In tune with the moon

For the ancients, life revolved around lunar phases, which measured time, heralded the changing seasons – and even caused madness

- SIR JOHNNY SCOTT

The 29½-day cycle of moon phases was the earliest form of measuring time, and the present-day months are roughly equal to the lunar cycle. Each of the farming seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter – lasts three months or three moon cycles, thus a year was made up of 12 full moons; the cycle of each following the same pattern. A new moon is completely black; over the next four nights, the moon ‘waxes’ or becomes more visible until a quarter, known as a ‘waxing crescent’, can be seen on the right side. Four nights later, half the moon, known as the ‘first quarter moon’, is visible. A couple of nights later, this has enlarged to become a ‘waxing gibbous moon’, then, two nights later, a full moon. After this it ‘wanes’ in similar time intervals on the left side, through ‘waning gibbous’, ‘last quarter’ and ‘waning crescent’ until it becomes a darkened or new moon.

Each full moon had its own significance. The first full moon in March had various names: the Worm Moon, because the ground had warmed up sufficiently for earthworms to become active; the Crow Moon, from the vocal mating of crows; the Lenten Moon, since it was the last full moon of Lent; or Sap Moon, from the appearance of the first buds on trees. This full moon was of particular importance in the farming calendar as it was officially the last full moon of winter and heralded the start of the three-month Vernal Equinox. (The name ‘equinox’ is derived from the Latin aequus, meaning equal, and