Moon Guides

Moon Guides

Moon guides have existed for thousands of years and below you can find out why they are still so important and how you can use them for your daily benefit. But at first, let’s look a bit at how they came into the world. 

From as early as 30,000 B.C. hunter and gather societies have used the moon cycle to guide them through their life, give them light throughout the night, and scheduled their days. One of the earliest known ‘calendars’ was found in the Dordogne Region of France and consisted of animal bones. You can find out more about the origin of the moon calendar on this blog.

Many civilizations, more notably the Greeks and Romans scheduled their lives according to the path of the moon, and the first moon guides were established. Each generation added extra information and observations to these calendars. Eventually, this knowledge developed into an almanac.

What is an almanac?

Generally speaking, we think about an annual calendar publication that includes the movement of the sun, moon, eclipses,
black moons and blue moons, tide tables, planting dates, and various tips and lifestyle advice.

The first ever documented use of the word almanac was in 1267 by Roger Bacon, a Franciscan friar and medieval English philosopher. He set out to publish a set of tables to detail the path of the moon and other well-known planets and referred to it as an almanac. The actual word almanac comes from the Coptic-Egyptian literature where these tables were called almenickiaka. 

There are also other sources that claim it comes from the Arabic work al-manakh, but the exact origin remains a mystery.

But never mind where the word comes from, almanacs have been in use for thousands of years, giving structure to people’s lives, and highlighting good and bad days for agriculture, fishing, and hunting. Until not so long ago they were the backbone of the agricultural systems all around the world.

The Babylonian Almanac

These keen stargazers connected all sorts of events to the rhythm of the universe and collected this information in their own  Babylonian Luni-solar Calendar.  Still one of the most impressive examples of lunar guides. Their interpretations of certain star patterns,  good and bad dates for certain activities were passed down through the generations.

Some examples of these handwritten moon guides have survived and can be viewed in the British Museum in London. When Guttenberg invented the printing press these guides were among the first commercially printed books and traveled on ships to the New World.

Poor Richard’s Almanack

There the imported European guides were soon superseded by homegrown US versions. The most successful was called Poor Richard’s Almanack which saw a yearly print run of nearly 10,000 copies a year and this publication ran from 1732 to 1758. It was written and published by Richard Saunders and sold exceptionally well.  Apart from the usual calendar tips, it also contained puzzles, household tips, and amusements for the whole family.

Later versions added proverbs with life advice,  stories on how to run the household, and tales of moral behavior. All delivered with a touch of humor, and a dash of cynicism.Not surprising as Richard Saunders was in fact the pen name of no other than Benjamin Franklin, who later became one of the founding fathers of the United States of America.

How can I benefit from an almanac today?

These valuable guides have not lost their benefits. In fact, with so many other news channels, TV, streamers, social media, etc vying for your attention, it is really important to have a constant guide in your life. It turns your focus on what really matters in your life.

Your health, your environment, your relationships, your career/vocation, and your spirituality. And as we saw in a previous article – where focus goes, energy flows. 

Once you have these elements under control and in balance, you are able to take on the world with a positive mindset. And down-to-earth tips and recipes prove especially useful in a time when money is scarce and the future is uncertain.

I am in the process of publishing my very first almanac with useful tips and recipes, partly passed down from my grandmother and partly gained through my extensive research. And I can not wait to share it with you all!

mood guides

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Where focus goes, energy flows

Where focus goes, energy flows

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”  Aristotle 


Biodynamics is a world where the Macro-cosmos and Micro-cosmos align. The Macro-organisms are the stars, the cosmos, and the planets.The micro-cosmos are individual beings (plants, animals, humans). What all connects us is a kind of ‘electrical charge’.

We are all ‘electrical beings’.

The difference between a corpse and a human being is the ‘energy’ that keeps the person alive, keeps the body breathing, and the heart pumping.  In Biodynamics we call this energy ‘life force’ (derived from the Ancient Greek works bio – life and dunamis – energy). This concept of ‘life force’ has existed for thousands of years. In Ancient China it was known as qi. In fact, most civilizations had a similar explanation of how the world and all living entities interconnect with each other. What is clear is that we are all powered by the same ‘electrical charge’ and that this vast energy pool is shared.

The truth is, there is a lot of energy floating around and we all react differently to its influence.

The unconscious mind

Before you dismiss this all as ‘woohoo’, picture yourself in the middle of a dinner party, set in 1770. The scene is candlelit, everybody looks splendid with massive costumes and powdered wigs. At the table, you explain to other guests what a ‘radio’ is – yes there is a box and it has plenty of knobs and buttons. You can press one and listen to music or talk shows, made by people not even in your room, but sitting on the other side of the world. There are many channels and you can choose which one to listen to.

Guess what your audience would have made of you in 1770? Insane, absurd, and else. But here we are in the 21st century – all happily listening to podcasts, radios in our cars, and watching TV. Not so absurd anymore!

Well, the same goes for our ‘inbuild radio sets’. Everybody has one, but most people are absolutely not aware that it exists. Others are aware but have not found the manual yet and can’t switch it on.  There are also a few individuals who are not only aware that a radio exists, but they are also able to switch it on and tune into a specific channel.

This radio set is part of the ‘unconscious mind’. It is the large part of our brain that we don’t have conscious access to, but nevertheless, it exists. It occasionally surfaces in our dreams, inspirations, intuitions and gut feelings. Our brain is like a large computer and clocks millions of impressions every day. Some of these register as important, others are straight away forgotten or filed away. What is deemed important depends on our mindset.

One example would be when you buy a black car of a certain make – and all of a sudden you notice so many other black cars of this make. Were they here before you noticed them? Of course, they were. But only now your brain registers this information as important and shows it to your conscious mind.

Our brain is not a static organ, but a pool of different currents. It is primarily divided into the reptilian (survival brain) and the thinking brain. The survival brain will keep you alive by regulating breathing, and digestion. It also reacts to threats by either running away (flight) or facing the threat (fight). The ‘thinking brain’ is the big canopy above, where you process emotions, and feelings and where you connect to this higher energy via dreams, inspirations and thoughts.

Work with your unconscious mind

And here is the special thing – you can influence your thoughts and future behaviour. In fact, you must train your brain to become better with each day.  We are not the same every day, we are constantly in flux, and what we think/manifest does happen. Our brains are computers and what you feed in comes out. So you better make sure the thoughts (electrical impulses) you feed in are the ones you want to live with.

Knowing how our brain works, this function is super useful for setting and achieving goals.  Ever heard the phrase ‘ Where focus goes, energy flows’. It is your mindset that needs to tell your brain what is important, so it can recognize the information that propels your forward.

First of all, you have to stay clear of too much distraction. To achieve the best results you only want to feed in focused information that is relevant.
If you have a positive outlook, a can-do attitude, and look for like-minded individuals and opportunities guess what you will notice and interact with. On the other side, if you think of what you don’t want – being overweight, poor, unpopular, etc – you just notice more of this! And if all you feed in is irrelevant information, your brain will focus on this and that won’t get you further down the road of achieving your life goals. The brain does not distinguish what is good/healthy or the opposite. Like money, it is indifferent. It can be used for good or bad.

 It is all in your mindset and your thoughts determine what you focus on. And what you can see – you can achieve! What legacy do you want to leave behind?

So next time you fill in your LWTM LifeGoal Planner, get really specific about what you ‘really want’  and then visualize it. Tune ‘your own radio set’ to a channel that is a happy, fruitful place, and gets rid of all negative, destructive thoughts.

In today’s world, this advice is more important than ever! As I keep saying, you can’t change the macro cosmos, but you can change your own microcosmic world! Let’s start with a new mindset today!

Exercise Tip: I promise you if you do this consistently (daily for 90days straight !) you can reprogram your mindset. Find 10 minutes every day. For the first 5 minutes go in front of a mirror and repeat your most important goals and dreams, over and over again. Talk to your image in the mirror as if you were another person. You can set a timer, so you can stay fully focused on the message.

For the next 5 minutes, sit down in a quiet place, and take a few deep breaths. Then visualize one by one what would it look like if you had already achieved what you wished for. How does it feel, where do you live, what do you wear? Once you are crystal clear about what you want and how it looks and feels once you got there, you will notice a shift. It is not sudden, but a slow and constant change. Over time you will notice different people,places and new avenues will open up. You will attract new people into your life. Give it a try and stick with it daily for at least 90 days – daily! And most importantly, keep a diary of your goals and a log of how you implement your dreams by moving forward in small, achievable chunks.  Reading back old goal lists will provide you with a huge sense of fulfillment. Did you know that most people completely overestimate what they can achieve in one year, but completely underestimate what they can achieve long-term? Don’t fall into this trap, pace yourself and grow in a consistent and fulfilling way.

Remember: YOU alone are the master of your own destiny. Join our community below for more information.

 An Introduction to LWTM

Here is a link where you can download all our free resources to start building your new holistic life 

Hippocrates and the start of holistic medicine

Hippocrates and the start of holistic medicine

Hippocrates

Most of you will be familiar with the ‘Hippocratic Oath’.  A practice where young doctors swear before to uphold an ethical code that won’t harm the patient and will keep all medical history confidential. But few know more about this Ancient Greek doctor. So let’s look at why Hippocrates’  work is still so influential almost 2400 years after his death?

Hippocrates of Kos (who lived around 460-370B.C.) is often referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Medicine.  He was the first physician to diagnose disease based on a medical condition rather than seeing it as a punishment from the Gods, separating biological medicine from religion for the first time. He was also the first doctor to make a valid link between health and adequate, healthy nutrition,  exercise, and environmental factors such as a good standard of hygiene and a balanced mental state. This was ground-breaking work in then effectively rural Ancient Greece.

Observing various stages of illness, he came up with a systematic categorization of diseases and founded the Hippocratic School of Medicine. Although the human anatomy was then not well-researched (in fact we know now that some methods described were clearly wrong), many observations survived and are still a valid part of modern medicine. What made Hippocrates’ approach so appealing is the fact that he was the first doctor to have a ‘whole-body approach’ to medicine. Once a disease is diagnosed it is of course priority to deal with the acute illness.  But Hippocrates believed that prevention and keeping an overall balanced state of health before and after an acute illness is the ultimate goal. A concept that we are slowly losing in our current medical system.

 How is this relevant to the LWTM Lifestyle?

We believe that keeping a healthy body-mind-soul balance is key to a happy and healthy life. Hippocrates borrowed some concepts from the Babylonians (check out this article about their calendar system) who linked body regions with positions in the sky. This meant that within 28 days all the organs/body parts are highlighted for at least 2-3 days at each time.  This may be an outdated concept medically speaking, but it is a great way of working on your body in an equilibrant way within a whole moon cycle. We have therefore added the body symbols to the LWTM lifestyle calendar and called this series ‘ Keep Fit and Healthy From Head to Toe’. 

Astroman 

keep fit and healthy from head to toe

 Here is Astroman, a depiction of how surgeons operated until the 19th century. Today we of course aim for the best surgical procedure when diagnosed with an acute illness. This could even mean robots operating and other high-end technical procedures, regardless of what the stars are doing. But working on each body area for 2-3 days each month will make sure that you pay equal attention to the whole body.  The aim is to prevent diseases from forming in the first place. If you have certain problem areas, then of course spend more time treating that specific body region. 

 

Illnesses do not come upon us out of the blue. They are developed from small daily sins against nature. When enough sins have accumulated, illnesses will suddenly appear

Hippocrates

 Keep fit and healthy from top to toe 

With this program, we hope that you can do your fair share to prevent disease and correct ‘these little sins against nature’ as and when they occur. Look after your overall health by: 

  • Keeping a well-nourished body and a healthy weight
  • Having an optimistic, can-do outlook and being kind to others
  • Keep well-balanced mind
  • Look after your environment (your home and nature) 

Remember – you alone are the master of your own destiny. Have a look at the LWTM lifestyle calendar by clicking the link below and check out the recommended suggestions and tips. 

Have a look at the LWTM Lifestyle Calendar.  What body part is highlighted today?

 

 An Introduction to LWTM

Here is a link where you can download all our free resources to start building your new holistic life 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does a Black Moon mean for you?

What does a Black Moon mean for you?

A New Beginning

New Moon

The Moon cycle starts and ends with a New Moon. It is the time when the moon lies directly between the sun and the earth and no sunlight can be reflected back to earth. All we see is void, no light, and guidance in the nocturnal sky. Traditionally this has been a time for reflection, introversion, and most importantly new beginnings.

Long before electric street lighting, it was difficult to gather or travel during this time and people stayed at home, sitting around the fire, telling stories and planning for the cycle ahead. This time corresponds to the season of winter.

 

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” Lao Tzuae

It is very easy to stay on a  well-trodden path of daily recurring habits. But to stop, think about where to go next, and even change old habits and carve out a new future is very hard. We often procrastinate and only external circumstances force us to change our ways. But this is a rather painful way. Would it not be better to evaluate your life on a regular basis, even when everything is going well? The – Mend your roof whilst the sun is shining – approach

I think this approach sounds more sensible. The LWTM Goal Planner is just the tool to help you with this change. It forces you to think about your life in detail and then implement changes in small baby steps. So you change gradually and holistically.

Generally speaking, the best time to tackle this ‘overhaul of your life’ is at New Moon. Evaluate your current life situation and check at every New Moon how you progress.  Doing this exercise will improve your life immensely.

What is a Black Moon?

This is a rather rare occasion (about every 2.5 years) and refers to the 2nd New Moon in one calendar month. A Black Moon is seen as a real turning point, either globally or in your private life. If it comes up, seize the moment and introduce change into your life. It may be painful at the time, but over time will be very fruitful and rewarding.
In order to let something new in you have to let something old out.

A Black Moon is the counterpart to a Blue Moon and you can read more about this phenomenon here 

What does a Black Moon mean for you?

During this special time, take some time out of your hectic schedule, meditate and really listen to your gut feeling. What do you really like? What provides you with a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness? Write a bucket list and over the next months and years, try to tick these goals off. If you have yet to make a bucket list (your top 20 things to do in your life), then start one now.

Another concept is to create a vision board. On this board, you cut out images that fill you with a sense of joy, excitement, and happiness. Spend at least 1 minute per day to look at this board and visualize all the events you see.  It is a quick exercise, but by visually reinforcing your ‘new life’ the brain will subtly behave as this has already happened.  It is quite remarkable and it definitely works, as our subconscious mind is more powerful than you think.  As they say – seeing is believing!

Download your free LWTM Goal Planner now 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Beginning

New Moon

The Moon cycle starts and ends with a New Moon. It is the time when the moon lies directly between the sun and the earth and no sunlight can be reflected back to earth. All we see is void, no light, and guidance in the nocturnal sky. Traditionally this has been a time for reflection, introversion, and most importantly new beginnings.

Long before electric street lighting, it was difficult to gather or travel during this time and people stayed at home, sitting around the fire, telling stories and planning for the cycle ahead. It corresponds to the season of winter.

 

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” Lao Tzuae

It is easy to follow a well-trodden path of your past. But to stop, think about where to go next, and even change old habits and carve out a new future is very hard. We often procrastinate and need to be forced to change by external circumstances. But would it not be easier to prevent this painful way of change by regularly evaluating our lives? 

I think this approach sounds sensible. The LWTM Goal Planner is just the tool. It forces you to think about your life in detail. Generally speaking, the best time to tackle this is atNew Moon. Occasionally evaluate your situation with another New Moon and check your improvements and your progress. Doing this exercise will improve your life immensely. 

What is a Black Moon? 

This is a rather rare occasion (about every 2.5 years) and refers to the 2nd New Moon in one calendar month. A Black Moon is seen as a real turning point, either globally or in your private life. If it comes up, cease the moment and introduce change into your life. It can be painful at the time, but over time will be very fruitful and rewarding. 

A Black Moon is the counterpart to a Blue Moon and you can read more about this phenomenon here 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The element earth

The element earth

element earth  THE ELEMENT EARTH

Today is associated with stability, diligence, persistence, and working hard.  The element Earth, is as its name suggests, is all about being ‘down to earth and getting the job done’.  Fire Days are light, celebratory, and full of energy. Earth Days are the practical, hard-working counterparts. These are not the most glamorous days, but time for checking accomplished tasks off your to-do list. It is the ‘essential stuff’ that will make you move forward. 

Apart from New Moon, Earth days are good for detox (especially Waning Moon)  and helping your friends and the wider community.  It is the energy of the dependable, reliable friend who helps out in a practical way. 

Below you find a short summary and overview of particularly beneficial activities, all sorted by the various lifestyle areas.  For more specific advice and information please click each symbol description on the 
Month Ahead Lifestyle calendar 

LOOKING GOOD:  Nourishing and detoxifying skincare, perming/relaxing hair, body brushing, and hair removal. Massages that take away blockages and tensions are also particularly welcome.

FEELING FANTASTIC: Meditation, self-improvement and detox days. The best form of exercise is stretching, yoga, pilates, or anything to do with endurance like marathons, mountain tours, and long walks. 

HAPPY HOUSE: all earth-related tasks such as weeding, turning the soil, building paths, foundation work and repotting

FINANCE/VOCATION: Starting a new job,  sending off CVs, compiling shortlists for candidates, doing the accounts, budgeting and book-keeping.

FEELING LOVE: Earth Days are all about community support and friendships. Being reliable, caring, and doing something practical for someone you care. 

FEELING FANTASTIC – symbol overview

FEELING FANTASTIC – symbol overview

The FEELING FANTASTIC symbols

These are the FEELING FANTASTIC symbols of the LWTM Lifestyle Calendar THE MONTH AHEAD.
Click on any of these symbols and discover more articles, tips, and recipes about each topic

GO BACK TO OVERVIEW OF SYMBOLS

Ideas and brainstorming

Travel & 
Expand your
horizon

meditation and affirmation

Meditation &
Affirmation

creativity

Creativity

Liquid Fast Day

Liquid Fast Day

Finding Balance

Finding 
Balance

Extra sport

Extra Sport

Therapy and guidance

Therapy &
Guidance

Cultural events

Cultural Events

yoga, pilates and stretching

From top to toe
Yoga, pilates
& stretching

brain, eyes, head

Brain, eyes, head

throat, nose, neck and mouth

Thorat, nose,
neck & mouth

shoulders, lungs, arms and hands

Shoulder, lungs, 
arms and hands

stomach, breast and ribcage

Stomach, breast &
ribcage

heart, arteries, circulation and spine

Heart, arteries, 
circulation & spine

digestion

Digestion

kidneys and bladder

Kidneys & bladder

hips and reproduction

Hips & 
reproduction

thighs and bottom

Thighs &
bottom

knees, bones and teeth

Knees, bones
& teeth

Lower leg and veins

Lower legs &
veins

Feet and toes

Feet & Toes

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