night, the fifth of april
dark furrow
old knowledge preserved
early spring
the soil warms. the light returns longer each day.
what was sleeping is not sleeping anymore.
still cold enough to frost. the season is not settled yet.
the moon is waning gibbous, 86% lit.
the world is turned away from the sun.
12h 32m of daylight today. +2.3 minutes from yesterday.
fog lifts from the creekrevealing green where there wasnothing just last week
roots grow in the dark. the soil breathes. ❧ regulus, the heart of the lion, was another of the four royal stars of persia. it marked the summer solstice four thousand years ago. the name means "little king," and in spring it rules the high sky. ❧ arcturus rises in the east, orange and steady, a sign the warm is coming ❧ spring remedies are about waking up. the body has been indoors too long. bitter greens and sharp roots shake the dust off.
the moon is full. plant root crops: carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, garlic. the energy is pulling downward now. bulbs and perennials go in well under a full moon. ❧ the worm moon is coming or just passed. some called this the crow moon, for the sound that breaks the silence at the end of winter. the sap moon, because the maples are running. the ground is unlocking. ❧ the earthworms are pulling leaves down into the soil, feeding what feeds you. ❧ wind in early spring is different from winter wind. it is warmer and wetter and it smells like mud. the old word for it was simply "the thaw wind."
lemon balm tea from whatever survived the winter. calming, gentle on the stomach.