Moon Gazing is blank writing journal with gorgeous paper-cut illustrations and short passages - written by me - all having to do with moon mythology, moonlore, moon science, moon poetry, moon madness and more.

For instance, did you know that the Chinese believed that hungry dragons were responsible for the disappearance of the sun during eclipses? The townspeople would bang on pots and shoot arrows into the sky to scare them away.

And if it's a full head of hair you're seeking, the best thing to do is to cut your hair as the moon waxes (gets larger). If it's thinner hair you're wanting, (eee gads!) cut it during the waning phase of the moon.

And heed this, you might think twice before falling asleep with the full moon in your face. It's been said to cause nightmares, insanity and blindness.

However, if it's larger breasts you're looking for, you should get yourself onto a balcony or a hill during this same full moon and chant, "Santa luna, santa stella, fammi crescere questa mammella. Holy moon, holy star, make this breast grow for me.f That's what Italian folklore says anyway.

And of course no book on the moon would be complete unless we consulted the American Institute for Climatology to find out that yes, it's true, "crimes with a strong psychotic motivation, such as arson, kleptomania, destructive driving and homicidal alcoholism all showed peaks when the moon was full

Published by Chronicle Books ©2000