a young writer, I thought that a writing group of serious professionals was one of those things you needed in the tool belt of being a “real writer.” And now that I’m older, I know that it’s possible to be a real writer without a golden unicorn writing group. Anything is possible. It’s just FUN to be part of a writing group. And helpful! And makes you feel less like a crazy misfit who is avoiding people and productive things and lucrative work or nourishing outdoor activities to huddle alone in a room with a MANUSCRIPT…. and maybe a flickering candle and a ratty sweater or whatever other myths we have about bohemian writers.
But there was a myth chaser in young Kim — a real writer has a writing group, a real writer has a drafty garret and a drippy candle and an aged leather shoulder bag with big buckles, a real writer has a drinking problem and a fair amount of angst, a real writer doesn’t give a shit about what anyone thinks, yet somehow has loads of friends who can fill a smoky bar who will hoot and holler as she reads her angsty yet brilliant literature with a capital L. And those assumptions about the world certainly color how we react and live in it.
I will say that over the years before the Exiles, I had two terrific writing groups (one in Boston and one in NYC), Write Club and Write Club 2, of wonderfully supportive friends, even if we spent as much time getting drunk together as we did discussing each other’s writing. But in Exiles, I graduated to the more grown up writing group I’d always hoped to someday belong to. Sometimes, you have to create your own luck, and sometimes, staying open to the universe and asking for opportunities helps you find what you’re looking for. Sometimes, myths are like compasses that get us closer to where we want to be.
This month, I wanted to think about the mythologies enshrined in the Full Moon. So a very cursory search of mythological full moon creatures and stories across cultures turned up some interesting finds:
From Greek and Roman moon gods and goddesses like Artemis, who represented hunting and chastity, or Luna, who presided over planting, fertility, and the harvest, which describe the seasons and cycles of the natural world,
to Asian legends like Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit (which describe why you can see a rabbit in the moon), who supposedly is pounding out an immortality elixir for Chang’e and the other gods and goddesses,
to the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, who represents both the strength of a warrior and the cyclical nature of life, death, rebirth, and fertility. There’s also an Aztec moon god Tecciztecatl, who represents transformation, water, conch shells, balance, and harmony. Interestingly, though, in both myths, Coyolxauhqui and Tecciztecatl face challenges and defeat, showing both the light and dark sides of the moon.
Okay, what’s my goal in this shallow deep dive into full moon mythology? I used to be very into Greek myths, and love a good creation story every now and then. But we can also get trapped in our myths, limiting our ideas about ourselves, the world, or the kinds of people we want to be. Sometimes our cultural myths tell us that we can either be one thing or another, not both, or that the world will always be this way.
Like, for example, “You’ll never make any money writing,” or “No one will ever read your work,” or “Artists can either be successful or happy,” or “No good art was created without a lot of pain.” While many of these statements MAY be true in certain circumstances, we could really limit ourselves if we fall into the traps of the assumptions that linger around them.
Or how about this one, “I’m not a writer because I don’t write every day.”
Or: “I’m not a real writer because I don’t have a project.” Or “I’m not a real writer because I haven’t been published yet.”
I’m here to be your Mythbuster: You ARE a real writer! We all have dry spells! Try writing today! Maybe you just need to keep going, and the next exciting project will make itself known to you.
Keep the faith. If myths help inspire you and help you feel good about your creative life, great! Embrace them! But if a myth that you have told yourself about writing is holding you back, it’s okay to let it go. Or re-write it.
Also, what do you do in terms of writing groups? What tips do you have for fellow writers about forming or joining a writing group? Please chime in below in the comments!
Only we can be the authors of the stories of our lives. Let’s grab a pen and write the next chapter.
Full Moon Fun Facts
There are many versions of the Asian legend of Chang’e and the rabbit on the moon, but this one is really beautiful:
In horoscopes and astrology, full moons are often associated with shedding delusions or coming to terms with one’s honest self, or taking stock of reality in all of its illuminated light. This full moon is in Gemini, which is an air sign related to communication, change, and duality, so astrologers have recommended taking an honest look at the situation this week. What’s really going on?
Your Full Moon Writing Prompt
Imagine either a character in a fiction project or a moment in your own life when you believed an important myth: a creation story, a reason for something or someone being the way they are, or a circumstance that you or they believed to be unchangeable. What was that myth, and why did you (or they) believe it?
Now, rewrite that myth. What if there was another reason or factor or circumstance that led to this reality, or an unchangeable fixed quantity was really possible to evolve?
What did you or the character do when their myth took a new turn? What is now possible?
"Myths are like compasses that get us where we want to be." Nice!
Thank you so much. This is exactly what I needed to read. God does work in wonderous ways!!!!