Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Robert Walton wrote:

> Glad I got it close :>) Close and no ticks, I'm good. That is a good 
> experiment. I might try it.
>
> I know about doing things by the moon. How do you know when the moon 
> is in a particular sign?

As you have guessed, there are two parts to this planning.  First is the
moon phase, which is easy enough to figure out just by looking at it or
if it is cloudy, checking a calendar. Secondly, you can also determine
what sign or constellation the moon is in, it's place in the sky.  Now
is where it gets tricky, because some lists of constellations are
astronomical lists and some lists are astrological lists.  The latter
only considers  when the moon is in a zodiac constellation, the former
precisely determines the location of the moon, zodiac or non-zodiac
constellation.  If someone tells you that the moon is in Ophiuchus or
Auriga, you know that they are looking at an astronomical list.  As a
scientist, I know that the astronomical list is precise and the
'factual' one, but my thinking(and this parallel the whole western vs.
alternative thinking again) is that throughout history, man used the
astrological calendar and has developed this system based on
observational and practical knowledge, so while it may not be exact and
factual, it still works, and maybe even works better.  Like I say, it is
kind of a paradigm shift in one's way of thinking about things.  Many
times the ancients made conclusions and acted on information they
observed in the sky.  Perhaps their logic of explanation was incorrect,
but the end result was the same.
As to knowing the where the moon is in the sky, you can, of course,
observe that with your eyes if you know your constellations, and if you
don't, there are always almanacs and other guides to help you.  Even an
astronomical list is very close.  I use the Old Farmer's Almanac, which
gives both times.
Here is a list for January, the first column is astronomical, the second
is astrological

1 Aquarius      Pisces
2 Piscus        Pisces
3 Piscus        Aries
4 Piscus        Aries
5 Piscus        Taurus
6 Aries         Taurus
7 Aries         Gemini
8 Taurus        Gemini
9 Taurus        Cancer
10 Gemini       Cancer
11 Gemini       Cancer
12 Cancer       Leo
13 Leo          Leo
14 Leo          Virgo
15 Leo          Virgo
16 Virgo        Libra
17 Virgo        Libra
18 Virgo        Scorpio
19 Libra        Scorpio
20 Libra        Sagittarius
21 Scorpius     Sagittarius
22 Ophiuchus    Sagittarius
23 Sagittarius  Capricorn
24 Sagittarius  Capricorn
25 Sagittarius  Capricorn
26 Capricornus  Aquarius
27 Capricornus  Aquarius
28 Aquarius     Pisces
29 Aquarius     Pisces
30 Piscus       Aries
31 Piscus       Aries


So, now you can see why astronomers don't believe in astrology<g>...it
is different...close, but different.  Note that for most days, most of
the time, the astronomical moon is a bit quicker through the
constellations than the actual moon, and that is because of the 'extra'
constellations in the actual sky.  I don't time things down to the hour
and minute like some biodynamic gardeners do, simply because it is all
kind of relative.  Over the centuries, the constellations and their
boundaries have changed, and what we call Ophiuchus may have been called
by another name in the past. One culture's asterism is another's
constellation.  A good example is the Big Dipper/Ursa Major/The Plow/The
Bear, etc.  The most recent boundaries for the constellations were only
established about 100 years ago.
My philosophy on it is that it is a way of marking time.  Most ancient
calendars were lunar, and many still are(Judaic, Chinese, Islamic, etc.)

You cut your trees at the Full Moon, in the light of the Moon, whether
you were in Gemini or Cancer, I don't know.  I can't say how that will
affect the wood you cut...folklore says it will burn hot and split
easily and not rot.  I could build a model of the solar system and
calculate tidal pulls and gravity and apogees and perigees and all of
that for the Moon's position, but all those numbers aren't important.
You just have to know that tidal forces are strong at a Full Moon,
especially at perigee like it was this past weekend(that was why it was
so freaking bright!), and those forces affect the sap in trees.  You
have to use common sense, too...like you did..it may be the best of all
possible worlds to cut wood when the full moon is in Leo, but if that
occurs in mid summer, then, that would be a pain.  I checked the
calendar and as it happens, the next Full Moon in Leo, the ONLY Full
Moon in Leo for 2009, is next month, Feb 8th and Feb 9th, just in case
anyone wants to cut wood then.. :)
So you ask yourself,,,did the lore come about by many years of
observation, or is it just coincidence that February, a good cutting
wood month, happens to have a Full Moon in Leo?


--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge