The moon's cycles

[suanni]

Okay, I am probably showing total ignorance here and if I am I'll sit in the corner with my dunce's cap on
In today's pagan lifestyle, other than the major Sabbats (which have an agricultural significance) the moon cycles takes precedence and each quarter of the moon has a different meaning.
As we seemed to have totally lost all knowledge of the Northern hemisphere's old ways, just how were these determined? Who or what determined the meanings?

 

[juantoo3]

Kindest Regards, suanni!

I am not any help with the lunar symbology, but in the states we have The Old Farmer's Almanac. In it you can learn an awful lot about the mechanics, about how the moon affects the natural cycle of the earth. Maybe you have an almanac available in the UK? Just a thought,

 

[iBrian]

Agriculture was almost universally driven by a lunar calendar, not a solar one - the latter of which seems to be a relatively "modern" invention.

 

[suanni]

Thankyou for the answers.
We do have an almanac in this country. Looked at it once....bought it once and then forgot about it. Did really mean to check at the end of the year to see if any of the predictions in it came true!! Ah, a sceptic to the last. LOL
I know in agriculture planting and harvesting by the moon's cycles was good practise and it seems to have been taken up again, some with little gardens and allotments, some by farmers (with great success).
Where did the 'magickal' influences come from? Was it merely the agricultural influences?

 

[alexa]

As we seemed to have totally lost all knowledge of the Northern hemisphere's old ways, just how were these determined? Who or what determined the meanings?

I think you'll find interesting this article about the Moon from the Pagan Astronomy network:

http://paganastronomy.net/moon.htm

Ray Schwarz, a pagan editor wrote a very interesting article about Moon's cycles. It seems every month, the Moon has a different name :

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art22903.asp

 

[suanni]

Thankyou Alexa for the links. I did know much of that stuff (I've been pagan for quite a while) and really it doesn't answer my questions.

 

[alexa]

Hello Suanni,

I'm not a pagan, so please forgive my ignorance.

I'll do a research and if I can find something more interesting than the first time, I'll let you know.

Alexa

 

[suanni]

Thankyou very much Alexa. I hope I didn't appear rude.

 

[alexa]

Not at all, Suanni. You were right, I didn't understand your questions.

I understand it's a basic magick to know how to use the moon's energies.

May I ask if you want to know who had determined rules like the folowing ?

During the waxing moon cycle, our work should be concentrated on drawing what we want towards us. During the waning moon, our work should be pivoted primarily towards banishing that which we want out of our lives.

 

[suanni]

Actually this is not going to be an easy one to explain and phrase into a question.
As you saw in the links the moon has different 'powers' with regard to the phase in paganism, dark moon is recognised as wisdom, full; nurturing etc. It is the same (I suppose) the world over. Where these meanings came from I'm curious about. Did they come from the writings of the southern hemisphere or have they come from some source in the Northern hemisphere?
The moon even in scientific terms has a magnetic pull on the earth. But it is also known that the magnetic polarity with the different hemispheres works in the opposite way (tho I am not necessarily speaking of the moon's 'pull'. I ain't that good with astronomy, it is a subject I have yet to pick upon....I almost fell asleep in physics as a kid when the subject was covered). The best example to this is the way water goes down the plug hole. Clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. Whilst the effects on plant life will be the same....does the magickal properties of the moon have more to do with the 'sap' of the human body or does the 'magick' depend upon the magnetism?
I'll bet I still haven't got my questions phrased correctly.

 

[alexa]

As you saw in the links the moon has different 'powers' with regard to the phase in paganism, dark moon is recognised as wisdom, full; nurturing etc. It is the same (I suppose) the world over. Where these meanings came from I'm curious about. Did they come from the writings of the southern hemisphere or have they come from some source in the Northern hemisphere?

I'll bet I still haven't got my questions phrased correctly.

Hi suanni,

It's source has to be from the Northern hemisphere. I did a research for another thread and the evolution of paganism from the past till the present days came naturally crossed with the main topic (see morality within evolution). As I could see, we had had 3 mains pagan religions in the past : witchcraft (including shamanism from South Africa, South America and Siberia), the greek and the roman ancient pagan religions and the ancient druidism. Among all of them, the druids were the most educated people and their knowledge was really impressive. I could't find on the net more than that, but give me some time to search on the library and I'll see what I can do.

Don't worry, this time I really understood what are you looking for !

Regards,

Alexa

 

[alexa]

As you saw in the links the moon has different 'powers' with regard to the phase in paganism, dark moon is recognised as wisdom, full; nurturing etc. It is the same (I suppose) the world over. Where these meanings came from I'm curious about. Did they come from the writings of the southern hemisphere or have they come from some source in the Northern hemisphere?

Suanni, I don't know if this can help you. Just let me know if I took the right direction :

In most Pagan religions (Native American, Mayan, Incan, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, Viking, Pre-Christian Greek and Roman), the Earth is the Mother Goddess because she gives birth to all forms of life. The Sun and Sky is the God who's light and rain helps the Mother bring forth that life. The Moon is also seen as a part of the Goddess because her changing phases seem to control the emotions of people (emotions are considered feminine territory) as well as women's monthly menstrual bleeding. By observing the movements of the Sun and Moon and Stars, the ancients formed a picture of the divine world. They learned how to use these movements to make a calendar to tell them when to plant crops and when to harvest them. They created special festivals to celebrate the never-ending cycle of the seasons, the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

You know, it's amazing what progress can do. I found an astrology site while I was looking for the moon's cycles and I was amazed how an astrologer could determine your personal horoscope. I suppose it's the same thing for the meanings of different moons. Once you have a calendar and the evolution of the Moon, I suppose it's easy to find the meaning associated with. Of couse, you need a good data base to play with.

What do you think ?

Alexa

 

[suanni]

Thankyou for that. Astrology can be amazingly exact.
It does and doesn't answer my questions. I know, perverse, I think what I really need is a time machine!

 

[alexa]

I think what I really need is a time machine!

You are not the only one !

I wonder, as you are a pagan, you do not have any "internal" information ? I've always thought you have secrets to keep well hiden for the others ?

By the way, what kind of pagan you are ?

 

[Erynn]

Actually, in early Celtic tradition the moon might be either masculine (the Man in the Moon came from England, remember) or feminine. The sun is seen as feminine, and referred to in Gaelic as "a young queen in flower."

Early Paganism had as many expressions as there were cultures to express it in. There were far more than three "main" forms of Paganism, believe me. Though there is a good deal of misinformation out there, witchcraft/Wicca are not actually shamanic religions at all. Witchcraft wasn't universal, nor is Wicca extremely ancient -- though its newness does not make it an invalid path in any way. All religions were new once, and go through phases of development.

The Coligny Calendar of Gaul was a calendar that followed the metonic cycle following the movement of sun and moon through an approximately 19 year phase until they returned to the same place in the sky relative to each other. The year was divided into lucky (mat) and unlucky (an-mat) halves, and each month was divided into lucky and unlucky days.

Generally speaking, in modern Paganism, the waxing moon is seen as a good time for doing work with bringing things to fruition, the waning for diminishing and binding work. The full moon tends to be celebratory, with an emphasis on fullness and fertility, while the new moon is more introspective and focused on mystery and the unknown.

 

[alexa]

Early Paganism had as many expressions as there were cultures to express it in. There were far more than three "main" forms of Paganism, believe me.

Hi Erynn,

I have realised my post was not clear enough, so I have added the other pagan religions in my post no.12.

Though there is a good deal of misinformation out there, witchcraft/Wicca are not actually shamanic religions at all. Witchcraft wasn't universal, nor is Wicca extremely ancient -- though its newness does not make it an invalid path in any way. All religions were new once, and go through phases of development.

You are right. They are not the same.

The Coligny Calendar of Gaul was a calendar that followed the metonic cycle following the movement of sun and moon through an approximately 19 year phase until they returned to the same place in the sky relative to each other. The year was divided into lucky (mat) and unlucky (an-mat) halves, and each month was divided into lucky and unlucky days.

I suppose that's why we say sometime : "This is not my lucky day !"

Generally speaking, in modern Paganism, the waxing moon is seen as a good time for doing work with bringing things to fruition, the waning for diminishing and binding work. The full moon tends to be celebratory, with an emphasis on fullness and fertility, while the new moon is more introspective and focused on mystery and the unknown.

If I undestood suanni well, the question was : who has determined what is the best to do in a certain period of the month ?

Do you think each pagan religion has its own interpretation on the matter ?

Alexa

 

[Erynn]

If I undestood suanni well, the question was : who has determined what is the best to do in a certain period of the month ?

Do you think each pagan religion has its own interpretation on the matter ?

I think that they probably all have their own individual take on the matter. In truth, I think that a good deal of the planting lore was preserved from European folklore and brought over when folks came here. I doubt that the good Christian folk who were carrying these traditions though of such things as "Pagan." It was probably just viewed as traditional common sense -- new moon for dealing with root crops, waxing moon for planting, full for harvest, waning for pruning, culling the fields, and such.

I also think that a lot of modern Pagans create some of their own associations as well, following the calling of their spirit and the voice of the earth where they live. Modern traditions, when based on observation as well as intuition and found to work in a practical sense, are just as valid as ancient tradition. In some ways, they may be even more so, as they work in that particular place under the conditions of the land and waters found there, rather than being brought from places thousands of miles across the ocean to a new land.

 

[alexa]

I think that they probably all have their own individual take on the matter. In truth, I think that a good deal of the planting lore was preserved from European folklore and brought over when folks came here. I doubt that the good Christian folk who were carrying these traditions though of such things as "Pagan." It was probably just viewed as traditional common sense -- new moon for dealing with root crops, waxing moon for planting, full for harvest, waning for pruning, culling the fields, and such.

I remember my grandfather looking at the sky and saying what he was going to do for the next day. He didn't knew to write or to read, but he had kept in his memory what his father had told to him. There was no way to convince him on the contrary.

Thanks Erynn !