Lunar calendar traditions are the basis of many ancient calendars and time-keeping systems. Why do we use the zodiac for our calendar? Is it time to consider a calendar based on our closest celestial satellite, the moon?
The moon is our closest celestial partner, and many cultures use the moons and its thirteen cycles as the basis for a calendar. But most Western cultures use a 12 month solar zodiac calendar. Many think it Is it is time for a 13-month lunar calendar based on the 13 cycles of the moon. Let’s see why?
Ancient Calendars and Time-Keeping
Different time-keeping methods reflect the values, priorities, and environmental interactions of a culture:
Solar calendars, like the Gregorian calendar, reflect a focus on the solar year and seasonal changes. This type of standardization is helpful for agricultural and modern societal functions.
Cultures with lunar calendar traditions often have strong agricultural and religious ties. We see these values reflected in the Islamic Hijri calendar and the Chinese lunisolar calendars. These calendars align with the moon’s phases, which are crucial for farming cycles and religious observances.
Lunisolar calendars like the Hebrew calendar combine lunar months with solar years. This enables them to stay in sync with both the moon’s phases and the solar year. It’s a balanced method with lunar and solar influences. Cultures with rich agricultural and religious traditions use these balanced approaches.
Some Indigenous cultures view time as cyclical rather than linear. This view highlights the cycles of nature and life. It shows a deep connection to the environment. They use a variety of markers to measure time, such as the equinoxes along with specific star constellations. Their ancient calendars and time-keeping systems are often incorporated into architecture.
Western cultures often view time as linear, emphasizing progress and future planning. This approach is evident in the structured focus of Western societies, where time is a resource to be managed. There is little connection between the calendar and their lives.
Time-keeping methods reflect a culture’s identity and worldview. For example, the Mayan Long Count calendar combines lunar and solar cycles. This showcases their advanced understanding of astronomy and their unique approach to time.
Understanding these time-keeping methods provides insight into the values of a culture. It shows how perceive and interact with the world, highlighting their unique priorities.
What About Moon Phases and Cycles?
What’s the difference between moon phases and moon cycles? A moon phase refers to the shape of the sunlit portion of the moon as seen from Earth. It can be measured in many snapshots, but the most common are eight or ten because they are the easiest to distinguish.
The moon cycle or synodic month is the time for the moon to orbit Earth and return to the same phase. This cycle lasts about 29.5 days. During this time, the moon goes through all its phases from new moon to full moon and back. This cycle occurs 13 times in a solar year.
The issue with any calendar is that it must account because the solar year is 365.25 days. So, for your calendar to coincide with the specific solar festivals, you must account for an extra quarter of a day. Today, we have a leap year every four years, when February has 29 instead of 28 days.
Our lunar partner changes daily during the 28 days in each cycle, so you need a telescope to see the difference. However, ten distinct cycles are easy to recognize without magnification. Almost every ancient civilization used lunar cycles as the basis for their calendars. Let’s look at the moon phases before we examine the question, is it time for a 13-month lunar calendar based on the 13 cycles of the moon?
The 10 Main Moon Phases
One way to measure these phases is to divide them into ten easily recognizable portions. Waxing means getting larger. We see more of it as the moon moves from a New to a Full Moon. Then, there are five more waning phases. Waining means getting smaller. So, the satellite’s visible portion gets smaller from the Full moon to an Old Moon.
Waxing Lunar Phases
1. The new moon happens when the moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun, so you can’t see the moon. A solar eclipse can only occur at the new moon. This one is easy to miscalculate because of cloud cover.
2. A young moon is a crescent new moon crescent is less than 30 hours old—or 30 hours from the beginning of the new moon. It would be best if you planned to see this phase. And this short-lived phase is usually only viewed in the West.
3. A waxing crescent moon looks like a crescent, and its size increases (waxes) in size from one day to the next.
4. The first quarter lunar phase, or half-moon, is when half of the moon is visible after the waxing crescent phase. It comes a week after a new moon.
5. The Waxing Gibbous moon phases occurs when we see more than half of the lunar sphere—the visible portion increases (waxes) in size from one day to the next. The waxing gibbous phase occurs between the first quarter and the full moon.
Waning Lunar Phases
6. The Full Moon happens when we can see the entire lunar sphere. This phase occurs when it is on the opposite side of the Sun, called opposition. A lunar eclipse can only happen on the full moon.
7. A Waning Gibbous moon occurs when we can see more than half of the lit portion, and the size decreases (wanes) from one day to the next. The waning gibbous phase occurs between the Full moon and third quarter phases.
8. The Waning Quarter is the last quarter phase (or a half-moon) when half of the lit portion is visible after the waning gibbous phase. A waning crescent is when the moon looks like a crescent, and the crescent decreases (wanes) in size from one day to the next.
9. The Last Quarter phase (a half-moon) is when half of the lit portion is visible after the waning gibbous phase. A waning crescent is when the crescent decreases (wanes) in size from one day to the next.
10. An Old Moon occurs when you can see only a tiny portion of the lunar surface’s reflection. An old moon is about to turn into a new moon.
The moon phases show its path around Earth. As it orbits, sunlight reflection changes, creating phases. These phases track time and influence tides, animals, and farming, religious and cultural practices. They are part of a dynamic interplay between Earth, the moon, and the sun.
The Calendar Based on the 13 Cycles of the Moon
The Ethiopian calendar is a unique 13-month system still in use today. It originates from the ancient Coptic calendar, which was itself derived from the Julian calendar used during the Roman Empire. This calendar was developed during the reign of the Kingdom of Aksum, an ancient civilization in northern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The calendar comprises 12 months of 30 days each, plus a 13th month called Pagumē, which has five days in a common year and six days in a leap year2. This structure ensures that the Ethiopian calendar aligns closely with the solar year, maintaining a consistent annual cycle.
The Ethiopian calendar is also closely linked with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has played a significant role in its maintenance and use. The calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar because of the different calculations for the birth of Jesus.
Each month in the Ethiopian calendar has its own cultural and seasonal significance, reflecting the country’s agricultural cycles and religious observances. For example, the year begins with Meskerem (September-October), a time of renewal and optimism, marking the Ethiopian New Year, also known as Enkutatash.
Ancient Lunar Calendar Traditions
Ancient calendars and time-keeping systems tell us a lot about the culture. The highly advanced Mayan calendar, for instance, included various systems for tracking time, including the Tzolk’in and Haab. These calendars were important for their religious ceremonies and practical applications of farming.
The ancient Egyptians initially used a lunar calendar but later developed a solar calendar based on the heliacal rising of the star Sirius, which coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile.
The Babylonians had a lunisolar calendar with 12 months and sometimes added an extra month to keep it in sync with the solar year. This calendar was used for farming and religious festivals.
The Celtic Tree Calendar had 13 months, each linked to a specific tree, showing their deep connection to nature. The Celtic calendar was used for timing agricultural activities and spiritual rituals, emphasizing their reverence for nature and the cycles of life
The Chinese lunisolar calendar combines lunar months with solar terms and is used to determine the dates of traditional festivals and farming activities.
These ancient calendars and time-keeping systems show how different cultures understood time and nature, and how they use this knowledge in their daily lives.
People could see how the moon affects daily life. They can see the correlation between the lunar phases and the ocean’s tides. And, since we are mostly water, it is possible to feel the effects. Some plants and animals respond to a circadian rhythm and a lunar clock. They can use the moon’s cycles and phases to calculate the migration of animals, birds, and insects. Think of each of the phases of the moon are like a snapshot of a spinning ball.
Do you relate to one phase more than the other? Do you notice your mood change with these phases? It draws many people into a specific lunar phase. Indigenous cultures used the bright lunar reflection for hunting and fishing. It also signaled critical times for planting and harvesting. Are the moon phases or 13 cycles of the moon part of our DNA.
There is anecdotal evidence that crime rates rise with a full moon. It’s where we get the term lunacy. See Old French lunatique, from late Latin lunaticus, and Latin luna moon. The term lunatic derives from lunaticus, which initially referred to epilepsy and madness. They believed our lunar satellite could cause these and other mental disorders, including intermittent insanity.
Is it Time for a 13-Month Lunar Calendar?
Returning to the 13-month moon calendar, based on the cycles of the moon, offers several potential benefits:
1. Alignment with Natural Rhythms. The 13-month moon calendar aligns more closely with natural cycles, including the lunar phases and biological rhythms. This promotes a deeper connection with nature and enhance our awareness of natural patterns.
2. Consistent Month Lengths. Each month in a 13-month calendar is exactly 28 days long, making it easier to plan and organize activities. This consistency eliminates the irregularities of the current Gregorian calendar, where months vary in length from 28 to 31 days.
3. Improved Time Management. With each month having the same number of days, time management becomes more straightforward. This regularity can simplify scheduling for businesses, schools, and personal planning.
4. Cultural and Spiritual Significance. Many cultures and spiritual traditions have historically used lunar calendars. Returning to a 13-month moon calendar can help revive these traditions and strengthen cultural heritage.
5. Enhanced Well-being. Aligning with the moon’s cycles can promote a sense of well-being and balance. Some believe that living in harmony with natural rhythms can reduce stress and improve mental health.
6. Environmental Awareness. A lunar calendar encourages greater environmental awareness and respect for natural cycles. This can lead to more sustainable living practices and a stronger commitment to environmental conservation.
7. Historical Continuity. Many ancient civilizations, including the Maya, Egyptians, and Celts, used 13-month calendars. Adopting a similar system can provide a sense of historical continuity and connection to our ancestors.
8. Break Away From Western Theology. Conservatism and right-wing extremism have taken over Western theology. These ideologies promote a ruling oligarchy and commercialism, which undermine democracy and freedom. Breaking the chain of ancient calendars and time-timekeeping systems that reinforce these harmful ideologies would be symbolic.
These benefits highlight the potential advantages of a 13-month moon calendar in promoting a more harmonious and sustainable way of living.
The Simple Math for Calendar Based on The 13 Cycles Of The Moon
So, let’s do the math related to Earth’s annual cycles. Each lunar cycle has 28 days. And 28×13 = 364 days + 1 day out of time. This last day is a day of love and peace. It was a day of meditation and happiness before the new year.
Unlike the Gregorian Calendar, the days of each complete lunar cycle (month) and the days of the week line up perfectly. It makes the 13-month moon calendar or a perpetual calendar. A perpetual calendar means we fix every date on the same weekday yearly. It makes it easy to plan and reestablishes our connection to the Universe.
Moses B. Cotsworth proposed a similar calendar based on the 13-phases of the moon in 1902. This solar calendar also divides the year into 13 months of 28 days. But it makes more sense than our current Gregorian Calendar.
Moon phases provide a 13-month lunar calendar. With this system, the logic is simple to follow. Each week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. The 1st day of every month will always be a Monday, and the 7th is a Sunday. It would make planning simpler. Transportation and logistics companies in the 1890s highly favored the fixed international calendar. The Eastman Kodak Company promoted this idea and used it internally in the 1920s, but there wasn’t enough momentum or funding from other companies to make it a reality. (3)
The Solar Calendar Versus the Lunar Calendar
If the calendar based on the 13 cycles of the moon is so great, why do we use a calendar based on the solar calendar and the zodiac? Yes, the calendar we use today, the Gregorian calendar, is based on the solar year rather than the lunar cycles. This choice was made for several reasons.
Ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Romans, found that a solar calendar better suited their agricultural needs. The solar year aligns with the seasons, which are crucial for planting and harvesting crops. A solar calendar provides a consistent framework for the year, with each season occurring at the same time annually. This predictability is essential for planning long-term activities and events.
The Symbolism of the Gregorian Calendar
The Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to reform the Julian calendar. This reform was primarily to correct the drift of the date of Easter, which is based on the spring equinox. The Churches influence of the calendar helped to establish its dominance of the culture.
Unfortunately, the Gregorian calendar is chaotic and illogical. It’s tough to follow and out of phase with our planet and the moon. We have months with 29, 30, and 31 days, and once every four years, February has 28 days! We need a leap year (2) based on a complex formula. It’s a similar type of chaos we have with daylight savings time.
Julius Caesar’s astronomers created the 12-month year, one for each Roman leader. Initially, each month had 31 days, but the year was too long, at 372 days. So, they shortened some months based on the leader’s importance. However, this is still inaccurate and requires the addition of a leap year to keep in sequence with the seasons.
The Solar Calendar versus the Lunar Calendar debate can reveal much about a society’s values and priorities. Calendars, like the Islamic Hijri calendar, are based on the moon’s cycles. These calendars are about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so lunar months drift through the seasons.
Cultures that use solar calendars, such as the Gregorian calendar, often emphasize the importance of the sun and metaphors of the sun in their religious beliefs. This is a cloaked reference to the dying-gods of the ancient mystery religions.
Cultures that use lunar calendars, like the Islamic and Chinese calendars, often have strong religious or cultural ties to the moon’s phases. These calendars are used to determine the dates of religious festivals and other significant events. They are also more closely tied to natural rhythms nature like the moving of the tides versus agriculture. Many indigenous traditions based their cultures around moon cycles.
Many Native American tribes have their own unique names for the full moons, reflecting their deep connection to nature and the seasons. Here are some examples of the names given to the 13 full moon cycles by various tribes and how they correspond to the Gregorian calendar:
January: Wolf Moon — Named for the howling of wolves during the winter.
February: Snow Moon — Reflecting the heavy snowfall typically seen during this month.
March: Worm Moon — As the ground thaws, earthworms reappear.
April: Pink Moon — Named after the pink phlox flowers that bloom in early spring.
May: Flower Moon — Signifying the abundance of flowers in bloom.
June: Strawberry Moon — Marking the time to harvest strawberries.
July: Buck Moon — When male deer grow new antlers.
August: Sturgeon Moon — Named for the large fish caught during this month.
September: Corn Moon — Signifying the time to harvest corn.
October: Hunter’s Moon — When the game is fattened and ready for hunting.
November: Beaver Moon — When beavers are active to prepare for winter.
December: Cold Moon — Reflecting the cold winter nights.
The Blue Moon. The extra full moon that occurs in some years, often the second full moon.
The Gregorian calendar reinforces the influence of the Church on the cultural narrative. Society conforms to its critical mass by adopting its values. There’s no rational reason to use this system of measure, which is a reference to the zodiac.
Western Theology and the Zodiac
The origins of the zodiac can be traced back to ancient civilizations, particularly the Babylonians, who are credited with developing the first zodiac system around 400 BCE. The Babylonians divided the sky into twelve sections, each associated with a constellation and corresponding to a specific time of the year. This system was used for agricultural, religious, and navigational purposes.
The concept of the zodiac was later adopted and expanded by the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks, influenced by Babylonian astronomy, incorporated the zodiac into their own astrological practices. They named the twelve signs after mythological figures and animals, which are still used today: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
The zodiac also made its way into Hindu astrology, where it was integrated into the Vedic system. The twelve signs were adapted to fit the Indian cultural and religious context.
Throughout history, different cultures have developed their own versions of the zodiac, each with unique interpretations and symbolic meanings. For example, the Chinese zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal.
The popularity of the zodiac is a testament to our fascination with the stars. The zodiac is a system of twelve constellations that the sun appears to move through over the course of a year. This system is tied to the solar year and the seasons, making it useful for agricultural and religious purposes. It also ties in nicely with the mythology of the ancient mystery religions, which is the basis for Western theology.
In Conclusion
The choice of the solar calendar versus the lunar calendar comes down to who controls the culture. Western theology and its control over the culture make it difficult to consider other methods. Many of the religious ceremonies of the Abrahamic traditions are tied to the solar calendar because of its roots in the ancient mystery religions where the sun god, the dying-god theme, was prominent in these cults.
Do you think it is time for a 13-Month Lunar Calendar Based on the 13 Cycles Of The Moon?
This discussion on the 13 moon cycles highlights how organized religion has shaped our cultural narrative. This integration occurred generations ago, so most people don’t see it. Just as daylight savings time was a bad idea, so was the 12-month calendar based on the Zodiac.
References
(1) Lunar Phases, Wikipedia
(2) Time and Date: timedate.com
(3) The Death and Life of the 13-Month Calendar: bloomberg.com