Lunar node
The points at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic, twice a month. In the biodynamic planting calendar the hours around a lunar node count as unfavourable for sowing and planting.
What is a lunar node?
The lunar node is the point at which the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. The Moon’s orbit is tilted by just over 5 degrees against the ecliptic. So the Moon spends half of each orbit north of the Sun’s path and half south of it, and crosses it twice a month.
At the ascending node the Moon passes from south to north across the ecliptic, at the descending node from north to south. From one ascending node to the next takes 27.21 days on average. This span is called the draconic month.
Lunar nodes in the biodynamic calendar
Biodynamic practice does not sow or plant in the hours around a lunar node. The node overrides the day type: even a root or fruit day is blocked during these hours.
Dyyna ties the node window to the Moon’s disc. It begins when the edge of the disc touches the ecliptic and ends when it leaves it again on the other side. How long that takes depends on the Moon’s distance and the position of its orbit. In 2026 and 2027 the window begins 4 ¾ to a good 5 ½ hours before the node and ends just as long after it. The calendar shows it as a blocked band with start and end, in the time zone of the garden.
Ascending node and ascending Moon
The words sound the same, but they describe two different movements. The ascending node is the crossing of the ecliptic. The ascending Moon describes the growing height above the celestial equator, which increases up to the turning point. Both rhythms last just over 27 days, but they run out of step with each other. French and Polish calendars therefore use separate words for the two.
Lunar nodes and eclipses
An eclipse only happens when New Moon or Full Moon falls close to a lunar node. Then Sun, Earth and Moon stand in one line. On 6 February 2027 the New Moon falls just under six hours before the ascending node, and there is an annular solar eclipse. On 2 August 2027 it falls two and a half hours before the descending node: the solar eclipse that day is total.
The line of nodes moves backwards through the zodiac and takes 18.6 years to go once round. This is why the eclipse seasons come almost three weeks earlier in the year each year.
Lunar nodes 2027
| Date | Node | Time | Unfavourable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan | ascending | 16:57 | 11:31 – 22:22 |
| 23 Jan | descending | 18:25 | 13:36 – 23:14 |
| 6 Feb | ascending | 22:43 | 17:23 – 4:03 (7 Feb) |
| 20 Feb | descending | 5:39 | 0:50 – 10:28 |
| 6 Mar | ascending | 5:39 | 0:17 – 11:02 |
| 19 Mar | descending | 14:06 | 9:07 – 19:04 |
| 2 Apr | ascending | 12:16 | 6:45 – 17:47 |
| 15 Apr | descending | 18:31 | 13:21 – 23:40 |
| 29 Apr | ascending | 15:23 | 9:45 – 21:02 |
| 12 May | descending | 19:03 | 13:51 – 0:14 (13 May) |
| 26 May | ascending | 17:20 | 11:42 – 22:58 |
| 8 Jun | descending | 21:23 | 16:21 – 2:25 (9 Jun) |
| 22 Jun | ascending | 20:24 | 14:53 – 1:55 (23 Jun) |
| 6 Jul | descending | 4:14 | 23:24 (5 Jul) – 9:05 |
| 20 Jul | ascending | 1:32 | 20:08 (19 Jul) – 6:56 |
| 2 Aug | descending | 14:34 | 9:48 – 19:19 |
| 16 Aug | ascending | 7:48 | 2:25 – 13:12 |
| 30 Aug | descending | 1:01 | 20:11 (29 Aug) – 5:51 |
| 12 Sep | ascending | 13:24 | 7:55 – 18:54 |
| 26 Sep | descending | 8:03 | 3:02 – 13:05 |
| 9 Oct | ascending | 16:57 | 11:19 – 22:35 |
| 23 Oct | descending | 10:14 | 5:03 – 15:25 |
| 5 Nov | ascending | 17:53 | 12:13 – 23:32 |
| 19 Nov | descending | 9:33 | 4:24 – 14:42 |
| 2 Dec | ascending | 20:36 | 15:03 – 2:09 (3 Dec) |
| 16 Dec | descending | 13:19 | 8:23 – 18:16 |
| 30 Dec | ascending | 1:50 | 20:26 (29 Dec) – 7:13 |
Times for Central Europe (CET, CEST in summer). The “Unfavourable” column shows the node window in which Dyyna blocks sowing and planting.
Sources
- Lunar node, Wikipedia
- Orbital data: Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd edition, Willmann-Bell 1998
Frequently asked questions about the lunar node
What does lunar node mean in the planting calendar?
The hours in which the Moon crosses the ecliptic. Biodynamic practice does not sow or plant then, whatever the day type.
How long does a lunar node last?
The window runs from the first to the last moment at which the Moon’s disc touches the ecliptic. In 2027 that is 9 ½ to a good 11 hours in all.
How often is there a lunar node?
Twice a month, once ascending and once descending. There are 27 nodes in 2027.
What is the difference between the ascending node and the ascending Moon?
The ascending node is the moment at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic going north. The ascending Moon is the time in which it stands higher in the sky from day to day. The two are not connected.