Pliny the Elder, the 1st Century Roman naturalist, stated in his Natural History, that the Moon “… replenishes the earth; when she approaches it, she fills all bodies, while, when she recedes, she empties them.”
It is Full Moon tonight (in Taurus) and whilst some of you might not believe in the power of the Moon, generations past (and present) live(d) and die(d) by the cycles of the big silver circle in the sky. If it was good enough for Pliny and all that. He knew what he was talking about, that chap.
Planet Earth, created over a period of millions of years, has depended on The Elements. An ability to survive was made possible by the Sun and the Moon in relation to the growing, harvesting and eating of food and crops. We, as evolved Humans, have quite stunningly chosen to destroy our World’s simplicity in the space of a few millennia. But the Elements remain and will outlive our Race I am sure of it. The Moon will shine bright tonight, bathing our seas and open spaces in a glow of light…wherever we are in the world.
For me personally, I was inspired by the power of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Sea by my late father, Jack. When I was just four or five, Jack taught me about Sirius (‘The Dog Star’) the brightest star in the sky. The ‘Star-like’ Star that inspired and guided much of Ancient Greek ritual and lifestyle.
Many people today won’t have a clue what Sirius is. Their nearest guess would be ‘Siri’ on their i-phone. Perhaps Apple, Inc’s late founder chose the name because he, too, was inspired by the brightest star in the sky. We will never know.
The Leslau’s used to go fishing a lot, so the Stars also became intrinsic to our quest for time with Dad and dinner! Every time I go out at night, even now, I look up at Sirius, just to make sure ‘it’ is still shining as brightly as ever. In a little girl kind of way I hope that my Dad is up there with Sirius, maybe even with Steve Jobs, if we take my fantasy one step further. Now that would be one fascinating meeting of minds.
The Full Moon affects us all, whether we notice it or not. We may jest about baying at the Moon or feel irritated without cause, but the Moon and the Stars do play a part in the Earth’s energy and magnetic fields. If energy didn’t touch us, we wouldn’t relax in a Zen-like Spa or get anxious in a crowded, hot tube train. We are kinetic dominos.
The Goddesses believed it was fortuitous to menstruate during the Full Moon and White Witches always cleanse their crystals on this very night. I will be doing the latter tonight. Scientists believe that sleeping may be difficult during Full Moon as we were historically programmed to stay up late and make the most of high tides to collect seafood by the shore.
Farmers use the Moon to guide activity. The Old Farmer’s Almanac (since 1792) states within the ‘Moon Folklore‘ section, that we should dig horseradish at Full Moon for a better flavour. And that crabbing, shrimping and clamming are best carried out at the time of the Full Moon.
Part of Rudolph Steiner’s theories, the man behind Biodynamics within farming and wine harvesting (I am big on Organic and Bio-Dynamic Wines) highlighted celestial activity to dictate practice and procedure. The Land always did and will always know best. In a silent and strong kind of way. Just how I like my men.
So, if you feel a bit weird today, can’t sleep or feel the urge to go and harvest seafood in your bathtub, do not be alarmed. It is Mother Nature’s way of reminding you that you are still Human. I wonder if Siri is affected by the Full Moon? She might just respond, “Be More Dog (Star)!”. Happy Full Moon everyone.