How To Plant By The Moon
Planting by the moon has earned itself a certain mystique
, for some, it conjures up naked bodies dancing under a moon lit sky. For others, ancient complex ceremonies of secret cults with pagan rituals and unknown symbols.
But in reality, for many centuries for travelers and, in particular, gardeners and farmers it has been a way of life. They firmly believe that vegetables should be planted, cultivated and harvested at certain times of the moon cycle and on particular dates of the lunar cycle in conjunction with the other planets.
Those who plant by the moon attest that, by following ancient traditions handed down through the generations, that the food they cultivate from the land tastes, grows, and looks better. Is there any truth in their beliefs, or is it just hocus pocus?
How Moon Planting Began
As far back as the 15th and 16th centuries astrology was an important part of everyday life. Remember this was a time without modern calendars and personal diaries.
During this time, people would look to the skies for weather predictions, to tell the time and to gleam the best possible time to plant their vegetables.
When you consider that the Earth is covered by oceans, and the tides of those oceans are governed by the moon and its place in relation to the orbiting planets, it makes sense that plants, which are roughly 90% water, would also be affected by the same planetary elements that affect the tides.
Plants were cataloged, if you like, by their specific features and each was given a sign of the zodiac. The process of assigning a sign of the zodiac to the plants was quite deliberate one based on the qualities of each plant.
The astrologers, who were held in the highest esteem by the ruler of the day, and the people they served, would look at the physical attributes of the plant, the illnesses it was used to treat, at the plant's 'family' and finally at the growing conditions which that particular plant needed.
It was a highly complicated process governed by nature and ruled by the moon. For example, plants that needed wet conditions to grow were assigned to the moon. Plants needing arid conditions were assigned to Mars.
What Moon Planting Means For Gardeners
This knowledge has been handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth, for a lot of the gardening wisdom was unwritten. Housewives and head gardeners for the rulers of the day, would diligently abide by the ancient's wisdom, and these beliefs are the same today as they were then.
They all firmly believed that vegetables planted while the moon was waxing (this is when the moon is transitioning between full and new) would mean rapid germination and good strong growth. When seeds are germinating and needing light to grow, they push up to the surface of the soil to get the light. During a waxing moon, the larger part of its surface is illuminated making it look larger in the sky, and the ancients believed that during this time the Earth's energy was directed upwards towards the large moon. So the connection was made between the upwards energy of the germinating plant and the Earth's energy being directed upwards towards the moon.
In a similar fashion, vegetables planted when the moon was waning (getting darker and smaller in the sky) would be the kind that needed darkness to grow, such as root vegetables which grow under the soil's surface.
It is believed that when the moon is waning the Earth's energy is directed back into the ground, and this is good for anything that grows in the darkness below the surface of the soil.
As you can see the logic of moon planting is relatively simple and understandable. Planting by the moon can be a lot more involved, but it's food for thought. Oh and by the way, dancing naked under a moon lit sky is optional!
by: Ryan Round
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