Recovering both eyes of the Moon may be understood as what has been the work of the wisdom lineages and the religions that grew around them. There are many names for this "work" as in the "Tikkun" or Hebrew word for the repair of the world and the "magnum opus" or great work in western hermetic traditions. There are also many variations on how the Moon lost her original light and why. These include the Jewish talmudic midrashim and Zohar as well as diverse ancient traditions from Australia, Europe, India and Egypt. Here is a beautiful Pueblo Indian legend regarding the loss of an eye of the Moon. Not mentioned here is how the work of the sacred Twins(Born of Water and Monster Slayer in Dine and the Kerubim/Cherubim-Teomim/Twins in Hebrew)) involves the recovering of both eyes and a healed world.
THE MOTHER MOON
"AND do you know why it is that the Moon has but one eye? It is a short story, but one of the most poetic and beautiful in all the pretty folklore of the Pueblos.
"AND do you know why it is that the Moon has but one eye? It is a short story, but one of the most poetic and beautiful in all the pretty folklore of the Pueblos.
P'áh-hlee-oh, the Moon-Maiden, was the Tée-wahn Eve 1--the first and loveliest woman in all the world. She had neither father nor mother, sister nor brother; and in her fair form were the seeds of all humanity--of all life and love and goodness. The Trues, who are the unseen spirits that are above all, made T'hoor-íd-deh, the Sun, who was to be father of all things; and because he was alone, they made for him a companion, the first to be of maids, the first to be a wife. From them began the world and all that is in it; and all their children were strong and good. Very happy were the Father-all and the Mother-all, as they watched their happy brood. He guarded them by day and she by night--only there was no night, for then the Moon had two eyes, and saw as clearly as the Sun, and with glance as bright. It was all as one long day of golden light. The birds flew always, the flowers never shut, the young people danced and sang, and none knew how to rest.
But at last the Trues thought better. For the endless light grew heavy to the world's young eyes that knew no tender lids of night. And the Trues said:
"It is not well, for so there is no sleep, and the world is very tired. We must not keep the Sun and Moon seeing alike. Let us put out one of his eyes, that there may be darkness for half the time, and then his children can rest." And they called T'hoor-íd-deh and P'áh-hlee-oh before them to say what must be done.
But when she heard that, the Moon-Mother wept for her strong and handsome husband, and cried:
"No! No! Take my eyes, for my children, but do not blind the Sun! He is the father, the provider--and how shall he watch against harm, or how find us game without his bright eyes? Blind me, and keep him all-seeing.
And the Trues said: "It is well, daughter." And so
they took away one of her eyes, so that she could never see again so well. Then
night came upon the tired earth, and the flowers and birds and people slept
their first sleep, and it was very good. But she who first had the love of
children, and paid for them with pain as mother's pay, she did not grow ugly by
her sacrifice. Nay, she is lovelier than ever, and we all love her to this day.
For the Trues are good to her, and gave her in place of the bloom of girlhood
the beauty that is only in the faces of mothers.
So mother-pale above us
She bends, her watch to keep,
Who of her sight dear-bought the night
To give her children sleep."
From Sacred-Texts online
Who of her sight dear-bought the night
To give her children sleep."
From Sacred-Texts online
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