Day 39: By the light of the supermoon

A supermoon that’s larger than any for the last seventy years demands a night-time walk in the woods. With my friend James in town from Switzerland, we donned our trainers and headed out into the darkness. It was his first time in Epping Forest, so this was as much an exploratory adventure as a pagan moon-worship ritual.

We headed through a dense patch of forest, past the ponds, and out into a open expanse where in summer people come to picnic and let their dogs and children run free.

The most unusual thing about the presence of the supermoon is how light it still is, even long after sunset. I usually make sure my phone is fully-charged before heading into the forest at night: in the parts furthest from the road you really need the built-in torch if you want any hope of finding your way (or even not walking into a tree). But this night, it’s possible to see unaided, and the moon casts its strange, flat light creating a delightfully eerie quality.

Don’t worry: it still feels like you wouldn’t want to be alone in the forest this night, but there’s a magic in the air as well as the fear.

Oh don’t let’s ask for the moon. We’ve already got the stars. – Bette Davis

Ease of play: 7/10

Resemblance to play: 6/10 

Aggression: Low-to-Meidum (a little fear)

Speed: Slow-to-Medium (it was still dark!)

Enjoyability: Medium-to-High

Potential frequency of play: Very low (once in seventy years)