Moon talk

From the Sumerians to the present day, from Italy to Japan, from farmers to city dwellers, from cutting hair to chopping wood – people all over the world have lived and still live by the moon. The moon also plays an important role in biodynamic agriculture. But what is it about these moon myths? Are they all just fairytales and legends? Or does the moon really have an influence on nature and on people?
Here's what biodynamic wine producer Alois Lageder has to say on the subject…

Fascinated by the moon

The moon has always fascinated humans. The Sumerians practised a veritable moon cult already 3,400 BC and worshipped the moon god as the father of all deities. The Egyptians made precise observations of the moon around 2,000 BC and used the stars to calculate the flooding of the Nile.
Even today, people from all over the world consult the moon, no matter if working in the fields and gardens, cutting wood, cooking, washing or using remedies. The moon influences the tides, as well as the behaviour of many animal species. Religious feasts are aligned with the moon – think of Easter, for example.
In biodynamics, too, the lunar calendar is used for the work in the vineyard or cellar. But does the moon really influence nature and plant growth?

Let´s clear up some things!

First, it is important to explain a few terms, as they are often confused. The most common are the so-called moon phases, thus new moon, crescent moon, full moon and waning moon. Whether we see the moon as a round circle, a crescent or not at all, depends on how much light hits the moon’s surface.
But this has nothing to do with when we speak of an “ascending” or “descending” moon. Rather, these terms refer to the moon’s orbit. The moon moves in a circular orbit around the Earth that is inclined by about 5%. This means that, seen from the Earth, it moves “upwards” and “downwards”, hence the terms ascending and descending moon.
Another important concept is the position of the moon in the zodiac. You can think of the zodiac as a circle that runs around Earth in the firmament. It is divided into 12 sections named after animals. During its 30-day orbit around Earth, the moon spends two to three days in each of these 12 signs of the zodiac. You then say, for example, “the moon is in Taurus”.
These are very simplified explanations of the moon’s movements, but the main point here is to briefly define the most important terms.
So how exactly do these lunar movements affect plants? There is not THE answer to this question. Scientists may come to different conclusions than farmers. That’s why we want to understand: What do scientific studies say? What does the experience of farmers say? And, last but not least, what does biodynamics say?

What does science say?

In general, only a few documented experiments exist that investigate the connection between the moon and plant growth. Some of them were able to prove a direct influence of the moon on plants. Dr Hartmut Spieß from the Institute for Biodynamic Research, for example, started a series of experiments in the 1990s and demonstrated connections between the moon and plant growth. He focused on the phases of the moon and the moon’s orbit and found, among other things, that sowing carrots one to three days before the full moon produced the highest yield (+14%) and their shelf life was also much longer. He was also able to prove a connection between plant growth and lunar movements for the other plant species he studied: rye, bush beans, potatoes and radishes.
One problem is that such scientific studies are usually only carried out on a small scale and do not refer to large agricultural areas. In addition, the plants studied are mostly vegetables whose lifecycle – from sowing to harvest – often lasts only a few weeks. In such a short period of time, it is easier to test the results than, for example, with a grapevine, whose growth progresses over decades.

What do farmers say?

What we can draw on, however, are the observations of the farmers. The knowledge about the moon is mainly passed on orally. For generations, certain work in the vines or in the fields is only carried out when the moon is in the right position. Many farmers believe that specific phenomena in nature can be traced back to the moon. For example, fungal pressure is strongest a few days before full moon and a few days after. There is more light, which is why the pores of the plants open up and fungal diseases can spread more easily.
Another observation: some wooden stakes in the vineyard turn out to be particularly robust and long-lasting compared to others. The farmer explains it by the fact that they were cut during the waning moon in the “hard” animal sign Taurus. On these days there is less liquid in the wood, making it harder, more resistant, and more durable. These are just a few examples of how the moon can influence work with plants. The farmers might not rely on scientific studies, but on their wealth of experience.

What do biodynamic principles say?

Working with the moon is not obligatory in biodynamics, such as the application of preparations. Nevertheless, the moon plays an important role in biodynamic agriculture. The approach of biodynamics is that the forces of the cosmos and the moon have a strong effect on nature. As with the preparations, working with the moon is primarily about impulses that are passed on to the plants. It is about strengthening the vine and increasing the plant’s resistance to pests and diseases. Targeted impulses given at the right times make the vine more vital and healthier.

Real talk – what does the daily work look like?

In concrete terms: What does work in the vineyard look like, if we work “according to the moon”? There is the theory, the best-case scenario, and then the practice, the everyday work. An example: In theory, pruning is done according to the growth of the vines. In the descending moon, weak vines are pruned, because at this moon the plants have their growth forces mainly in the roots and thus less growth forces are taken from them. Strong vines are pruned when the moon is ascending in order to take away their excess growth forces.

‘We do not want to lose sight of the bigger picture’

But what can we do if the weather is bad on these days or if, due to the size of the vineyards, it is simply not possible to prune all the vines this way? The vine is subject to many influences, not only the moon. We try to consider the moon’s influences as best we can, but we do not want to lose sight of the bigger picture. The aim is to make the vine healthy, vital and resistant. The moon can help us with this. Observation makes the master. Because biodynamics is ultimately about observing and understanding connections.


Sources:
Wolfgang Platter, Mondsüchtig, in: Himmlische Bilder von Gianni Bodini
Hartmut Spieß, Der Mondeinfluss auf dem Prüfstand der Wissenschaft
Thun Verlag, Maria Thun Aussaattage
Johanna Paungger and Thomas Poppe, Das Wissen um die Mond- und Naturrhythmen