Moon Planning
For thousands of years, people have looked to the Moon and her cycles for guidance. While our ancestors used the Sun to track the days, the Moon was used to track the weeks, months and seasons. In this week’s blog, we will look at how the Moon was used as a calendar in various ancient civilisations and how you can use the Moon today to plan your life.
The ancient Babylonians used a lunar calendar that consisted of 12 months of 29 or 30 days each, with an intercalary month of 5 or 6 days which was added at the end of the year to make up for the extra solar time, as early as the 5th century BC. The ancient Egyptians were also among the first to use a lunar calendar, using it to track the annual flooding of the Nile and the dates of religious festivals.
In ancient Europe, the Celtic lunar calendar was closely tied to the natural cycle of the world and the changing of the seasons. The dates of their religious ceremonies were based on the phases of the moon and the season. The Celtic Lunar Calendar was divided into 13 months of 28 days, with an extra day to align with the solar year. Each month was named after a plant or tree, so it was known as the Celtic Tree Calendar or Ogham Calendar. By using the cycles of the moon and the seasons, the best time to plant and harvest crops could be decided.
The Native Americans also used the moon to track the seasons and named the Full Moon after natural events that occurred at that time of year. Those Full Moon names are still used today. Tracking the moon was a common practice among the Native Americans, but different tribes and regions would sometimes use different names for the Full Moon.
The most obvious issue with using a lunar calendar is that it falls short by a few days of the Soar year. The Earth takes 365 (and a quarter) days to complete one orbit of the Sun or a year. While the Moon takes 29 and half days to complete her cycle, giving us 354 days over 12 lunar months. Just like we have a leap year every four days to account for the extra day, every two and half years, there are 13 Full Moon in a year. This extra Full Moon is known as a Blue Moon and is usually the second one in a month with two.
The lunar calendar is still used today by some people for religious or cultural purposes. For example, the Islamic calendar uses a lunar calendar with each month starting on a New Moon, and the Moon’s cycles determine the dates of the Islamic holidays and festivals. The Jewish, or Hebrew Calendar is similar, adding an extra month every 2 or 3 years. It is used to determine Jewish holidays and also to track agricultural dates. The Chinese Calendar is also a lunisolar calendar starting with the Lunar New Year, which is the New Moon in Aquarius.
While most cultures nowadays use the Gregorian calendar, there are still some that also use a lunar calendar for tracking religious dates. I personally use a blank yearly planner so that I can follow the lunar cycle each year and work with the lunar months.
The beginning of the lunar month starts with the New Moon. This is the time of new beginnings and is a good time to set new goals and intentions for the month. This is also when new projects should be started or recommitting to existing ones.
Between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the Waxing half of the cycle. This is the period of growth during the moon cycle. This is where you can start to harness some momentum in your actions.
Halfway between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the First Quarter Moon, where doubts can start to creep in. Rather than allowing them to hold you back, instead use them as evidence that you are on the right track. The First Quarter Moon is an ideal time to readjust your plan as necessary and check on your progress.
The Full Moon occurs roughly two weeks after the New Moon and marks the beginning of the Waning half of the cycle. This phase can be a restorative time to start integrating the new lessons you’ve learned and the experiences you’ve had over the last two weeks. The Full Moon is a time to celebrate your progress so far.
Halfway between the Full Moon and the New Moon is the Third Quarter Moon. This is a time to evaluate your progress, to look at what things have been working, so that you can do more of them, and also what things have not been working. It is not a time to beat yourself, but to take a step back and see what you have learned.
In the days before the New Moon, we have the Dark Moon phase. This is a time for rest and reflection as you prepare for the New Moon ahead. Do your dreams, goals and wishes still excite you? Are you ready to work on them again?
I hope you find this simple explanation of the moon’s cycles helpful, and the brief lunar calendar history interesting at least!!. When it comes down to it, we are all a part of the universe and we are all interconnected. When we can acknowledge this fact and work to align ourselves with the Universe’s natural cycles we can achieve higher vibrations and levels of awareness in ourselves and others.
Download my free guide to Manifesting With The Moon using the button below to get started on your lunar journey.
