It’s a new moon tonight. She is poised directly between the Sun and Earth. Her shadowed side faces us, and for a couple of days, she will faithfully rise and set alongside the Sun getting completely lost in its blinding glare.
There is no scientific evidence that the new moon affects human behavior, but humans are really fucking weird – and superstitious – and impulsive – and paranoid – and gullible – and wildly capable of doing/saying/being/believing in anything that they feel will benefit them. (This is not always a negative, mind you; this is simply true.) So hey, if you think that you sleep better during the new moon, or believe this isn’t the right time to set a new goal – more power to you. Please continue.
What we do know about tonight’s new moon in the dark summer sky (here in the Western Hemisphere) – unseen and dealing with all that intense sunlight on her own – is that in a few days, we will be able to see her again. She will come shining back, little by little, sliver by silvery glowing sliver.
She will show up again.
“She Rises” is originally one of the full-sized seven posters created for my “She’s Still Here” collection in 2019. That Protest series supported Equal and Human Rights. For some strange reason, back in 2019 I held the belief that we were starting to make a massive global shift toward being a more inclusive, less fearful, more peaceful, kind and moon-light worthy planet. The whole series was essentially about Humanity.
Turns out, I was wildly wrong. Our trajectory was off and the rumblings I mistook as positive change were actually a tsunami of power hungry and hateful shit coming our way. (The tide, by the way, IS impacted by the moon’s pull. Tsunami’s are not.)
I’m re-sharing this piece in July of 2026, because sharing art with a message of strength, is one way of resisting fear.
Today – “She” represents all who are dedicated to keeping hope alive during a dark time.
“She” is our democracy and a once connected nation struggling not to fall completely into fascism. “She” is the neighbor or community member who may look or speak differently than you, but deserves a safe seat at the table along side you.
“She” is the messenger to our children that like the moon, love never fails to show up.
We have a lot of work to do. If you’ve lost your way, look up, look within, remember that helpers are everywhere, and please don’t stop.
martha phelps studio ~ creative on purpose 