Planting by the Signs: Part 2 Prepping

Prepping the Soil

source:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/503558802057717528/

Part two's focus is on prepping the soil, fertilization and cultivation. Each practice is important to have proper growth for your plants and crops. Each also has its own moon phase and sign to consider when approaching the job. 

Tilling (prepping the soil before planting)

source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barnardo_boy_ploughing_C_1900.gif

When it comes time to till the soil you want to turn it during the Light of the moon. This will be during the 1st and 2nd quarter moon phases. The preferred signs are the barren signs (Leo, Gemini or Virgo). Since you are tiling the soil you want the ground to stay light and easily broken. The clods of dirt will be easily raked into the beds and rows. This occurs when you till the earth during the light of the moon because the moon's energy is growing and expanding making the soul more easily turned. 

On the other hand if you wait until 3rd or 4th quarters of the moon to till you will find that the dirt is hard and compacted. The moon's energy is waning and thus contracting. It causes the dirt to clump. This will also affect the dirt after your planting causing the dirt to pack in hard around the roots. 

Why Barren Signs for Tilling?

So why do we wait for the moon to be in a barren sign for tilling the earth? When you till the earth you aren't just digging the earth up for planting. You are also digging the roots up to expose, kill, and remove them. That is the main purpose of the barren signs. To kill the weeds and their roots to protect your future plants. The three barren signs for tillign are Leo, Gemini, and Virgo. They are listed here in order of most destructive and thus preferred order for tilling. (Aquarius and Aries are also barren signs, and can be used should the moon not pass into one of the other three during the Light of the Moon phase when you need to till). You have 14 days for the Light of the Moon (1st and 2nd Quarter phases) the moon will move into a one of the barren signs  during that time. Always till while the moon is growing in its energy and power. 

Leo-The Heart. Till the earth during this sign because it is a fire sign. It'll burn the roots. Being that it rules the heart it will bleed out the life force of the exposed weeds and roots.

Gemini- The Arms. A lot of farmers prefer Gemini to Leo. It is an air sign. Tilling during the sign of Gemini will cause the roots and weeds to dry out. It will blow the life out of what is exposed. 

Virgo-The Bowels. While some people don't think of Virgo as being the best sign to use for killing roots because Virgo (the virgin) is an earth sign the forget that the virgin is barren. She will not reproduce and tilling the soil under her sign will make the uprooted weeds the last of their line.

Cultivation (hoeing, weeding, shallow tilling)

While the first tilling is performed during the Light of the Moon preceding tilling (the shallow tilling with a hoe or tiller) will take place during the Dark of the Moon. It needs to be done during the 3rd and 4th quarter phases of the moon and when the moon is a barren sign. 

The hoeing and shallow tilling is not concerned with the making sure the dirt down near the root system soft and supple. This cultivation is concerned with the weeds you are uprooting near and around your plants. Thus it is concerned with the upper layer of the earth. This is why you want to use the Dark of the Moon. 

Using the Dark of the Moon you are using the declining energy of the moon, and this helps destroy the weeds. As mentioned above with the barren sign when it comes to tilling applies here too. You want to cultivate in the barren signs of Leo, Gemini, Virgo, Aquarius, or Aries. 

Fertilizing

Fertilizing your plants has to two factors to consider. The chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers, and the signs under which to use them. 

The signs under which to spread the fertilizer are the fruitful signs: Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces.

If you are using a chemical fertilizer you want to apply it to your plants under the 1st or 2nd quarter of the moon. Why? Chemical fertilizers are not in absolute concord with the soil and plants it is being applied to as it isn't fully of the natural world. This causes them to not be naturally absorbed by the plants Thus, applying it under the Light of the Moon aids in the break down of the chemicals and helps the plants to integrate the fertilizer. 

Organic fertilizers need to be applied when the moon is in its 3rd or 4th quarter. Since they are organic they are part f the natural world. That makes them part of the natural order of plant life. Because of this spreading the organic fertilizer during the Dark of the Moon hastens the process of organic decomposition. 

Watering and Irrigation

Generally, all gardens have to watered some time. Common sense (and the rules of the Signs) dictates that you should water your garden when the moon is in one of the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces). Should one of the water signs not be near on the calendar the earth signs Taurus or Capricorn are generally helpful. 

Watering or irrigation of the garden is not overly controlled by the phase of the moon. Keep in mind that deep watering is preferable to frequent shallow watering. Deep watering is the process of drenching the plant's root system to make sure it gets adequate water absorption. The water should soak about 8 inches or more below the soils surface. 

When it comes to phases of the moon and watering you might want to consider irrigation under the 1st or 2nd quarter as opposed to the 3rd or 4th quarters. Since the moon's energies are influx during the Light of the Moon it will aid in absorption of water, especially for fruit/vegetable growth. 

Planting by the Signs - Primer part 1

Planting by the Signs

A Basic Primer, part 1

Some basics in understanding how to plant by the signs is to understand how the Moon moves through the sky. It moves into a new sign approximately every two and half days. Each sign is connected to the parts of the human body (this is considered Rulership), is barren, fruitful or semi-fruitful, is connected to one of the four elements, and is either masculine or feminine.
If all you can keep in your head is what each sign is in connection to its barrenness or fruitfulness will be immensely helpful.

Sign	Rulership	Symbol	Barren or  Fruitful	Element	Masculine Or Feminine
Aries	Head	Ram	Barren	Fire	Masculine
Taurus	Neck	Bull	Semi-Fruitful	Earth	Feminine
Gemini	Arms	Twins	Barren	Air	Masculine
Cancer	Breasts	Crab	Fruitful	Water	Feminine
Leo	Heart	Lion	Barren	Fire	Masculine
Virgo	Bowels	Virgin	Barren	Earth	Feminine
Libra	Loins	Scales	Semi-Fruitful	Air	Masculine
Scorpio	Genitals	Scorpion	Fruitful	Water	Feminine
Sagittarius	Thighs	Archer	Barren	Fire	Masculine
Capricorn	Knees	Goat	Semi-Fruitful	Earth	Feminine
Aquarius	Legs	Waterman	Barren	Air	Masculine
Pisces	Feet	Fish	Fruitful	Water	Feminine

Now that you have that chart its important to understand the Moon phases and how they affect the plants, seeding, cultivation, and even soil preparation. The Moon has four phases known as quarters when it comes to discussing planting by the signs. 

Moon Phases

1st Quarter - 7 day period of the lunar month starting with the new moon. In almanacs and on calendars it is usually depicted as a full circle dark colored moon. 

2nd Quarter- 7 day period following the 1st quarter and goes until the full moon. It is usually depicted as a colored in crescent moon. 

3rd Quarter- 7 day period of the lunar month starting with the full moon. It is depicted with a full circle empty moon shape.

4th quarter- 7 day period leading to the new moon. It is usually depicted as an empty crescent moon shape.

During the 1st and 2nd quarter is what is referred to as the Light of the Moon. Those 14 days of the month are when the moon is growing stronger. It is also referred to as the waxing moons. This is the time of the month that gardeners will focus on above ground growth plants. 

During the 3rd and 4th quarters the moon is referred to as the Dark of the Moon. This is the 14 day period between the full moon leading to the new moon. The moon is also referred to as waning during this period. Gardeners will focus on root crops or plants that need to develop a deep root system. 

Planting tips under the Phases

During the first quarter of the moon you will focus on planting things that will seed outside of the fruit. During the second quarter of the moon the focus is on plants that seed inside the fruit. The 3rd quarter is best for root crops or plants that need a developed root system. 

Here is a small chart to give you an easier idea (once you understand the theory it will be easy to determine under which moon phase to plant what crop).

New Moon 1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	Full Moon 3rd Quarter	4th Quarter
Grains	Beans	Beets	Same as 3rd Quarter, but not as productive
Strawberries	Eggplant	Carrots
Asparagus	Melons	Rutabaga
Cauliflower	Flowers	Onions
Cucumbers	Pumpkins	Potatoes

So how do you figure out what sign the moon happens to be in on any particular day? The easiest answer is get a good almanac. The almanac will have the calendar with the sign the moon is in for the time zone that it was created in. So there is a little math you may have to do if you aren't in the exact time zone as the almanac calendar is written in. Even if you live in the eastern time zone but the almanac time is set to the Boston time zone and you live in Knoxville Tennessee the sun will rise at a slightly different time than that of Boston. So you have to make an adjustment for the longitude of where you live. I am using the example provided in the book Raising with the Moon by Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese.

"As an example: The Time given in the almanac for their calculations is for Greenwich, England, or 0 degrees longitude. If you live in Peoria, Illinois, you must determine the degree of longitude for that city. Peoria is 89 and half degrees west of 0 degrees. Multiply this figure (89 and a half) by four, and that is the difference in time (minutes). If you live west of the longitude where the almanac calculations are made, you add this amount of time to the time given; subtract it is you live east of it. In this example 4 x 89.5=358. Each hour has only sixty minutes, so the difference here is 5 hours and 58 minutes, to be added to the time given in the almanac, because Peoria is west of Greenwich, England."

The math can sometimes get a little confusing. I am sure there is probably an app for your phone, or a website that will figure out the math for you. I don't know one off the top of my head, but if you do know one please comment below with that information! It would be immensely helpful!

Okay so for a part 1 of a primer I think this is quite a lot of information to absorb at first. Once you know what phase the moon is in, and what sign the moon is in (following the chart above) you will be able to start using this traditional method of planting and get in tune with Lunar, Solar, and Earthly powers!

I plan on doing a series of these posts examining planting by the signs more in depth. Be sure to follow, share and comment!

Self-Love in the Time of Covid-19

By this point there is probably no one in the world who does not know that we are currently having a pandemic. I am not going to dwell on the necessity of washing our hands, social distancing, and self isolation. You should be doing those things if it is possible for you to do so. I closed my barbershop this past week, and have been spending the time in nature as much as possible (making sure if I meet anyone on the trails that we are at least 6 feet apart). However, it is easy to be overcome with emotions of all sorts at this time.

It is very important that we take the time to relax during this time of high stress. It is easy to let ourselves fall into depression and negative habits. There is nothing wrong with binge watching Netflix, Hulu, or even binge playing video games for a day or two. Those are all valid ways to take your mind off the current events. However, it sometimes aids us in falling down the rabbit hole into despair. I know when I have allowed myself to overindulge in high sugared food, alcohol, and not really move off the couch I sometimes spiral down into negative thought behaviors.  I think it is extremely important during this time that we make sure we are taking care of ourselves. It's also a good time to get back in touch with Mother Earth if this isn't a current practice you do regularly.

One of my favorite things to do to just connect is taking a walk in the woods or by a river. If you can do it safely, and follow the CDC guidelines I highly suggest it. Just taking even 15 minutes out of your day to walk in nature, and feel the sun on your face will help. If you have more time to spend in nature I suggest you bring a small snack with you. Bring something healthy and not processed (fresh baked bread, wine, left overs from a home cooked meal), and sit below a tree that you feel called to or on a rock near the creek. Close your eyes, feel the wind and the warmth, and when you feel ready speak a prayer or message to Mother Earth. Thank Her for all she brings to our lives, and give gratitude to all the living beings on this earth. Then open your eyes and share your meal with the Mother. Place some of the food you brought on the ground and pour some of the beverage out on to the earth. Sit in quiet while you eat. When you are ready to leave say another thank you to the Mother. Pack up all your items making sure you aren't leaving anything but the food behind.

If you aren't able to get outside because of weather or health/personal reasons you can easily do this next exercise. It is a meditation that a lot of people have written about, but for this situation I have changed it a bit. Instead of just using it to connect with Mother Earth during this mediation you will be exchanging energy to heal the Mother and yourself.
Read through the meditation a few times before doing it so you'll know what to do.
Or you may want to record yourself reading it and play it back to help guide you through.

Healing Tree of Life Meditation

Sit or lay somewhere comfortably where you won't be disturbed for at least 5-10 minutes

Close your eyes and get comfortable

Take a deep breath in through the nose for a count of 4 seconds, hold it in your lungs and diaphragm for a count of 4, and then fully release this breath through your mouth. 

Do this breath 3 more times, and then allow your breathing to return to its normal pattern.

As you are sitting/laying with your eyes closed visualize your spine and see roots begin to grow out of its base. See the roots descend through the floor, and down into the dirt below you. As the roots go deeper they begin to get thicker and start to pull up a green energy. 

See this energy ascend up the roots and into your body. As the energy enters your body see it dance up your spine, and out into your arms and legs. This energy builds up in your head, and you begin to sprout limbs of a tree. Visualize the limbs growing tall, and up into the air pushing through the ceiling of your space. 

Sit in this space and feel the energy of the sun as it warms your limbs. Feel the wind as it blows through your branches. Feel the energy from the dirt as it feeds your body. 

Sit for a while in this space and energy.

Continue running the green energy up into your body, and see it filling the parts of you that need extra healing or attention now. Allow the energy to flood those spaces. See the color change from green to a warm orange and into a bright white as it absorbs into the organs, bones, tissues, and skin.

Now look inside yourself and see what color your energy is. Whatever color you see you will begin to push it through your limbs, and down your spine, and down into the roots. Visualize your energy like pollen and spider webs from your tree limbs. Spreading out into the air connecting the atoms to you. Visualize your energy pouring out of the roots and into the earth connecting Her to your trunk. As you send your energy out see it healing Her. See the air getting clearer, the water in the ground being purified, the animals of the earth coming back to your branches. See the air filled with your energy glowing white, and ground around you glowing white. 

Continue working this energy for a while.

Take another deep breath here, and pull your energy back into yourself. Visualize the tree limbs descending back into your body, and the roots ascending back into your spine. 

Mentally say a thank you to Mother Earth, and slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes or loll your head back and forth. Slowly open your eyes and come back to the room.

Its usually a good idea to have a small snack after this exercise to help ground you a bit. 

Whenever you feel you are loosing your connection to Mother Earth this is a great practice to do. 

Have any other ideas or exercises I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!