Persephone is the goddess of springtime and queen of the underworld, as such, she understands something about the duality of earthly abundance and the inevitability of death. She teaches us to embrace death while continuing to celebrate new growth. Full Moon Persephone was a year-long photographic collaboration with my husband, Nick. The idea for the project was simple: during each full moon in 2022, we would venture out to take photographs. We had no plan or preconceived ideas for locations, just a desire to explore and create, but as we settled into the ritual, it became something more. 

We began the project at a time when I was becoming increasingly more exercise intolerant. I had recently been diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, and I knew that eventually, I would not be able to dance in the same way I had been for nearly all my life. However, I desperately tried to hold onto my movement practice and believed this project was the perfect compromise. I couldn’t take classes, perform, or practice dance in a way that required me to sustain movement for prolonged periods of time, but I could move for five to ten minutes at a time. Since we were creating still photography, I could control the timing, take breaks, and go at my own pace. What I didn't understand until we were nearing the end of the year was that this project was less about holding on and more about letting go. 

Persephone’s wisdom helped me find my way through this turbulent time. She gave me permission to slip into the underworld, mourn the loss of my bodily autonomy, and reemerge with grace and gratitude for the ways in which I was changed. The moon offered me a similar kind of wisdom about the cycles of light and dark. Like the moon, we all pass through phases of darkness, we move in and out of the light, but somehow, we remain whole. 

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COLLABORATOR

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Nick Haas is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard. He is currently stationed in Philadelphia, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in Joint Professional Military Education through the Naval War College. As part of his active duty service, Nick also serves as a Japanese interpreter, most recently on board the CGC MELLON and CGC OLIVER HENRY. Prior to joining the Coast Guard, Nick was the owner and operator of Singapore's only American dive-bar-meets-karaoke joint, Skinny’s Lounge. Nick is also passionate about serving the local community outside his work obligations. He’s spent many years as a volunteer fireman and is an associate board member on the William Penn Foundation. While he has not professionally pursued it, Nick has a lifelong love for film and photography. He studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy and photography at Bennington College, where he received his B.A. in 2010. 

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photographs by Nick and Marie Haas