Thursday 12th March
Today the Sun crosses the threshold of Aquarius and moves into the constellation of Pisces as we move closer to the beginning of spring. In the garden we also see the Moon move into Sagittarius on its much quicker journey around the zodiac. Ancient calendars, often embedded in the landscape through monuments and sacred sites, carefully tracked both solar and lunar rhythms. Many societies followed the Moon as the basis of their calendar because its phases are easily visible and offer a natural way of marking time. However, twelve lunar months equal about 354 days, eleven days shorter than the solar year, meaning the seasons would slowly drift. Over a cycle of nineteen years, seven extra lunar months are inserted, bringing the lunar and solar calendars back into near harmony and keeping seasonal festivals aligned with the rhythms of the Earth.
