Because the lunar calendar does not coincide with the solar year, there are often thirteen Moons in the year.
The common expression "once in a blue moon" refers to this extra Moon, which occurs only once in
every two-and-a-half years. Most often, when the thirteenth Moon occurs, it is in the longer months of
thirty-one days. The thirteenth Moon never rises in the short month of February and seldom in the
shorter months of April, June, September, and November.
Although Blue Moon might be a term easily recognized, some know the thirteenth Moon as the Wine
Moon. The original explanation given through oral tradition of this name is rooted in the supposed
origin of wine.
Some say that wine was the first gift of luxury the gods gave to humans. When there is an extra Moon in the
year, it is a gift of time. Time is, perhaps, the greatest luxury of all. It is, therefore, fitting that we know
the thirteenth Moon as the Wine Moon.
Destruction and Delight
Ancient Greece
In Greece, Dionysus is known as the god of wine. His gift of the grape grants freedom from that which is
rigid. It grants fluidity to the imagination and freedom to the heart. Yet this is a double-edged delight,
for there is a tale of the wine god that speaks more of destruction than of ecstasy.
There was a time when pirates came upon the young god Dionysus. Driven by a wickedness, they captured
the divine youth. They thought he was the son of one of Zeus’ favorite kings. They took Dionysus back
to their ship and sought to tie him up. To their surprise, their ropes wouldn’t hold the young lord. They
fell off his arms and legs, and he stood there, smiling at the pirates with his dark eyes.
When the helmsman saw the ropes drop from Dionysus, he was frightened. He shouted out that this must be
powerful god. He feared that the dark-eyed youth would bring great storms against their ship. Yet, there
was no storm. Instead, the most incredible things began to take shape.
First, a river of wine appeared that seemed to flow everywhere about the ship. It was sweet and fragrant and
its scent spoke of a personage divine. Then vines sprang up on either side of the vessel, all the way to
the top of the mast. Ripe grapes covered the vines and garlands of flowers covered the oars. The crew
became frightened and realized there was no way that they could pilot their ship. They screamed for the
helmsman to steer them to shore and to the safety of dry land.
It was then that Dionysus became a lion. He seized the captain in his great teeth. The rest of the crew
jumped in the sea to escape the wrath of the wine god. When they did, they became dolphins. Only the
helmsman was spared.
And so it is with the gift of Dionysus. Although it is a gift of luxury, it is also a gift of idleness. The delight
of luxury may at any time give way to the destruction of decadence.
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