In this series which originates from Sacred Cuts: The Intersection of Spirituality, Folklore, and Science in Meat Processing, we delve into the specifics of certain traditions and enchantments associated with meat and meat processing. In this installment we explore the historical belief that the waxing moon enhances meat quality, drawing from Bavarian farming and Austrian monastic traditions as it relates to the Waxing moon. By examining documented practices and anecdotes, it sheds light on how lunar phases influenced the timing of livestock slaughter to ensure tenderness and preservation.
This, in turn, is again part of a broader discussion under Sacred Curing Chronicles: The Origins & Evolution of Meat Curing which delves into the ancient journey of meat preservation, tracing its development from primal survival techniques to intricate practices woven into the cultural and religious fabric of civilizations. This exploration forms part of Zeno Holisticus, a larger body of work on EarthwormExpress, dedicated to examining the interconnectedness of all living beings and the cosmos.
By Eben van Tonder and Carys Brynwyn, 18 Nov 2024
Introduction
The waxing moon, characterized by the increasing illumination of its surface, has long been linked to growth and vitality in agricultural traditions. Farmers and herders across Europe believed that slaughtering livestock during the waxing moon enhanced meat quality, ensuring tenderness and better preservation. In Bavaria and Austria, this belief is well-documented in almanacks, farming guides, and oral traditions, offering insight into how lunar phases influenced traditional practices.
Quote from Sacred Cuts: The Intersection of Spirituality, Folklore, and Science in Meat Processing
Lunar Phases and Slaughtering Rituals
Waxing Moon (Zunehmender Mond):
“Was mit dem Mond wächst, bleibt stark und fest.”
(What grows with the moon stays strong and firm.)
Slaughtering during the waxing moon was believed to imbue meat with vitality, ensuring tenderness and long preservation.
Bavarian Practices and Documentation
In Bavaria, the belief in the waxing moon’s influence on meat quality is prominently recorded in historical texts. The Bayerischer Bauernkalender (Bavarian Farmer’s Calendar) from 1820 advises:
“Schlachtet man im zunehmenden Mond, so bleibt das Fleisch länger frisch und zart.”
Translated: “If slaughtered during the waxing moon, the meat stays fresh and tender longer” (Bayerischer Bauernkalender, 1820, p. 46). This guidance reflects a widespread notion among Bavarian farmers that the moon’s phases could impact the inherent qualities of meat, particularly its tenderness and resistance to spoilage.
Additional evidence comes from the Bäuerliches Jahrbuch (Peasant’s Yearbook) of 1875, which includes the instruction:
“Schlachten während des zunehmenden Mondes bewirkt, dass das Fleisch saftiger bleibt und länger haltbar ist.” Translated: “Slaughtering during the waxing moon ensures that the meat remains juicier and lasts longer” (Bäuerliches Jahrbuch, 1875, p. 114). This yearbook, widely circulated among farmers, reinforced the timing of agricultural activities in accordance with lunar phases, cementing the practice within the farming community.
The 1882 edition of Mond und Landwirtschaft (Moon and Agriculture) also provides detailed advice:
“Beim zunehmenden Mond geschlachtete Tiere liefern Fleisch, das zart bleibt und sich gut für Wurst und Räucherfleisch eignet.” Translated: “Animals slaughtered during the waxing moon produce meat that stays tender and is well-suited for sausages and smoked products” (Mond und Landwirtschaft, 1882, p. 87).
This connection between the waxing moon and meat preservation is particularly relevant in regions where long-term storage methods, such as smoking and curing, were vital.
Austrian Monastic Influence
In Austria, monastic communities such as those at Admont Abbey in Styria played a significant role in preserving agricultural traditions. While no explicit records of waxing moon slaughtering practices exist in Styrian monastic archives, the integration of local customs into monastic life suggests these beliefs likely influenced monastic agricultural activities.
Anecdotal evidence from villages surrounding Admont Abbey highlights the waxing moon as a favourable time for slaughter. As recorded in Steirische Volksbräuche (Styrian Folk Customs) in 1898:
“Die Wurst hält länger und der Schinken wird zarter, wenn man beim zunehmenden Mond schlachtet.”
Translated: “The sausage lasts longer, and the ham becomes more tender if slaughtered during the waxing moon” (Feldkirchner, Steirische Volksbräuche, 1898, p. 132). This tradition suggests that the waxing moon was seen as a time of vitality, aligning with natural rhythms to produce superior meat for preservation. While Styrian monasteries were centers of agricultural innovation, they often drew upon local farming practices, incorporating these beliefs into their food production and preservation techniques.
Scientific Perspective
The easiest conclusion to draw is that modern science has yet to substantiate any direct connection between the waxing moon and meat quality. It is plausible to argue that the observed practices of timing slaughter during the waxing moon coincided with favourable environmental conditions—such as cooler temperatures or lower humidity—or communal work patterns, which indirectly benefited the quality and preservation of the meat. While these explanations offer a logical and empirically grounded perspective, they fail to address the deeper, interconnected nature of such practices.
I propose that these traditions may be rooted in a more profound and subtle connection, grounded in the concept of the universal wave function. This cornerstone of quantum mechanics describes the entire universe as a single, interconnected entity where the state of one system can influence another, regardless of distance or direct causality. From this perspective, the waxing moon’s potential influence on meat quality could emerge not as a direct physical effect but as part of a broader web of interdependence that aligns cosmic rhythms with terrestrial processes.
In this framework, the moon’s phases are not merely markers of time but dynamic expressions of energy and gravitational interaction that affect systems far beyond tides and light cycles. The waxing moon, with its gradual increase in illumination, may symbolically and energetically represent growth, expansion, and vitality. Ancient societies, operating with an intuitive understanding of natural cycles, might have synchronized their practices with these rhythms, aligning the timing of slaughter with periods perceived as cosmically favourable. This could have influenced not only environmental factors but also the psychological and social conditions of those involved, indirectly shaping the care, precision, and intention applied to the slaughtering and curing processes.
The universal wave function allows us to explore the possibility that such alignment taps into a deeper resonance between the cosmic and the earthly. While scientific methodologies may not yet capture these subtle interactions, they may still exist as emergent phenomena within the complex interplay of quantum systems, biological processes, and human consciousness. The alignment of practices with lunar phases could reflect a broader principle of harmony—where actions undertaken in sync with natural cycles yield outcomes that are not entirely explainable through isolated variables.
This perspective invites us to reconsider ancient practices not as superstitious relics but as intuitive engagements with the universal interconnectedness that modern quantum theory begins to describe. By proposing a deeper connection grounded in the universal wave function, we open the door to integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary science, forging a more holistic understanding of how cosmic and terrestrial processes are interwoven. This exploration transcends the binary of science versus tradition, suggesting instead that both are facets of the same quest to understand the profound interconnections that shape our reality.
For a detailed treatment on the subject see my article, Quantum Interconnectedness: Exploring the Universal Wave Function’s Influence on Relationships, Lunar Phases, and Meat Curing.
Waxing Moon in African Traditions: Symbolism and Practices
The waxing moon has long been a symbol of growth, vitality, and expansion in various African cultural traditions. Its significance extends to agricultural and ritual practices, where its increasing illumination is believed to enhance the potency of activities ranging from planting crops to gathering herbs. Historical and anthropological studies provide evidence of these beliefs, which reflect the alignment of human activities with perceived cosmic rhythms.
African Agricultural and Ritual Practices
The waxing moon is often associated with the optimal timing for agricultural activities in African farming communities. As documented in McKim Marriott’s Cosmic Rhythms in African Farming Societies (1962):
“Farmers in West Africa observe lunar cycles closely, particularly the waxing moon, which they believe fosters the vitality of seeds sown under its light” (African Agrarian Societies: Lunar Cycles and Farming Practices, Journal of Agricultural Anthropology, 1962, p. 34).
This belief underscores the symbolic association of the waxing moon with new growth and abundance. Farmers in regions such as Ghana and Nigeria historically aligned planting schedules with lunar phases, believing that the increasing light of the waxing moon transferred its energy into crops, promoting healthier yields.
The waxing moon is also linked to the practice of gathering medicinal herbs and plants. A study in Herbal Traditions of South African Tribes (1994) by Jacobus Du Plessis notes:
“Healers among the Xhosa people often collect herbs during the waxing moon, a time when the plants are thought to reach their peak potency due to the moon’s growing influence” (Herbal Traditions of South African Tribes, Journal of Ethnobotany, 1994, p. 78).
These practices reflect the idea that the waxing moon enhances the energetic properties of plants, aligning the harvest with their peak potency for healing rituals and medicines.
African Symbolic Associations with the Waxing Moon
As in Europe, in many African oral traditions, the waxing moon was seen as a time of renewal and opportunity. In the Yoruba culture of West Africa, lunar phases are often integrated into spiritual ceremonies. As noted by Olatunde Bisi in Yoruba Cosmology and Lunar Rhythms (1988):
“The waxing moon is revered as a period of growth and preparation. Rituals performed under its light are believed to bring success and longevity to endeavors” (Yoruba Cosmology and Lunar Rhythms, 1988, p. 43).
In agricultural communities, the waxing moon is considered an auspicious time for planting seeds, symbolizing the potential for new life and growth. This practice aligns with the belief that the increasing light of the moon fosters the development of crops. The waxing moon is also a time to gather herbs and plants, as they are believed to be imbued with heightened potency under the waxing moon.
Such ceremonies include offerings to deities under the waxing moon to ensure prosperity, health, and abundance, reinforcing the moon’s symbolic connection to increase and vitality. For instance, the charging of “moon water” under the waxing moon is believed to imbue the water with powerful properties for healing and prosperity.
Charging Moon Water: Origins, Practice, and Global Applications
Charging moon water is a ritualistic practice where water is placed under the moonlight to absorb its symbolic energy. The process, often associated with spiritual and cultural traditions, focuses on aligning the water with the perceived cosmic influence of the moon. The charged water is then used in ceremonies, healing practices, or personal rituals to manifest intentions such as prosperity, healing, or emotional clarity. While the act holds no proven scientific basis, it persists as a deeply symbolic and unifying practice across various cultures.
-> Historical Origins
The earliest mentions of moon water in literature are not precisely dated, but the use of lunar influence in rituals can be traced back to ancient civilizations. For example, Babylonian and Egyptian lunar calendars tied agricultural and spiritual activities to the moon’s phases. While the explicit mention of “charging moon water” does not appear in ancient texts, water’s sacredness and its connection to celestial cycles are found in early religious writings.
One of the first detailed descriptions of moon-related rituals involving water comes from Hermetic texts in Hellenistic Egypt (circa 2nd century BCE). The texts describe water purification under the moonlight to prepare it for alchemical or spiritual use (Corpus Hermeticum, translated by Brian P. Copenhaver, 1995). Similarly, Ayurvedic traditions in India refer to storing water under moonlight for purification and cooling properties, often for ceremonial use (Charaka Samhita, circa 300 BCE). In European pagan practices, medieval grimoires describe leaving water under the moon to cleanse and enhance its potency for healing.
-> The Practice of Charging Moon Water
Charging moon water typically involves selecting a container, often clear glass, to maximize exposure to moonlight. The container may be sealed to protect the water from contaminants, ensuring it remains pure for ceremonial or ritual use. Practitioners place the water outdoors or near a window, allowing it to absorb the moonlight. This is often done during the waxing moon, which symbolizes growth and abundance, or under a full moon, associated with completion and heightened energy.
Personal intentions or prayers often accompany the process, focusing on specific goals such as healing, prosperity, or emotional balance. In some traditions, additional elements like crystals, herbs, or other symbolic items are placed near or in the water to enhance its symbolic resonance.
-> Applications Across Cultures
African Traditions
In African cultures, particularly among the Yoruba people, water is sacred and often integrated into rituals honouring deities, orishas. Charging water under the waxing moon aligns with the belief that lunar energy enhances life-giving properties. This charged water is used in offerings, purification ceremonies, or spiritual healings, symbolizing a connection between the natural and divine realms.
European Folklore
European pagan traditions often associate moon water with purification and spiritual cleansing. Grimoires from the Middle Ages describe moon water as an essential element in rituals for protection, healing, and fertility. For instance, it was believed that water charged under a full moon could be sprinkled around a home to ward off negative energy or used to bless crops for better harvests.
Modern Spirituality
In contemporary practices like Wicca or New Age spirituality, moon water is used in a variety of ways, such as drinking (if safe), anointing tools, or watering plants with intentions for growth and vitality. Its uses extend to meditative practices, where it serves as a focal point for channelling lunar energy into personal or communal goals.
-> Scientific Perspective
There is no empirical evidence to support the claim that moonlight changes the physical or energetic properties of water. Moonlight, reflected sunlight, does not have sufficient intensity to alter water at a molecular level. However, the symbolic act of charging moon water fosters intention-setting, a practice shown to have psychological benefits by focusing thoughts and creating a sense of purpose. This aligns the ritual with broader concepts of mindfulness and spiritual connection.
-> Significance of the Waxing Moon
The waxing moon, a period of increasing illumination, is widely regarded as a time of growth, abundance, and new beginnings. Charging moon water during this phase is believed to capture the moon’s “growing energy,” aligning it with intentions for prosperity, healing, and manifestation. This association underscores the moon’s symbolic power in reflecting natural cycles of expansion and creation.
The practice of charging moon water reflects humanity’s enduring effort to harmonize with natural cycles and cosmic rhythms. Its applications across diverse cultures—from African Yoruba rituals to European pagan practices—illustrate its universal appeal as a symbolic act of renewal and connection. While science does not validate the transformative effects attributed to moonlight, the practice’s psychological and spiritual significance continues to resonate. As a focal point for intention and ritual, charging moon water embodies a timeless relationship with the cosmos and its mysteries.
Conclusion
Historical records and anecdotes from Bavaria and Austria demonstrate the strong belief in the waxing moon’s influence on meat quality. Almanacks such as the Bayerischer Bauernkalender and regional guides like Steirische Volksbräuche provide concrete examples of how farmers incorporated lunar phases into their agricultural practices. While scientific validation remains absent, these traditions reflect humanity’s enduring effort to align practical activities with perceived cosmic rhythms. Further exploration of monastic records and oral histories may uncover additional insights into how lunar phases shaped historical food preservation practices.
For a comprehensive discussion on folklore and incantations associated with meat and meat processing, see Sacred Cuts: The Intersection of Spirituality, Folklore, and Science in Meat Processing
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