A short guide to finding the moon
an ancient way back to living in rhythm with nature
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Many of us want to live by more ‘natural’ rhythms.
Artificial light, screens and work schedules may mean that we neither wake nor sleep with much relation to dawn or dusk. But we can see easily enough when it’s day or night.
The moon is another matter. Yet the moon has been the driver of calendars and rituals for as long as humans, and probably longer.
The moon gave us months and weeks — 4 weeks, 28 days is a cycle of the moon. Most people probably know this already, but rarely consider it.
One way to find a closer, deeper harmony with natural cycles is to pay attention to the moon.
Where is she?*
Do you know where the moon is in the sky? Can you track the moon’s progress from day to day and from night to night?
The explanation below is not rocket science, it is easy to follow but I meet many people who have not been given this knowledge. Read on…
Picture a loop around the world that is the orbit of the sun in the sky. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West (where exactly depends on the time of year and the how far North/south you are)
For our purposes the moon follows the same loop.
On a new moon the moon is next to the sun in the sky, so reflects back no light (and the moon has set for most of the night when it would normally be visible).
On a new moon, the sun and moon rise and set at the same time.
When there is a full moon the moon is opposite the sun in the sky (so reflects back the light).
On a full moon, sunrise happens when the moon sets and moon rise happens when the sun sets.
Then, the day after a full moon the moon rises about 50 minutes after the sun sets.
Add another 50 minutes per day until the moon rises when the sun rises (which takes two weeks).
If you see a partial moon in the sky and the right half is bright then the moon is waxing towards full.
If you see a partial moon in the sky and the left half is bright then the moon is…
