Moonlight calendar 2022

Moonlight 2022 is the 17th successive edition and is refreshed featuring easy to see bright yellow full moons.

Moonlight is an annual poster-size calendar, produced by Ilona Thorndike, who compiles The Lunar Gardening Guide for The Gardener/Die Tuinier magazines.

Moonlight Calendar is the visual and timing guide to South African Lunar phases, Lunar Zodiac and Gardening by the Moon.

Moonlight Calendar is the first reference for being in tune with the moon’s cycles – either by phase, sign or fertility mode on any day of the year. Followers include: gardeners, farmers, fishers, planners, photographers and naturalists.

Moonlight Calendar features on each day:

• shape of the daily moon
• the exact times of the four main moon phases
• the exact times the moon changes zodiac signs
• colour coding showing “fertility” rating of every day
• a brief text guide to gardening by the moon and moon energy for activities
• detailed info on how to read your calendar

Moonlight Calendar has several hundred followers and supporters who primarily repeatedly purchase each edition for reference to best gardening days and have reportedly achieved better results than gardening on random days. Others use Moonlight calendar to track the mood and energy tone of the day and many say they use to schedule meetings or trips.

Moonlight was first produced as moon calendars available on the World Wide Web are set for northern hemisphere making the time conversion tricky and confusing.

Gardening by the moon, is not a new age interest, maybe resurgence from the past, as it’s the most remembered moon following activity. Many remember grand parents or older gardeners and farmers talking about when to plant specific edibles or ornamentals or do a certain garden chore based on the moon in the sky.

Following Moonlight calendar, set for South Africa standard time zone (SAST), makes the planning of timing easy; at a glance and takes the guesswork out of observing the moon in the sky as our forefathers did.

Order Moonlight 2022 calendar here

Find us on Facebook Moontime in the Moonlight – by Ilona Thorndike

Colour coding on Moonlight Calendar – below the moon shape each day has a coloured strip which rates the receptivity and fertility for gardening.

Fertile – dark green/Semi-fertile – light green/Barren – yellow/Very Barren – brown.

These colour codes are a further refinements added to moon planting principles; and based on the natural element of the zodiac sign. There are exceptions of particular signs and Moonlight calendar has streamlined for ease of use.

Fertile days are when the moon moves through the water signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Semi-fertile days are the earth sign of Taurus and Capricorn and flower loving air sign of Libra. Both earth and water elements are considered to be receptive and therefore an extra bonus for sowing, grafting, taking cuttings, pruning to encourage growth and planting annuals and perennials.

Days considered Very Barren are when the Moon moves through the fire element of Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. Never plant on Leo but Aries and Sagittarius have exceptions like hot vegetable varieties.  The Barren signs of Gemini, Virgo or Aquarius are considered best for weeding, pest control or harvesting crops for storage. Gemini has the exception of planting grains and grasses. Virgo is the herb moon and transplanting or harvesting herbs on these days is considered healthy and healing. Planting exotics and unusual in Aquarius is considered positive.

Order Moonlight 2022 calendar here

MOONTIME describes and informs about the cycle of the Moon and a variety of influences the moon has on daily life and activities. Following the principles gives awareness of the natural ebb and flow of life.

As modern lifestyles are demanding and multidimensional, making the use of time crucial to complete chores, tasks, desires and duties. The moon can be used as a timing guide; both in its monthly round and main phases and then fine tuned through the energies of the zodiac signs.

A full round or cycle of the moon is 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes – known as a Synodic month.

The current calendar of 12 months was set to divide the year into 12 moon cycles, so 12 moons became 12 months. However the modern current calendar lost track of the moon cycle. At one time each week stood for the start of each quarter moon phase, but now current general calendars are numbers and months.

Further measures of time

For more specific or detailed measurement, consider the moon’s monthly movement across the sky as a second hand in a clock, with a window of about 54 hours. Being in the flow of each window becomes easy when the changes are noted and especially if you are able to begin a task or project as the new flow begins. Or awareness and understanding retrospectively as the energy changes.

This secondary measure of time and flow are the Moon’s movement through each zodiac sign which is about 54 hours or about two and quarter days. Another way to understand this is to consider this is the same as the sun moves through the zodiac in one year; the moon moves through the zodiac in one month, creating the perfect backdrop to time activities.