The Moon

Given the novel's overwhelming emphasis on mothers, femininity, and the secret lives of women, it's unsurprising that the moon (whose cycles mirror those of the female body) is a pretty important symbol. The moon is directly tied to August's female-centric brand of spiritualism:

. . . as long as people have been on this earth, the moon has been a mystery to us. Think about it. She is strong enough to pull the oceans, and when she dies away, she always comes back again. My mama used to tell me Our Lady lived on the moon . . . (6.111)

We get why August digs it so much—anything that can draw together the ocean tides, the Virgin Mary, and normal everyday women must be pretty darn powerful and important. That's probably why August is put out when she finds out the U.S. is sending a rocket ship there . . . why interfere with a good sisterhood?

Lily draws a link between the moon and maternity when she is in the middle of a fight with Rosaleen, her surrogate mother, and she has a dream about the moon breaking:

In my dream I was back on the peach farm, sitting out behind the tractor shed, and even though it was broad daylight, I could see a huge, round moon in the sky. It looked so perfect up there I gazed at it awhile, then leaned against the shed and closed my eyes. Next I heard a sound like ice breaking, and, looking up, I saw the moon crack apart and start to fall. I had to run for my life. (54.205)

The dream wakes her up—and funny enough, after having seen that mighty symbol of maternity shatter into a million pieces in her dream, she is inspired to go make up with Rosaleen. Coincidence? We think not.