Another reason for the reverence to the Moon probably had to do with the direct
connection of Her cycles to Nature-but most notably to the seas and oceans.
Tides roll in and out with the Moon’s comings and goings, and since those
particular bodies of water were (at least at that point in time) considered to be
the source of all life, this was very important, indeed.
The rhythms of the Moon and tide also seemed to affect all ocean-life.
Shellfish and other sea creatures not only spawned and mated according to the
tidal cycles, but renewed their outer shells and scales in accordance with them as
well. High tide at Full Moon brought its own sort of magic. Oysters opened their
shells, fish were easier to catch, and shrimp-because they have a tendency to
surface and feed during that time-were plentiful.
If that weren’t enough to mesmerize ancient civilizations, the Moon also
had an apparent effect on other animals-animals that weren’t connected with the
sea at all. Game and predatory animals were much more prevalent during the
Full Moon, as were birds and rodents. But that’s not all. Animal behaviors
changed. They became more aggressive, more physically active, and more
responsive to mating rituals.
Other animal-related connections became apparent, too. Hunters discovered
that game animals bled more profusely when the Moon was rising in the sky to
fullness. While that bit of knowledge may seem trivial to us today, it was of
incredible value to ancient livestock farmers. Why? Because it was important to
conduct all stock animal slaughter swiftly. Doing so not only caused less stress
on the animal, but also produced a better product, so knowing the best time to
schedule this task was very handy, indeed.
Something even more important came from this information, though. By
understanding when animals bled most profusely, there also came the knowledge
of when they didn’t. This was crucial to the health and safety of livestock, as
minimal blood loss was imperative during procedures such as dehorning and
castration; otherwise, the animals in question became weak, sickly, or died.’ And
since these animals were used as food supply and for labor, their health was of
major concern.
That wasn’t all. Farmers soon noticed a lunar connection to their crops as
well. It seemed that planting particular crops during specific phases of the Moon
brought healthier plants and higher yields. Bulb and root crops, for example,
seemed to produce more when planted during the Full to Waning Moon. On the
other hand, crops that reseeded themselves did much better when planted during
the Dark to Waxing Moon. Plants that produced seedpods and berries provided a
higher yield when planted between the Waxing to Full Moon phases. The biggest
revelation, though, came with the discovery that no crop did well when planted
during the downhill slide of Waning to New Moon. And because of that, early
farmers realized that it was an excellent time for weeding, pest control, and other
duties they’d previously been too busy to tend
