Astrological Gardening: When Farmers Were Magicians

Gardening by the moon

You might associate following the moon with modern day witchcraft and cleansing your crystals – BUT following the moon’s cycles for astrological gardening has been connected to growing herbs and plants for as long as agriculture has been around.

Gardening by the moon is not pulling on your wellies by cover of darkness, donning your head torch and heading out into the garden under whatever moonlight might be about. Rather astrological gardening is more about following the cycles of the moon and considering how that might affect the work carried out in the garden.

As the moon affects the ebbs and flows of the tide, it also exerts gravitational force on the water compounds within the plants, there is much more and greater flow of sap nearer to the full moon. The moon will also raise the levels of water in the soil as it becomes more full. This inevitably has a profound effect on the way the plants grow and respond.

As the moon orbits the Earth, it transits through the different zodiac constellations around every 2.5 days. Which constellation the moon is transiting at your birth determines where ‘your moon’ is in your astrological chart. You can apply this basic principle to the planting and harvesting of certain herbs. A herb of Gemini like Lemon Balm, could be planted on a day the moon is transiting through Gemini. Gemini is seen as ruling the nervous system so soothing herbal relaxants often come under the domain of Gemini.