Photos of the moon by David Haworth, Copyright David Haworth, www.stargazing.net/david. Used by permission.
Photo of sun by SOHO's EIT (Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) National Space Science Data Center NASA
What kind of a column is this?
The column is a weekly almanac guide suggesting weekend activities based upon the cycles of Earth. The goal is to help people live in harmony with Earth by charting the natural cyclical variations of how a person feels through the seasons.
Background: The cycles of Earth are primarily the result of two other cycles. The sun cycle (spring, summer, fall, winter) and the moon cycle (first quarter, full moon, last quarter, new moon).
...Sun cycle’s natural activities are: spring—planning, planting; summer—doing, tending; fall— finishing, harvesting; winter—resting, reviewing. Moon cycle’s activities are: first quarter — planning; full moon—doing; last quarter—finishing; new moon—resting.
...Activities appropriate to the cycles are listed in the column for each weekend. Readers are encouraged to try adjusting their activities to the cycles of Earth. They may be pleasantly surprised how easy the day moves and how much they can accomplish.
How did you learn about the cycles of Earth?
... Becky Lynn Hackenberg is a certified natural healing practitioner and a Reiki master teaching classes in Ann Arbor and Three Rivers. She is co-founder of The Center For Sacred Living in Ann Arbor; an alternative healthcare clinic of 12 professional practitioners providing Healing Touch, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic and others. Her interest in Earth cycles comes out of study and experience of Native American and Celtic traditions, Chinese medicine, organic gardening and intuitive energy healing.
...Larry-Michael Hackenberg is an architect and taught graduate landscape architectural design at the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia. His post master’s graduate work in the U of M’s School of Natural Resources focused upon the life cycle events of plants as they relate to the sun and moon cycles. Later he was able to transform his understanding of cycles into the humanistic and productive management of people at the University of Michigan Hospital’s Medical Center Information Technology division from which he retired in 2004.
Why do you want to write this column?
... We hope to inspire people to honor their connection to the Earth and, by following the natural flow of the cycles of Earth, improve the quality of their lives. Designating appropriate times for planning, doing, finishing and resting brings order and peace to one’s life. Integrating with Earth’s cycles is effective, enjoyable and easy. It is acknowledging yourself as part of the whole and honoring the majesty of our complex universe.
What do you hope will happen when a person reads this column?
... We are historically and genetically a farm community. The seasonal cycles of the sun and the moon are fundamental to farming and farm families. Many of us who are no longer farming are only a few generations from full time farming. We hope this column will be a fun, intelligent way for people leading non-farming lives to reconnect with their history, their roots, by once again synchronizing their lives with the cycles of Earth.