Moonspired: New Year Blessings

There are many natural cycles, individually and as integrated systems, that we can learn to use to our advantage. One of them that is extremely important to all on earth is our moon. More ancient than astrology, more universally recognized by the world’s seasonal and spiritual pathways is the cycle of the moon. The sun shows us the four seasons, the moon is akin to a month, and they work in tandem on our planet. The sun and moon are important to earth’s indigenous cultures and contemporary religions.

Everything flows and moves with the moon. Humans and the Earth are made up mostly of water. The moon pulls on the ocean tides, the weather, and all fluids in plants, animals, and people, including influencing the waves and rhythms of earth energy, mood swings of the mind, swelling of the body, and more. And so our behavior and emotions can be attributed, at least in part, to the moon. When it comes to water, neither too much nor too little are beneficial, as we know clearly from recent droughts, then excessive rains & floods. We must make it part of our regular practices to seek balance within the ebb and flow.

Celestial bodies influence our bodies. The sun and moon are Earth’s guides to natural time. Plants and animals follow them religiously as if hands on their clock. We should consider the fact that we follow this instinctual tradition as well. Humans have tuned in for as long as we have recorded history and long before that. Let’s make an effort to re-learn how to sync ourselves with the moon.

On our farm, our tagline, “Martyjuana™: Plants by the moon with sun soil & soul,” is not just a marketing strategy; it’s how we gauge when to plant, chores like feeding and pruning, when to harvest, and so on. We have seen how we live the magic the Earthly existence offers when we align our lives to the sun and moon cycles. We give thanks to the precious liquid nature of all life.

We look to our annual calendar in January to map out our general plan. Farming has taught us to be flexible, for Mother Nature is not always easy to work with. Each season is very distinct in northern California. It’s noteworthy that we grew up in the tropics of Miami, FL & had to learn about the seasons. But Marty’s first job out west was at the Benziger Family Winery. Their vineyard produces some of the first organic and biodynamic wine in this country. And it quickly became clear to us that our farming practices must align with the natural rhythms. The Summer and Winter Solstices, along with Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, are the dividing lines/times between Earth’s seasons. Like the points of North, South, East, and West guide our navigation on a compass, these alignments of the Earth and the Sun are solar guideposts of the year.

The moon is somewhat more subtle in its guidance than the sun ticking off the minutes, but only until you start to pay attention to it. The moon is our month, a pivotal timekeeper as well. There are cultures that still keep time by it exclusively. In that case, there are 13 moons & a different accounting of a year. In the modern era, most people keep time by the Gregorian calendar, which we will get into more in another installment. For now, let’s dive into the moon-inspired, or Moonspired, as I like to call it, energies. The moon has two intensities, new & full. We are much acquainted with the full moon. But the new moon is equally as potent.

On our farm, one of the simplest examples of following nature’s calendar, at least symbolically, is that no matter the weather, we begin to plant our seeds on the new moon closest to the Spring Equinox. And in the same way, we begin to harvest our crops on the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. Timing the intention & the action makes it a sacred connection. And then, once the crop is in, we pray for rain to nourish the land. Now, in winter, our cultivation site is left fallow. But even as winter encourages rest, the land is working. We seed it with a cover crop to keep the living soil healthy & balanced.

And my wish for you is a healthy & balanced winter season, too. Mostly, I want you to enjoy the lunar connections and make a positive impact on yourself, those around you, and the planet as a whole. Become the blessing that this cycle of life offers you to be. Hint: look around, note your time and space and start in your heart.

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