Between the Moon with April McMurtry
Hello, and welcome poetic plant people and creative mystic moon lovers …!
I am a visual artist, mother, teacher, and have learned so much about life (and death) by attuning to the moon… and flowers.
This Substack is my effort to create a container for the unfolding of a renewed relationship with creativity and the living earth and sky.
The origin of the name Between the Moon comes from the latin word Interlunium inter- meaning ("between”, “among") + lūna ("the Moon"); a period of darkness during the time of the new moon.
Between the Moon opens the space for what is no longer and what is not yet. It’s the beginners mind and the seasoned wise woman. This liminal space of in-betweens and how we navigate the unknown through self-study in relationship with cycles.
My dad wanted to name me Poppy. Instead, my mom named me April after a princess locked in a tower whose one true love was tragically turned into a bluebird. (Perhaps a less tragic namesake next time?)
The first image is the illustration of the princess by Adrienne Segur (swoon!!!) and the second photo is of me as a bluebird in the early 1980’s with my mom’s zinnias.
"my art is the way i reestablish the bonds that tie me to the universe."
This powerful quote by the artist Ana Mendieta says everything to me about the drive to create. Her earth-body-works made a deep impression on my understanding of place, belonging, mother nature, identity, and embodiment.
When I want to learn something new I usually find a way to color-code it. All the hundreds of hand drawn flashcards from my undergraduate degree in Art History were color-coded so I could visually remember them. This is how my Moon in Virgo works with the details of learning - in color!
I am drawn to all things that keep me connected to the cycles in nature and reminders that life is an unfolding work in progress. I’m grateful to have a space to share with you, so glad you’re here!
Why subscribe?
To be a part of the conversation about the nature of time and lunar wisdom. Subscribers receive a private podcast episode once a week on timeless and timely topics about the moon from astrology to astonmony and philosophy to ecology. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
To learn more about the origins of this work, visit my website THE MOON IS MY CALENDAR.
