Compiled by Sue Bagust

WANING MOON to WAXING MOON
Last week and First week of the lunar month
Dark Moon: Monday 23rd @ 6.40 am
Chinese New Year: Monday 23rd
Sun moves into Aquarius: Sunday 22nd @ 3.10 am
New Moon: Thursday 26th
(Times EDST)

Up to the 23rd January the moon is waning, or growing smaller, but then the moon begins waxing, or growing larger, towards the Full Moon and is the best time of the lunar month to sow or propagate annuals, both leafy and fruiting. Leafy annuals are best planted in the first lunar week and in the tropics during January your best crop would be celery and sunflowers, or perhaps a crop of rockmelons. Remember that some crops do equally well planted in either the first or second quarter of the lunar month such as annual flowers, melons, cereal grains or shallots if you plant when the moon is in an earth or a water sign.

Your best time to plant this week is when the moon is in Pisces, which is a fully-fertile moon. The moon enters Pisces just after 8 pm on Wednesday 25th, stays there all day on the 26th and 27th. If you need to graft, irrigate or use soluble fertilizers, the fertile times of the first and second week of the lunar month are your best choice. This will lessen the shock and give your plants the best chance for quick acceptance and healing. This is also a good time to prune to stimulate quick and healthy regrowth, so it is also a good time to book a haircut if you want a trim and then quick and healthy regrowth. If you have sensitive feet and have trouble buying shoes to fit, try new shoes on when the moon is waxing in Pisces and you'll be sure to know whether your new shoes will be comfortable.

For the fishermen: this is an excellent week to catch fish if you remember the magic fishing times of 45 minutes before and after sunrise and sunset, and 45 minutes before and after moonrise and moonset for three days of the Dark Moon and a couple of days after, i.e. 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and quite possibly 26th. Another bit of fishing lore is "Moon by day, fish by day; moon by night, fish by night."

There are no void-of-course moons this week to worry about, until Friday 27th.

Planting, fishing or planning your haircuts by the moon is not a new idea. If you would like to know more read about Rudolph Steiner who published breakthrough ancient ideas on farming as well as on education, or better still, give the moon's energy a chance in your own life. You may be surprised by your success – no incantations necessary (but they could help).