This past week, we all experienced something that rarely happens. Supermoons occur when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth, making the moon appear slightly brighter and closer than usual. The August supermoon last Monday night was the first of four consecutive supermoons in 2024.
Last Monday’s moon was not only a supermoon, but also a blue moon. The traditional definition of a blue moon has nothing to do with color, but rather refers to the third full moon in a season with four full moons (seasonal blue moon) or the second full moon in a month (monthly blue moon). Although the saying “once in a blue moon” suggests it’s rare, according to NASA, a blue moon occurs approximately every two to three years.
What doesn’t happen as often is a supermoon that’s also a blue moon. The next time a moon like Monday’s occurs, where a supermoon coincides with a seasonal blue moon, will be August 21, 2032. And while it rained at dusk in Crawfordville last Monday night, a group of dedicated drummers gathered in Riverside Park to cheer on the rare super blue moon that emerged from behind the clouds.
Join the drum circle
Although the Riverside Drum Circle has been ushering in full moons for nine months now, it was the first one my husband, Bruce, and I had attended in our new neighborhood, and we didn’t know exactly what to expect. There were few instructions: Bring a lawn chair, a beverage, and a drum if you have one.
As the newest full-time residents of the Mysterious Waters community and equipped with drums gifted to us by our thoughtful friend Jackie, we were determined to be there despite the rain.
There was something magical about sitting under the gazebo with my new neighbors, some of whom I had never met before, enjoying the view of the river while the rain fell and our drummer started the beat on his kit. Before long, others followed suit and soon even we newbies felt comfortable improvising around the drummer’s steady beat.
I was reminded of what I’ve heard about people in close-knit communities whose heartbeats are synchronized with time. Researchers suggest that humans are highly social creatures and have a natural tendency to form bonds.
Synchronicity of the heart
In a 2022 Heart Math Institute study of 104 people in five countries around the world who focused on radiating love, most participants showed increased coherence in their heart rate synchrony as well as increased synchronization patterns with the Earth’s magnetic field. Just 15 minutes of intentionally radiating love increased people’s synchronization with each other and with the Earth’s rhythms.
The purpose of drum circle is to build community, and in the simplicity of being together and the shared goal of keeping a beat, our hearts seemed to become one. Beloved community dog Cash even seemed to be in tune as he relaxed at his humans’ feet throughout the evening.
In fact, science suggests, and our experience confirms, that we humans need each other. Neuroscientists mapping the brain tell us that our need for connection is as fundamental as our need for food, water, and shelter.
UCLA professor Matthew Lieberman is one of the founders of social cognitive neuroscience, a discipline that analyzes how brain function underlies social thought and behavior. In his book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect, he suggests that the existence of social pain is a sign that social connection is a necessity, not a luxury, and this may explain the popularity of social media. We long to belong, and as researcher Brene Brown wisely says, not to belong by compromising to belong, but to belong just as we are.
Hope for social connections
At this stage of my life, having moved to the woods, I am learning who I am. I am spending more time alone than ever before and working on better understanding who I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life. I have wonderful parents who taught me to focus on helping others and taught me little about self-focus, so I am taking this opportunity to get to know myself better.
And part of what I’m learning is that I crave more social interaction. As an introvert, I have to take initiative to do that, which is one of my growth limits. That means I have to teach this old dog new tricks, but I’m willing to engage my social self while focusing more on friendships and the lighter side of being. That gives me hope.
As I listened to the Democratic National Convention this week, the theme of hope was ever-present, as it was at the previous Republican convention. As diverse as we may be across the political spectrum, we share this common human need for social connection and hope for the future.
In her speech, Michelle Obama said, “America, hope is returning,” and I believe that no matter what your political persuasion, that is good news. My prayer is that as we head to the voting booth to elect our nation’s highest official, we will reflect, be honest with ourselves, and ask ourselves who we believe will best serve our country and honor our common humanity.
Recently, my friend Craig Reeder of the local band Hot Tamale sent me a powerful new song they produced and gave me permission to share it widely. It reminds us of our shared human bonds. Craig says, “‘Walk in My Shoes’ is a song of national healing and reconciliation that speaks against the ideological polarization, demonization and hostility that currently pervades our country.” The song is in the public domain and can be found on YouTube.
The chorus goes: “Walk in my shoes for a while, and I’ll walk in yours, too. We’ve both had our share of troubles and troubles. We’re not so different, you and I.”
As I wait for the next full moon drumming by the river, I think of the sense of closeness that such a simple, mostly silent community ritual evoked in my spirit. I pray that we can all find ways to intentionally cultivate our social selves, because human connection is important.
Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of the Tallahassee Fellowship
