Role of the Moon Part II – From Rodney Collins (26)

Introduction

This post carries on from the previous one. What is essential to take from the previous post (25) is that the Moon has its effect on water or on the liquids of the Earth giving them some freedom, and with this freedom the ability to move.

All of Life is Moist

“All of life is moist” that is quite true, Rodney Collins states that all of life is moist, and therefore what can influence water can also influence life. Rodney makes a certain distinction saying that there are degrees in the effect of the Moon on the various forms of life according to their moisture content.

He states that the life forms that have a higher moisture content are more noticeably affected by the Moon. He gives the examples of how land crabs, palolo worms, oysters, scallops and sea-urchins have sexual rhythms that follow the phase of the Moon. Even vegetables like melons, marrows and Sargasso-seaweed reach their maximum moisture content at the time of the full moon.

The Sun Endows Life, the Planets Form and the Moon Motion

Rodney Collins states that “The world of nature, engendered by the Sun, built of the Earth, and clothed with form by the planets, is endowed with motion by the Moon.”. This tends to make a lot of sense as certainly our flesh and bones come from the Earth, our life certainly fed by the Sun and comes from the stars and as we are to a large percentage water and already noting that the Moon gives water the freedom to move, our movement function is given to us by the Moon.

A post in the near future will cover in more detail how the Moon influences our movements.

Moon's Place in the Hierarchy of Planetary Influences

I could never understand why Gabriel the regent of the Moon in esotericism was regarded so highly, especially when the Moon was meant to be a lifeless planet and all the other Cosmocrators (Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Michael, Samael, Zachariel and Orifiel) or archangels are regents of planets that are alive.

It now makes sense because the Moon does indeed have a very real influence on the Earth and so from a Earth dwellers point of view it makes sense that the Moon be regarded as one of the planets that has its place in the Hierarchy of planets that influence life on Earth.

Conclusion

So wherever there is liquid there is lunar motion, so in summary the role of the Moon is to give life on Earth the ability to move. And by virtue of this it is like a pendulum controlling via cycles the movement of life on Earth.

End (26).

Role of the Moon Part I – From Rodney Collins (25)

Introduction

This is quite a complex post actually so to make it easier to read I have divided it into three parts. This, the first part will introduce the idea of the Moon as playing the role of a counter or balance weight.

The Moon as a Counter Weight

Rodney Collins in his book “Theory of Celestial Influence” puts forward that the moon acts a balance or a counter weight for the Earth. 

He says that the Moon balances and smooths the effect of the Sun’s energy on the Earth. However he goes on to talk more about how the Moon really acts as a counter weight by acting on the waters of the Earth.

In the above diagram, the Counterweight is the Moon and the Load is the liquids of the Earth. The Pivot point is the Earth's surface or the body containing the liquid.

The Moon as a Counter Weight For Liquids

Rodney Collins says that the liquids of the Earth would be sucked flat to the Earth’s surface if it wasn’t for the effect of the Moon. It is very evident and well known to science that the effect of the Moon’s gravitational pull is to attract the liquids of the Earth towards it.

So then the Moon acts as a counter weight for the Earth’s liquids (and also life) to gravitational force of the Earth. In effect the Moon’s gravitational pull gives the liquids of the Earth some freedom and with that freedom the ability to move.

Conclusion

So in effect Rodney Collins says, the Moon controls the movement of liquids on the Earth and is related to motion and movement. As most of the Earth’s creatures are full of liquid then the Moon controls to some degree their ability to move.

Subsequent posts will talk about the effect of the Moon on the liquids inside the human being and how the Moon influences the movement of the human being.

End (25).

Responsibility to the Moon – From Rodney Collins (24)

Earth Moon Relationship

Observing all the planets and their moons in our solar system we see that the Earth and the Moon have a unique relationship.

What makes the Earth-Moon relationship unique is that the Earth only has one moon and that the Moon’s size compared to the Earth, i.e. the satellite to parent ratio is very high. So high that if we were to take the Sun and add up all the planets and moons in the solar system the comparison would not be as high as it is between the Moon and the Earth.

Putting Numbers to it

The total mass of all the planets in the solar system is one 800^th of the Sun’s mass, however the mass of the Moon is one 80^th of that of the Earth. Meaning the Earth is carrying ten times more weight than the Sun. In effect the Earth is much more burdened or weighed down than the Sun, indicating to us that the Earth’s physical circumstances are very constraining and limiting and that is karma.

A Huge Responsibility or Burden

In light of this the Earth is really taking on a large responsibility when it comes to the weight of the Moon. The Earth in fact supports the Moon at a very far distance making it more taxing for the Earth.

Putting Numbers to it

The distance the Moon is from the Earth is 30 times the diameter of the Earth, and it happens that only Saturn supports a moon (Japet) at this distance, however the size of Japet is much smaller than that of the Moon.

Conclusion

From this analysis of the physical relationship between the Earth and the Moon we can conclude that the Earth is the most burdened planet in the Solar System. Meaning we can say that is the most constrained and lacks the freedom that the other planets have.

End (24).

Planets and Satellites – From Rodney Collins (23)

A General Model – A Nucleus and its Satellites

By observation the model of a central vitalising nucleus with various satellites orbiting it is very widespread in creation. It seems to be a “fundamental pattern” in fact.

We can see this pattern in our solar system with the Sun and its orbiting planets and amongst the planets themselves with their orbiting satellites or moons. We even see at an atomic scale within an atom where electrons revolve around a central nucleus and furthermore we can even see it in human life within a family, where a father supports “the ‘satellites’ of his family, the employer his workers and the teacher his pupils.”. Perhaps even inside the human body we have the heart which supports all the organs whose functions revolve around the heart.

How great or developed a system is depends on its level of responsibility. The more dependents a central sun has the more responsibility it has and the more developed it is. For example the work of a person may support three workers and the work of another may support four hundred.

Satellites Perform a Function

In this model described above, the central sun and its satellites comprises a whole, and in turn this whole may have a function as a component of a greater whole. However, the main function of this whole is to maintain itself as a whole and therefore within it the sun and its satellites fulfil a certain function – no part is irrelevant.

So applying this to our planet Earth and Moon our Earth and Moon make a valuable contribution to the functioning of the solar system, which in esotericism is called Ors.

Role of the Central Sun

The role of a central sun or nucleus is essentially to be responsible for its satellites, which in particular means to inspire, guide, nourish and support. Essentially it means to relate to the satellite and in any relationship there is an exchange or more in this case from parent to dependents a supply of knowledge and energy. So the sun feeds its planets and this is certainly true in the case of the Sun and the Earth. The sun supports life on the Earth and the life on the Earth is very much dependent o it.

Role of the Satellites

The role of satellites is to also relate to the central body that they revolve around, but their role is not one of responsibility or supplying energy but rather one of receiving or taking. The satellite receives energy and knowledge from the central sun and it aspires to be like the central sun.

Applying this to the Moon and the Earth, the Moon takes energy and knowledge from the Earth to feed and maintain itself.

Conclusion

This has been an extraordinary learning seeing how prevalent the model of the central sun and its satellites are in our nature and life. It is everywhere and like the post says it seems that is a very ancient esoteric knowledge that the very early native people knew about.

The satellites are needed for the planet to function and are also needed for the greater whole to function. So our Moon certainly has a role to fulfil in the Earth-Moon system and in the solar system. So it can’t be so dead after all.

End (23).

Lunar Influence – From Rodney Collins (22)

A Series of Posts

What I am planning to do is to create a series of posts all related to the very logically sound and clear material presented in the chapter called the Moon from a book titled “Theory of Celestial Influence” written by Rodney Collins.

Rodney Collins really does a magnificent job in laying down a very logically sound basis for the influence of the Moon from both a scientific and esoteric point of view.

End (22).

Lunar Influence – How does it Affect Us? (21)

Introduction

Following on from the previous posts this post will look at how the Moon actually influences in terms how we actually feel.

A Psychologist’s Experience

We can easily find an answer to this question of what the Moon’s influence actually like in us, by simply observing how we feel physically, vitally, emotionally and mentally during various moon phases, paying special attention to the new and full moon phases. However to have another person explain what they have observed makes our own observations more solid.

So here below is an excerpt from a website where a psychologist’s experiences were described.

“Sydney psychologist Adam Fitzpatrick, of Essential Psych Solutions, said he could predict the clients he would see in any given week based on the size of the moon.

He said some patients were less in control of their emotions while others just felt "not on their game" when there was a full moon.

"I know at my own practice I see a lot more emotional distress, relationship problems, communication problems around the time of the full moon," he said.

"People are a lot more emotional, a lot more needy, they just can't handle their impulses (as well as they normally can)."

He said his advice to people who felt particularly vulnerable around the full moon was to "batten down the hatches" and ride the storm.”

Conclusion

My personal experience and observations of others actually coincides with the observations and experience of the psychologist that I have cited in this post. These observations also fit in very well with classic esotericism, where the Moon agitates the impulses and emotions of the human being.

So these observations may well help you to hone in on the effects of the Moon on your psychosomatic system.

End (21).

Lunar Influence – Sleep (20)

Introduction

It has finally been found that the lunar phases do indeed affect our sleep. This has been the result of several studies and much research. The latest research results from Dr Christian Cajochen strongly suggest that the full moon does indeed affect sleep in human beings, giving them a sleep that is not as good as normal.

The Study’s Findings

It was in summary found that the full-moon made brain activity related to deep sleep to drop by 30% and that people in the study took five minutes longer to go to sleep and they overall slept 20 minutes less.

This is not surprising because generally the effect of the full moon on human behaviour is to agitate, make restless and amplify impulses and emotions Therefore, one would expect that with such increased agitation sleep would be more difficult and not as deep or restful.

Conclusion

Dr Christian Cajochen from the University of Basel in Switzerland said the following about the findings of his research: "The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not see the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase,". This interesting observation shows us that the influence is real and it is not our mind reacting to the full moon and creating this behavioural disturbance.

End (20).

Lunar Influence – When does it Peak? (19)

Introduction

We logically think that the peak of the influence of the moon is on the night of a full moon. In many cases and for many individuals this is certainly true, however this may not hold 100% for other cases and individuals. For example the Moon also exerts an influence during a new Moon and the peak of the Moon’s influence on a person may be felt to be its maximum a day before the full moon.

A Few Days Before or After

The effect of the Moon on us can start a few days before full moon and extend a day or two after the full moon. It makes sense that the full moon’s influence reaches a maximum after a few days momentum however, the effect of the influence could also wear off after a few days as well. That is perhaps why many people feel that intensely strange two or one day before the full moon.

Anyhow the intensity of the influence varies from individual to individual. If you are able to experiment with yourself by carefully observing how you feel three days before a full moon all the way until three days after the full moon. Write down your observation for 7 days and nights. Three days before, on the full moon and three days after equalling seven days.

Varies from Individual to Individual

The conclusion that we came to in the previous point is that the effect of the Moon’s influence depends on each individual. The Moon may well have her favourite human being or type of human being that She affects more acutely than the rest – perhaps those who belong to the Zodiac sign of Cancer?

The effect of the full moon depends on how much fluid there is in the body and how healthy you are. Even the effect varies from individual to individual. Usually the more balanced and stable a person is mentally and emotionally the less the Moon will influence such a person.

Conclusion

The best way to know about the influence of the Moon on human beings is to note how it affects you. Do you feel usually strange in some way a few days before the full moon or on the full moon or a few days after? How does the new moon phase affect you?

In my case I feel quite well on a full moon’s night and quite energetic. Whenever I have travelled on a full moon I have travelled very well. The only bad side is that a few days before a full moon and a few days after the ego of lust in me seems to attack more so than before and has a greater than usual hypnotic force.

End (19).

Lunar Influence – Emergency Rooms & Psychiatric Wards (18)

Introduction

Following on from the previous posts this post will look at the influence of the Moon on emergency rooms and psychiatric wards. It is a very common observation to those who work in emergency rooms and in psychiatric wards that on a night of a full moon, the number of emergency room admittals is higher than normal than normal and in psychiatric wards the in-patients are more restless and agitated than usual.

Many Studies

Many studies have been made with regard to the effect of the Moon on emergency department admissions and psychiatric ward conditions.

The results of some studies are quite conclusive while others are rather confusing. It seems though that the effect of the moon can vary from individual to individual. For example it seems that one individual may feel the influence of a full moon very strongly a few days before the full moon, while others a day after and for some others on the same night as full moon.

Emergency Rooms

For triage nurses and doctors who work in emergency rooms, are quite accustomed to be briefed about that tonight is a full moon and an increased number of admittals is to be expected. Typically on a full moon’s night the number of admittals due to injuries related to violence is greater and studies have concluded that on a full moon the number of break-ins and other small crimes increases as well. Usually on a full moon’s night the number of admissions to the emergency department increases and the urgency of the admissions is generally higher as well.

Some studies on the other hand have resulted in contradictory results where a full moon 12 hour and 24 hour period yielded more positive results of the correlation between increased admissions and the full moon while the 3 day period seemed to show no positive correlation.

This I think is due to the fact that the influence of the full Moon peaks at different times around a full moon for each individual. Some for example may feel it very intensely a day or two before full moon, while others on the night of the full moon while others a day after etc.

Psychiatric Wards

Those who work in psychiatric wards can easily observe the more restless and agitated nature of patients on the night of a full moon night, suggesting that the full moon does in fact have an influence upon the psyche of the human being. It seems in those that are more unbalanced than normal - mentally speaking, the effect of the moon is greater.

Studies have shown that on a full moon the number of admissions to psychiatric wards or at least the number presentations that were psychologically related does increase on a full moon’s night. It appeared from one study that the number of admissions or presentations increased not for anxiety disorders but for personality disorders to do with misbehaviour.

This is quite an interesting observation actually, because the full moon provokes energy and agitation in the person not depression, fear and anxiety. It is the opposite in fact. So that is why on a full moon’s night there are less anxiety or depression disorder suffers admitted to hospital on such nights. Their admission or presentation numbers may well increase on a new moon, when the level of agitation and excitement is at its lowest.

Conclusion

Here is although a bit contradictory in certain places that the moon does somehow affect human behaviour. We say in Gnosis that this effect can of course be annulled, but to do that we first need a permanent centre of gravity in our psyche to which we always gravitate and cling to and the Moon’s influence cannot pull us away from.

End (18).

Lunar Influence – Tree Sap (17)

Introduction

Following on from the previous posts this post will look at the influence of the Moon on the raising and falling levels of sap within trees. It became a custom of old that trees to be used in the construction of houses and barns were felled during a new moon, avoiding the full moon.

Sap Levels in Trees and the Moon

It has been known for centuries that the sap in trees rises when it is a full moon and drops when it is a new moon. This ancient observation is well inline what we have come to know about the effect of the Moon, which is that the Moon has a special influence on the waters of the Earth , whether it be on the surface of the Earth or locked within living creatures.

It seems from all accounts that the Moon draws or pulls on the liquids of the Earth attempting to draw them ever so closer to it. This effect of the Moon on the liquids of the Earth reaches it maximum during the full moon and reaches its minimum during new moon.

Hard Wood or Soft Wood

Whether a log of timber turns out be hard or soft in greatly dependent on the level of sap in the tree when it was cut. If there was a lot of sap in the tree’s branches the resulting wood will turn out soft and if there was little sap in the capillaries of the tree the wood will turn out hard.

Had wood for construction is much better and so trees that were going to be used for heavy construction type work were cut on a full moon’s night and day.

Softwood may be used for other purposes but definitely not for construction.

Conclusion

This is another proof or example of the Moon’s influence of the waters of the Earth.

End (17).

Lunar Influence – Blood Flow (16)

Introduction

Following on from the previous posts this post will look at the influence of the Moon on blood flow. It appears from my research that in times of a full moon, blood in animals and human beings flows ever so easily than at all other times.

Surgery

It has been reported that some surgeons would not operate on the night of a full moon because it was said that blood does not clot as easily and the bleeding from wounds produced by surgery were more difficult to stop.

It has even been said that carrying out operations on days of a full moon has been banned by medical authorities in certain parts of the world.

Because blood flow is more sluggish around the Last Quarter and New Moon periods, these phases are more beneficial to healing following surgery because the possibility of haemorrhaging is much reduced.

Dehorning

It is a common practice among livestock workers that if an animal has to be dehorned, it would be done on any other night than a full moon.

The reason for this is that the wound produced by dehorning a bull for example would bleed excessively, only stopping with much effort on the part of the worker.

Mixture of Opinions

It seems however that there have been some studies done on the effect of the moon and blood flow and some correlation has been found, however in some circles this correlation has been reduced to claiming that the statistical analysis performed was not so conclusive after all.

Some hospitals and surgery boards pay no attention to lunar phases when conducting surgery, while the surgery boards in some countries certainly do. Some traditions such as oriental acupuncture acknowledge that during a full moon chi or qi and blood flow very easily and the muscles are full of blood and are energised, and when the moon begins to wane chi and blood levels in the muscles lower.

Conclusion - Try for Yourself

Well the only way to be sure is to get your own knowledge and experiment by yourself.

End (16).

Lunar Influence – Full Moon Names (15)

Introduction

Over the centuries many cultures have given very descriptive names to the full moons that appear each month. These names in turn tell us a lot about how the full moon for that month influences nature.

This post describes each full moon and the influence that each full moon has on nature.

Full Moon Names

January: The Wolf Moon

Also called the Snow Moon, where the howls of wolves is heard more frequently than any other time of the year.

February: The Snow Moon

Also called the Hunger Moon, where the snow levels are at their peak for the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Hunting conditions are also more difficult and it is common for tribes living off hunting to pass through hunger.

March: The Worm Moon

Called this because the snow melts and the earthworms begin to emerge from their winters dwellings beneath the ground’s surface. Also called the Lenten Moon, Crust Moon, Crow Moon and Sap Moon, where respectively, Christian’s thought of it as the last moon in winter, crust forms on the snow from constant thawing and refreezing, crows begin cawing and the sap of maple trees are best harvested.

April: The Pink Moon

Also called the Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and the Fish Moon. At this point spring in the Northern Hemisphere has arrived and the ground is covered with the pink flowers from wild grass such as the wild ground phlox.

May: The Flower Moon

Flowers in the Northern Hemisphere come to full bloom and corn is ready to be planted. It is also called the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

June: The Strawberry Moon

In the Northern Hemisphere at this time strawberry picking reaches its yearly high.

July: The Buck Moon

Buck deer start growing hair over their antlers.

August: The Sturgeon Moon

The month where Sturgeon fish are most easily caught. Also called the Red Moon where the August summer hazes slightly colour the Moon red. Also called the Grain Moon where grain is harvested.

September: The Harvest Moon

In the Northern Hemisphere this is the opportune time to harvest many foods such as all types of grain, squash, pumpkins, beans, rice etc.

October: The Hunter’s Moon

This is the best time to go hunting because the winter is coming and stock levels need to be high to pass through winter.

November:  The Beaver Moon

At this time the beavers are preparing for winter, and are easy to trap and build a store of fur for winter. It has also been called the frost moon as frost begins to settle.

December: The Cold Moon

At this time winter has fully set in and temperatures drop severely. This moon is also called the Long Night Moon because the winter nights get longer with there being more night than day.

Full Moon’s Influence

Some of the moon names describe the influence that the full moon has at a particular time of the year. These full moons are really for January, August and October, where the full moon influences behaviour of wolves in January with their more frequent howling, the increased activity of Sturgeon fish in August and the mating of deer in October.

Full Moon Peaks activity

The names given are really season dependent. However, it turns out that the full moon only really represents the peak of the phenomena occurring in that month. For example, in October, the full moon brings about a peak in the mating of deer and so it is easier for hunters to catch deer as they are busy mating instead of moving.

Conclusion

These names are ones that we don’t commonly hear about in everyday life but they have always been there. Knowing them just adds a little bit more to our awareness of what is going on in nature in each month of the year.

Please note, the full moon influence for each month is different for each hemisphere, so that must be taken into account as well.

End (15).

Lunar Influence – Hunting and Fishing (14)

Introduction

There is such a thing as the hunter’s moon and the fisherman’s moon, meaning that a particular phase of the moon is better for hunting and fishing than other phases.

Hunter’s Moon

The hunter’s moon is a full moon that is commonly known in the northern hemisphere to occur in October. It is the month where the deer are fattened after summer grazing and because winter time is coming it is the opportune time to store up as much meat as possible. That is why the full moon in October is traditionally known as the hunter’s moon.

Full Moon Hunting

Also though, the hunting on any full moon is said to be better because of the simple fact that of course there is more light to spot animals but more because animals tend to be more active on a full moon’s night.

Deer Hunting

Deer hunting is an excellent example, where hunters are now using the phase of the moon to predict deer activity. It is well known to science that the deer mating time is heavily influenced by the moon. It is said that a few days before and after the second full moon after the autumnal equinox deer mating activity is at a maximum because the female deer enters into heat at a peak level for the year.

So then the deer are more active some nights before and after such a full moon, and more importantly they tend to congregate in one area rather than roaming over large areas.

Fisherman’s Moon

Unfortunately there isn’t a full moon on a particular month that has been named the Fisherman’s moon. However, it seems by observation that every full moon is a fisherman’s moon as every full moon seems to be good for fishing.

Moonset and Moonrise

Fish are more active when they are feeding and it has been observed that fish usually fed at dawn and at dusk, so naturally they are best times to fish, however it has also been observed that fish tend to fed at moonset and moonrise as well. So there are four times when they fed during the day.

If a fisherman combines the full moon and with the knowledge of these four times during the day he or she will find the fish most active at these times. They say that fish are most active 45 minutes before and 45 minutes after a moonset or sunset or sunrise and a moonrise.

It happens that the moonset influences the food that the fish feed on and because moonset and moonrise happen during the day under daylight the increase in fish activity can not easily be observed.

Conclusion

So it seems that whenever the Moon is reflecting light to the Earth’s surface the Moon can not contribute a cooling down effect on the Earth. However during the times of a new Moon or no Moon it may be possible that the Moon could exert a very slight cooling effect.

End (14).

Does the Moon Make Cold Nights Colder? (13)

Introduction

One may think that when the nights are cold because there are not clouds, that the Moon actually makes it colder, because the Moon itself is cold. Well this post is a brief investigation of that thought.

Lunar Surface Temperature

Actually when it is a full Moon the Moon is receiving as much of the Sun’s rays as it possibly can and therefore the surface of the Moon heats up.

During a full Moon the surface temperature of the Moon actually rises to a level considerably higher than that of boiling point, to approximately 125°C. Therefore, the rays that are reflected off the Moon’s surface, and which come to the Earth, are actually somewhat warm and definitely not of a cooling down effect.

The dark side of the Moon however during full Moon has a surface temperature of 153°C.

Conclusion

So it seems that whenever the Moon is reflecting light to the Earth’s surface the Moon can not contribute a cooling down effect on the Earth. However during the times of a new Moon or no Moon it may be possible that the Moon could exert a very slight cooling effect.

End (13).

Lunar Influence – Tides (12)

Introduction

Much has been said about the influence of the Moon on the Earth. This post looks at the influence the moon has on the waters of the Earth, in the form of the tides.

The Tides

This influence of the moon is definitely the first thing that is thought of when the Moon and the Earth are mentioned together. Basically because of the Moon and also the Sun we have the low and high tides.

The Moon draws the waters of the Earth up towards it and on the other side the Sun draws the Earth toward it away from the waters being drawn up towards the Moon.

This action creates the tides. It has been noted that the Chinese were to first ones to understand or least document that the Moon was the cause of the high and low tides.

The Bulge – High Tide

So when the Moon pulls on the water directly below it a bulge is created and that bulge produces a high tide in the area directly under the Moon. On the opposite side of the Earth another bulge is produced as well, this is due to the centrifugal force.

The Other Bulge

What happens with the centrifugal force producing that extra bulge, is that imagine you are the Earth and you are swinging a heavy rock (the Moon) on a string around above head. There will be the centripetal force acting on you, which is the force keeping the rock close to you and then there is the centrifugal force that would send the rock flying away from you. To counter the centrifugal force you will find yourself leaning away from the rock, your centre of mass will have shifted away from the rock to counteract the centrifugal force using your own weight.

This is exactly what happens with the other bulge, because the Earth’s centre of mass changes due to having to counteract the centrifugal force that would see the Moon flying away from it, the Earth’s centre of mass changes and that is reflected by a bulge in water moving the centre of mass away from the Moon.

A Second Tide – Thanks to the Sun

We actually have two tides, one due to the Moon and one due to the Sun. The cause of the tides produced by the Sun is exactly the same as that caused by the Moon. The same mechanisms are at play.

Birth, Death and the Tides

There is a certain superstition that says death tends to be more prevalent in a low tide and less prevalent during a high tide. This was a belief in Old England from North Umberland to Kent.

It has also been said that births are more prevalent during a high tide and less prevalent during a low tide.

Conclusion

The tides are the most tangible of the Moon’s influence on the Earth and they are essentially caused due to the gravitational pull of the Moon on the Earth. It seems that the Moon has a special tendency to pull on the waters of the Earth and that includes the water inside the human being.

The bulge in the Earth’s waters is caused by the pull of the Moon and where that bulge is on the Earth is where there is high tide and everywhere else except on the opposite side of the Earth there will be low tide.

End (12).

Lunar Influence – Meat & Vegetables (11)

Introduction

Much has been said about the influence of the Moon on the Earth. This post looks at the influence the moon has on meat and on the growth of vegetables. Much of it could well be superstition however it is worth noting even in passing.

Effect of the Moon’s Rays on Meat

It has been said that the moon’s rays tend to make animal carcasses decay and rot a lot sooner than if they were not exposed to the rays of the Moon at night. There is even one account by Euthydenus of Sunium that was so surprised how a the carcass of a wild boar rotted so quickly under the rays of the Moon, even more than if it were exposed to the rays of the sun.

Pliny is said to have also said that the carcasses of animals exposed to the Moon’s rays gets corrupted as does the bodies of the living. So it according to that statement of Pliny it may not be such a good idea to sleep under or in the light of the Moon.

Vegetables

It has been said that “when the light of the moon waxes warmer, golden-hued plants grow on from the earth during the spring.” And that cucumbers, radishes, turnips, leeks, lilies, horseradish, saffron and other plants increase in size (grow more) during the time when the moon is becoming full. However, onions grow larger and take more nourishment when the moon is waning.

They also say that it is better to pick mushrooms on a full moon and apples are said to shrivel up quicker if they are picked on a waning moon. That makes sense because on a waxing moon there is much more moisture in the fruit.

Conclusion

The moon must exert some influence over the plants as they contain much moisture within them moving in small channels (capillaries) and the drawing up effect of the Moon on water has to have some effect. However, the influence of eh sun is far greater and of far more a critical nature, this most certainly can not be ignored.

End (11).

Lunar Influence - Plants (10)

Introduction

Obviously the Moon influences the Earth and in turn even more so because the Earth is much greater, the Earth also influences the Moon. However, this post is only concerns itself with some aspects of the influence the Moon has on the Earth, namely how the Moon influences vegetable life.

A Quote from Plutarch

Plutarch allegedly said:

“The moone showeth her power most evidently even in those bodies, which have neither sense nor lively breath; for carpenters reject the timber of trees fallen in the ful-moone, as being soft and tender, subject also to the worme and purification, and that quickly, by reason of excessive moisture; husbandmen, likewise, make haste to gather up their wheat and other grain from the threshing-floore, in the wane of the moone, and toward the end of the month, that being hardened thus with drinesse, the heape in the garner may keepe the better from being fustie, and continue the longer, whereas corne which is inned and laied up at the full of the moone, by reason of the softnesse and overmuch moisture, of all other, doth most cracke and burst. It is commonly said also, that is a leaven be laied in the ful-moone, the paste will rise and take leaven better.”

Conclusion

Plutarch here is saying that the Moon’s influence is felt strongest in the plants and trees. Interesting hey? I would have thought that it would influence the creatures of the oceans and seas the most.

In the waxing and full moon, moisture in the plants and trees rises and when the moon is waning the moisture and sap drains out of eh plant or tree, and in the case of timber making it harder, and in the case of corn making it dryer

If something is better having moisture rise in it (like yeast) then the opportune time is the full moon and if something is better when something inside it falls or lowers then the no moon is the opportune moment.

End (10).

Lunar Month

Introduction

From the study of the moon’s constantly repeating cycles we have the lunar calendar which comprises of 12 more or less equal time periods, called months.

Month

The word month itself has its roots in the word Moon, rightly so as a month is the time taken for the Moon to complete one cycle that is from new Moon to new Moon again.

New Moon

Please note ‘new Moon’ is the phase of the Moon where no Moon can be seen in the night sky, this is because the Moon is right in between the Earth and the Sun. Light from the Sun hits the side of the moon closest to it and illuminates it but the side of the Moon facing the Earth remains unlit by the sun and consequently the Moon appears fully dark to us.

Lunation and its Duration

Lunation is another word for a month as defined in the section above. A lunation on average takes 29.53 days.

Why 12 Months in a Year?

A solar year is defined as the time taken for the earth to orbit the sun. This has been measured to take 365 days.

So the answer to the question “Why are there twelve months in a year?” can be answered by saying that the year calendar that we currently use here in the West is half solar and half lunar. Its overall governing parameter is the solar year, that is one year has 365 days in it, and to divide the year into months, 12 whole lunar months fit into the a solar year.

The calculations below show how the number 12 is derived and the reason why some months have more days than others.

If we were to multiply 12 by the average lunation period or lunar month time which is 29.53 days we end up with 354 days. Meaning 11 days are unaccounted for.

So to make up these missing 11 days some months get more than 29.53 days such as there being 31 days in January and March and 30 days in April etc. etc.

End.