Remember to take into consideration the planting zone you’re in if you are planting outside and the time zone. Information here is based on Eastern Daylight Time.
Otherwise the information is good wherever you are in the northern hemisphere.
The moon
October continues the trend we’ve seen for months now of beginning and ending with the moon in the dark phase, the full moon having come into force Sept. 19. The dark moon continues to rule until the new moon 8:34 p.m. Oct. 4 then returns 7:38 p.m. Oct. 18 and ruling until the new moon 7:50 a.m. Nov. 3.Between those dates — Oct. 5 through most of Oct. 18 — the light moon is in force.
When the full — or dark — moon rules, proceed only with dark-moon activities. Then when the new — or light — moon rules, only light-moon activities.
Check “General Tips” for dark- and light-moon activities.
The signs
Remember: Check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information above) before proceeding with planting or other activities, indoors or out.Fertile signs: the most fertile signs in the zodiac rule these days: Scorpio (the secrets), Oct. 6-7; Pisces (the feet), Oct. 15-17; Taurus (the neck), Oct. 20-22; and Cancer (the breast), Oct. 25-26. There are 10 days again this month ruled by the fertile signs — Scorpio, Taurus, Pisces and Cancer. If you can, these are the best days to plant.
Killing signs: No planting, transplanting, or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating, cleaning out fence rows, cleaning up your 2013 garden that’s done — anything but planting: Leo (the heart), Oct. 1 and 27-28 and Aries (the head), Oct. 18-19. Like September, there are five killing days, those ruled by either Leo or Aries.
So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so: Sagittarius (the thighs), Oct. 8-9; Capricorn (the knees), Oct. 10-12; and Aquarius (the legs), Oct. 13-14. Again like September, there are seven so-so days this month.
Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers — and in October we have seven of them, plenty for those fall flowers. They are: Virgo (the bowels), Oct. 2-3 and 29-30 and Libra (the reins), Oct. 4-5 and 31 and Nov. 1.
Gemini days: Gemini rules the arms and is in force Oct. 23-24. Gemini is the “bean sign” but it’s way too late for pole or bush beans and about five months too early for peas!
General tips
Again, here are a few general tips for activities other than planting:- If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that in the light of the moon (Oct. 5 through most of Oct. 18) so the gravel won’t sink. Same applies for stones on a garden path: Place them when the moon is in the light phase so they don’t sink. Check for the right days.
- If you’re setting fence posts, do that in the light of the moon so the posts don’t sink.
- If you’re putting on a new shingle roof, do that when the moon’s in the dark phase (all the rest of the month!) so that the shingles stick down and don’t curl up on the ends.
- If you have changes to make like stopping smoking, starting a diet or exercise program, weaning small animals or children, scheduling elective surgery — anything that requires a change — here’s the formula: The moon in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body, past anything that “functions” so that means thighs, knees, legs and feet — Sagittarius through Pisces.
The other option, which is the other half of the formula, is when the moon is in the dark phase. The thing is, all of those days the signs are ruling some part of the body that functions — like the heart, lungs, stomach, bowels, kidneys, brains … you get the idea from the top of the head to the top of the thighs.
