THE FORMATIVE FORCE IN PLANT SAPS AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON THE POSITION OF THE MOON.
In the search for connections between the moon and the form or silver strength in the sap tests, the most obvious first step was to compare the results obtained from plants picked at Full and New Moon. The available tests were sorted into two groups and compared. No constant differences were found in the form type or what we have called silver strength, between the sap tests of mistletoe picked at Full and New Moon.
There seemed to be no connection at all between the variations in form in the test pictures of mistletoe and the phases of the Moon. Could the test even be used to demonstrate the futility of this kind of comparison ?
There was another possibility. Was the basis of comparison not far too superficial ? After all, had the influence on the plants of every Full and New Moon been so markedly different, it could not have escaped notice.
Other factors beside the phases themselves must be considered. The movements of the Moon are extremely complicated. The return to Full or New Moon is only one of five lunar rhythms of differing lengths that fall within each calendar month. In addition, these rhythms are also so irregular that only the mean times required by each can be printed in any ephemeris.
To consider the phases Full and New Moon alone and disregard the changing circumstances in which they occur is to work with one constant factor against a background of varying ones. The comparison is superficial, and it is no wonder that it does not lead further with the test pictures.
It is necessary to sort out the many overlapping lunar rhythms. Material covering a considerable length of time must be available to provide sufficient numbers of truly comparable Moons. This will be attempted first with the longest rhythm, the nodal cycle.
THE NODAL OR DRACONITIC CYCLE
The nodal cycle last 18.6 years. The moons orbit is inclined at an angle of 5( to the ecliptic, that is to the apparent path of the sun as seen form earth. The two points where the paths of the sun and the moon appear to cross, are known as the lunar nodes. At the ascending node the moon begins to traverse the half of its orbit that lies above the ecliptic, at the descending node it enters on the half that lies below the ecliptic. The nodes are not fixed points, so the first step will be to follow their movement, the second to find how the phases Full and New Moon occur in relation to the nodes.
The Moons journey from node to node in a draconitic month of 27.21 days takes less time than its return in a sidereal month of 29.53 days. As a result the nodes appear to slip back in front of the fixed stars. The distance covered in a year is approximately 19( so that it takes the nodes 18.6 years to move around the 360 of the Zodiac, and complete the nodal cycle.
As a result of the inclination of its path to that of the Sun, the Moon travels alternatively above and below the Ecliptic, and its position relative to this is measured in degrees of apparent latitude. At the nodes this is 0( and the greatest possible latitude, determined by the inclination of the lunar orbit, is 5(. If it is above the Sun is said to be North of the Ecliptic, + 5(, or the, if below South or - 5(. It is necessary to find how this rhythm is entwined with that of the change between Full and New Moon.
Every Full or New Moon that occurs on a node returns to that same node in a mean time of 27.212 days, but it will only be Full or New again about 2.32 days later. By that time it will be on its way to the opposite node and therefore some degrees above or below the Ecliptic. As a result the positions of Full and New Moons in consecutive months takes about a year to repeat the movement completed by the Moon itself in 27.21 days.
The next step is to follow the apparent latitude of the Full and New Moons of the same month in succeeding years. This movement happens at a much slower tempo; the return of the Full and New Moons of the same month to the same apparent latitude takes 18.6 years, a full nodal or draconitic cycle.
On August 16, 1950 , three days after a New Moon, a new nodal cycle began, as the moon in Virgo, moved south past the ecliptic. The Moon would reach its north node in Pisces two days after the full moon on August 27 1950.
The first Full and New Moons to occur at the maximum distance from the Sun's path after the beginning of the cycle on August 16, 1950 were those of December 1950 and June 1951. An imaginary line connecting the positions of Full and New Moon in December and June of those years would have been inclined at an angel of 28.5( to the Celestial Equator. The Moon's path was at the highest possible angle, 5( higher than the ecliptic. This position at the beginning of the cycle is shown in three ways on the left of the diagram.
The top drawing gives the path of the Sun and full Moon as they would have been seen above the horizon.
The sketch below it shows the inclination of the Moon's path to that of the sun and the position of the nodes. The Earth should be thought of as being in thge center of the Moon's orbit much smaller than that of the Sun as seen from the Earth.
The lower sketch, again imagined from the outside gives the angle of the orbits of the Sun and Moon to the celestial equator.
It will be clear from the descriptions already given that during the next years the december and June Moons came nearer and nearer to the Ecliptic, till by 1954 they occured on the nodes - these had meanwhile moved round a quarter of the Zodiac - and so were in linar and solar eclipses. The angle of inclination of the Moon's Path had descended from 28.5( and practically coincided with that of the sun. This position is sketched in the three diagrams in the middle.
During the following years the descending movement continued until the inclination of their positions, that is of the moons path had reached its lowest position., at an angle of 18.5( to the celestial equator. During this time the nodes had moved further on and completed half of the nodal cycle and reached their opposite position on December 9, 1959.
order to find whether the changes in inclination of the Moon's path during a nodal cycle had any influence on the plant sap's. A comparison of only those Full and New Moon's near the maximum apparent latitude - between 4( - 5( inclination - were used. These were the Full and New Moons of December and June.
required maximum latitude was reached by these Full and New Moons during the first and the last three years of the half nodal cycle. During the middle or transition years these Moons, as well as the inclination of the lunar path were too near the Ecliptic to provide an undisturbed comparison.
The half nodal cycle fell then into three periods of three years:
- years of high lunar path:
- years of middle, transition or Ecliptic period;
- years of low lunar path;
for the years of high lunar path were: Full and New Moon in December 1950, 1951, 1952 and in June 1951, 1952, 1953.
for the three years of the low lunar path were: Full and New Moon in December 1956, 1957, 1958 and in June 1957, 1958, 1959.
Though strictly speaking only the pictures of the June and December Moons should be compared, both series will be extended to give a wider impression. In addition to the pictures at Full and New Moon in June, those of July will be shown. The December pictures can be augmented by those of November, except in November 1951, for which the pictures of the following January had to be used.
Plates 14 & 15 show the series obtained fro mistletoe picked in June and July finished with gold chloride 1%. The two upper rows consists of the pictures of the sap of plants picked for Full and New Moon during the years of high lunar path. The two lower rows show sap pictures of plants picked for the corresponding phases during the years of low lunar path.
Plates 16 & 17 show the pictures obtained from plants picked for Full and New Moon in December and November. The test made during these winter months are finished with silver nitrate 1% as reagent. The arrangement is the same as in plates 14 and 15
Comaparisons between the two top and bottom rows in these four Plates shows that there is a strong contrast in the formative strength of the sap pictures of mistletoe picked at Full and New Moon during the years of the high and low lunar path.
If we apply the criterion of judgement won from the experiments made with increasing concentrations of silver nitrate - illustrated in Plates 11, 12, 13 - we see that during the years of high lunar path the quality of the mistletoe sap that works like silver in the test, was weak. The pictures resemble the tests produced with silver nitrate 0.5% in plates 11mpp12.asp and 12. During the years of the low lunar path at the times of the corresponding Moons, the silverlike quality is the sap was strong. The test pictures although developed with silver nitrate 1% looks as if stronger concentrations had been used. The pictures belong to the strong form or silver stages as shown in Plates 11, 12, 13.
The formative trends in the sap show great differences that go parallel with the changes of the lunar orbit from the high to the low inclination during the half nodal cycle. These differences are comparable to those obtained with the use of weak and of strong silver solutions as reagents on the sap.
The results encouraged the search for simalr strong formative contrasts in the quality of the sap in connection with other changes in the lunar position. The effects on the sap of plants picked at Full and New Moon in the positions nearest to and farthest from the earth will be studied next.
Perigee and Apogee of the Moon
The movement of the moon between Perigee and Apogee, the positions nearest to and farthest from the Earth, must also be considered in connection with the other lunar movements with which it is entwined. It has already been shown how complicated lunar movements are and how necessary it is to find which Moons are truly compatible.
In this case again the first two factors to consider are the phases Full and New Moon and the apparent latitude at which they occur. These two factors must be practically constant before the effect of the positions Perigee and Apogee can be compared.
The Moon passes through Perigee and Apogee every month, but not necessarily as Full or New Moon because it takes longer to return to the same phase than it does to either of these two positions. Full and New Moon occur approximately at Perigee two or three times a year, at Apogee usually only once. In addition Perigee and Apogee are not fixed positions. They move in complicated forward and backward swing that takes them nearly nine years to move around the Zodiac. The forward movement is from West to East in the opposite direction to that of the nodes. As a result Perigee and Apogee can fall on or anywhere between the nodes. It follows that Full and New Moons that occur on Perigee and Apogee can also be anywhere in relation to the nodes. A new Moon on or very near a node may eclipse the sun and its position in Perigee or Apogee determines the type of solar eclipse it causes. Full moon on or near a node may be fully or partially eclipsed itself. These eclipse Moons must be disregarded as they bring other factors into play. Only Full and New Moons in Perigee and Apogee that are also at a distance from the ecliptic can be compared. To gain enough cases no distinction was made latitude above or below the ecliptic as long as the distance was between 4( and 5(.
A list of the positions of all the Full and New Moons that occurred actually on the day given for perigee and Apogee showed that 56% of them were to near the ecliptic to be used for comparison. As this left to few cases the list was extended to include:
- Test made on the day of Full and New Moon when this phase occurred one day before or after the position Perigee and Apogee.
- Test made on the day of Perigee or Apogee when this fell within one day of the phase.
- When phase and position fell two days apart, the test of the day between was taken.
- Four cases are shown fro the early years before test were made every day. Three were made two days before the phase, but one day before the position, the fourth was made two days before phase and position.
Plate 18 illustrates the test pictures of mistletoe sap picked at the approximate times of Full and New Moon in Perigee and Apogee that can be compared in the years 1950 - 1959. These tests are finished with goldchloride as reagent and are for the following dates.
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Full Moon in Perigee |
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Full Moon in Apogee |
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June 17, 1951 |
July 16, 1951 |
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December 22, 1950 |
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Oct 11, 1954 |
Nov 8, 1954 |
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April 16, 1954 |
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Feb 13, 1957 |
March 15, 1957 |
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Sept 8, 1957 |
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March 5, 1958 |
June 20, 1959 |
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August 11, 1957 |
Plate 19 reproduces the test made from mistletoe picked at New Moon in Perigee and Apogee during the same period. These test are also finished with goldchloride are for the following dates.
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New Moon in Perigee |
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New Moon in Apogee |
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Jan 5, 1951 |
April 22, 1955 |
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July 2, 1951 |
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May 20, 1955 |
Sept 3, 1956 |
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Nov 24, 1954 |
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July 27, 1957 |
Aug 24, 1957 |
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Jan 30, 1957 |
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Nov 30, 1959 |
Sept 23, 1957 |
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Feb 28, 1957 |
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Plate 20 shows a further collection of pictures of mistletoe sap made in with Full and New Moon in Perigee and Apogee. These tests, finished with silver nitrate 1% are from the years 1957 to 1962. The plants were picked on the dates listed.
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Full Moon in Perigee |
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Full Moon in Apogee |
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May 12, 1960 |
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September 8, 1957 |
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Oct 13, 1962 |
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Dec 15, 1959 |
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Nov 11, 1962 |
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Jan 2, 1961 |
A few pictures made from plants picked when the Moon was in perigee have been omitted for the sake of the arrangement of the plates. New Moon in Apogee on June 24, 1960 was an exception. A more characteristic picture appeared on June 23, one day before the phase and the mean time given for the position. This picture is not included. The test for Full Moon in Apogee, September 1957 appears in both plates, once with goldchloride, once with silver nitrate as reagent.
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New Moon in Perigee |
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New Moon in Apogee |
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Dec 29, 1959 |
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Sept 8, 1957 |
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Nov 20, 1960 |
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Oct 27, 1962 |
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Dec 18, 1960 |
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Sept 29, 1962 |
The test in these three plates 18, 19, 20, when compared from left to right show at once that from the form trend in the plant sap changes with the position of Full and New Moon in Perigee and Apogee. Pictures with little form appeared when Full moon was in Perigee and New Moon in Apogee. If these pictures were fitted into the schema of the series with increasing strengths of silver reagent (plates 11, 12, 13) they would have to be placed on the left side among the pictures of weak silver effect. Pictures with strong formation appeared when Full Moon was in Apogee, New Moon in Perigee. The forces in the plant that worked like silver does were stronger at those times, and if fitted into the silver strength schema of Plates 11, 12, 13 would come on the right side of the strong silver.
The arrangement of the test in plates 18, 19 and 20 are same. This was done to demonstrate:
The contrast between the picture at the times of the same phase in two positions, e.g. Full Moon in Perigee and Apogee. The similarity between the pictures at the two phases in opposite positions e.g. Full Moon in Apogee and New Moon in Perigee.
Perigee and Apogee within the Nodal Cycle
The comparable Moons in Perigee and Apogee occurred in all three periods of the nodal cycle - a few only in the years of the high lunar path, most in the years of the middle and low paths. The effect of Perigee and Apogee in relation to the nodal cycle can be seen best in plate 18.
The top row shows test made at Perigee and Apogee of Full Moons that were on the high lunar path.
The second row shows tests when the Moons in these positions were in the middle or transitions path.
The two bottom rows show test made when the phase and position occurred together on the low lunar path.
Reading from the top to bottom it can be seen that the formative strength in the tests made when the Full Moon was in Perigee and Apogee on the high lunar path is weaker than in test made when Full Moon reached the two positions on the low path.
Reading from left to right, it can be seen how within the difference in form strength that goes with changing inclinations of the lunar path Full Moon in Perigee gives weaker test than Apogee within the same period.
The New Moons in plate 19 could not be arranged so conveniently in periods. All Moons in plate 20 were on the low path.
The examination of plants picked at Full and New Moon in Perigee and Apogee shows again that a strong contrast in the amount of form in the sap, pictures goes hand in hand with changes in position of Full and New Moon. The realties of this survey lend further support to the statement that the quality in the plant saps that produces that same appearance in the test pictures as silver does, is connected with the moon. The lunar rhythms examined so far are the most important that can be followed with the available material, but some lunar positions of short duration, namely eclipses of the Sun and Moon can also be considered from the point of view of the formative trends that appear in the sap of plants picked at such times.