January Overview

Phases and Signs for January

Here’s January’s information about the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac. For those of you in the Deep South who are reading this, you may be doing some planting. For those of us pretty much north of the southern Tennessee border we can’t do any planting unless it is in a greenhouse.

If you have questions or comments, don’t hesitate to be in touch. And if I don’t respond quickly enough then please ask again or remind me!

Making changes: If you have changes to make like starting a diet or exercise program (lots of people do that each Jan. 1 you know!), stopping smoking, scheduling elective surgery, weaning small animals or children, we have 3.5 days that are perfect coming Jan. 6 until 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9. Read why below.

First, phases and signs.

The moon

January begins and ends with the moon in the dark phase. The full moon rules until 8:31 p.m. Jan. 9 when the new moon – or no moon visible in the sky – comes to rule.

The light moon is then in force until the full moon returns at 8:46 p.m. Jan. 23. The dark moon will then be in force until the new moon returns at 9:39 a.m. Feb. 8.

“General Tips” for dark- and light-moon activities are below and if you are planting veggies, it’s above-ground producers in the light moon and below-ground producers when the dark phase is in.

The signs

Remember: Again, 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.

January begins with one of the flowering signs in force, so that’s where we will start, too.

Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers — maybe like pansies outside since they are all that can tolerate freezes, snow and cold. If, of course, you have a greenhouse the weather is no problem. Libra (the reins), is in force Jan. 1-2, 28-29 with Virgo (the bowels), the other flowering sign, ruling Jan. 25-27. There are seven flowering days this month.

Fertile signs: The most fertile signs in the zodiac rule these days: Scorpio (the secrets), Jan. 3-5, 30-31; Pisces (the feet), Jan. 12-13; Taurus (the neck), Jan. 17-18; and Cancer (the breast), Jan. 21-22.                                                                                       There are nine days this month ruled by the fertile signs — Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer – and they are scattered during the dark and light phases of the moon. I wish we could have this many so nicely spaced in one of the warm summer months!

So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so: Sagittarius (the thighs), Jan. 6-7; Capricorn (the knees), Jan. 8-9; and Aquarius (the legs), Jan. 10-11. There are six days this month – the minimum - ruled by the three so-so signs, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius.

Killing signs: No planting, transplanting, or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating, cleaning out fencerows — anything but planting: Aries (the head), Jan. 14-16; and Leo (the heart), Jan. 23-24. There are five killing days this month ruled by either Leo or Aries.

Gemini days: Gemini rules Jan. 19-20. Gemini is the “bean sign” but there’s no bean planting going on in the north but perhaps in the far south. If so, plant your beans on these days since the light moon will rule for above-ground producers.

And, as January moves along toward February you can begin planting peas according to some diehards since they love cold ground.        

General tips

Here are a few general tips for activities other than planting:

>If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that when the light moon rules, Jan 10 through most of Jan. 23. The same applies for stones on a garden path: Place them when the moon is in the light phase so they don’t sink.

>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 so that the shingles stick down and don’t curl up on the ends.

>As mentioned above there are 3.5 perfect days this month for making changes when the moon is in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body past anything that functions

Those days are Jan. 6 until 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9 when the moon moves to the light phase.

So, if you have changes to make like weaning babies or small animals, scheduling elective surgery – not emergency surgery since that usually can’t be “scheduled,” stopping smoking, starting a diet or exercise program then you have two perfect days in January to get started.

Can’t get it done then? You have, in my opinion, the second best choice Jan. 10-13 when the moon will have moved to the light phase but the signs are still moving out of the body past anything that functions, Aquarius/legs through Pisces/feet.

Signs, phases thru Jan. 2

Wrapping up the year right here

For those of you interested in the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac primarily as it relates to planting, here’s the information thru the end of the year.

While I am well aware NO outside planting is going on now in our cooler climes there is planting going on in the Deep South and, of course, the Southern Hemisphere – and I have heard from some of you folks too!

Remember all times given are Eastern Standard.

Winter officially begins Dec. 21 at 11:48 p.m. Thus for all but 12 minutes of Dec. 21 it’s still fall. The great thing about winter beginning – and we have to look for something – is that the days will start slowly getting longer now and within a couple of weeks we will notice a marked difference.

Now there’s something to celebrate.

The moon

The moon is in the light phase now, the new moon having come into force on Dec. 11. It will continue to rule until the full moon - a rare one indeed – comes to rule on Dec. 25/Christmas Day at 6:11 a.m. If the sky is clear where you are on Christmas Eve and into the early morning hours on Christmas Day, the light will be of great benefit to Old Santa as he makes his rounds.

And, if you are where you can plant outside or you are planting in a greenhouse, then it’s above-ground producers through Dec. 24. Then, beginning Dec. 25 and until the first new moon of 2016 on Jan. 9 at 8:31 p.m. it will be below-ground producers.

The signs

A look at the signs reveals what remains of today, Dec. 17, is ruled by Pisces (the feet), one of the four most fertile signs. If you are planting, it’s a great time for above-ground producers with the moon in the light phase.

All planting should ceased Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18-19, when the sign moves to Aries (the head), one of the killing signs. Don’t be fooling with anything you want to thrive on killing days.

Fertile days return Dec. 20-21 when the sign moves to Taurus (the neck), like Pisces it’s another of the most fertile signs with the moon still in the light phase for above-ground producers.

Dec. 22-24 find Gemini (the arms) ruling. Were it summer, these would be three absolutely perfect days for planting beans. And if it is summer where you live, then have at it, otherwise enjoy them from afar!

The fertile sign Cancer (the breast) rules on Dec. 25 and 26. With the moon moving to the dark phase on Christmas Day, these days are best suited for planting below ground producers.

Dec. 27-31

All planting or dealing with anything you are looking to thrive should end Dec. 27-28 with Leo (the heart) ruling. Like the Aries days, these are killing days.

Flowering signs are in force to end 2015 and begin 2016 beginning with the flowering sign Virgo (the bowels) ruling Dec. 29-31 and Libra (the reins) opening the New Year, Jan. 1-2. These or bloom days so your Christmas plants should be rocking.

Making changes

With the New Year just two weeks away, I know many of us are making resolutions to lose some weight, start exercising, stop smoking – anything that involves change.

As luck and the signs would have it, we have three absolutely perfect days early in January when the moon is in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body.

These days are Jan. 6-8 and until 8:30 on Jan. 9. That’s three days, folks – and we haven’t had that many in a long, long, long time! Mark your calendars and make plans now if you have changes you want to make.

 

 

 

Dec. 7-12 information

This week’s phases, signs

Here is the upcoming week’s information about the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac.

Believe or not, we’re just two weeks away from the official beginning of winter and while that isn’t necessarily great news the good news is that – as ironic as it might seem – with the coming of winter the days start getting longer as we had toward spring and summer.Winter officially begins at 11:48 p.m. Dec. 21.

The moon is currently in the dark phase and will remain there until the new moon – or no moon visible in the sky – comes into force 5:29 a.m. Saturday. The light moon will then rule until the next full moon at 6:11 a.m. Christmas Day.

If you were planting, or are planting veggies in a greenhouse, then it’s below-ground producers.

A look at the signs finds today and Tuesday under the very fertile sign Scorpio (the secrets). If you were doing any planting, these Scorpio days would be great for below-ground producers.

Our monthly series of so-so signs begins Wednesday and continues through Dec. 15. These signs aren’t the most fertile but they aren’t destructive either.
Specifically, Sagittarius (the thighs) rules Wednesday through Friday followed by Capricorn (the knees) coming into force next Sunday and Monday with the series wrapping up Dec. 14-15 with Aquarius (the legs) in force.

Making changes

 For the past several months we’ve had no days that are perfect for making changes with the signs going out of the body past anything that functions (Sagittarius/thighs through Pisces/feet). That trend is changing now and this month we have at least two days that fit the formula perfectly.
Those days are Wednesday and Thursday when the sign is in Sagittarius (thighs) and the moon in the dark phase. If you’ve been thinking about starting a diet, stopping smoking, weaning children or animals, then these are perfect days to get going – even here at the holidays.

In the months ahead we will have more and more days that fit the formula.

As always, if you have questions shoot them to me and I will do my best to deal with them.