Timber and the Moon

Here is another beautiful example of living and working with nature instead of trying to control her.

Recently on my trip to Germany, I had the pleasure to meet Prof. Erwin Thoma who wrote several books about the harvesting and use of timber. He collected traditional and practical knowledge his grandfather passed down to him over the years.

Erwin writes that traditionally the best time for timber logging is in winter when the moon is waning and close to a new moon in an earth sign. Usually the timing is around Christmas and New Year in the Northern Hemisphere. The fact, that the waning phase and earth sign are mentioned, is the icing on the cake. At this time of the year, the  tree is hibernatingand the wood fibers are densest. Timber cut at this particular new moon contains less moisture, dries more evenly and doesn’t warp. Because of the lower starch content it also is less susceptible to insects and fungi and therefore doesn’t need to be treated with highly toxic timber preservatives.

After cutting the trees, forestry workers leave the branches on and have the tree tops pointing downhill. The trees once more try to generate flowers and seeds and the remaining sap moves out of the trunk into the branches. About 2 months later, when the branches are finally removed, the tree trunk has released as much moisture as possible. It is being cut to logs and left drying naturally for another few months before it is transported to the timber mill for further processing. The finished product needs less protection and lasts longer.

Clausthal, largest wooden Church in Germany, dating back to 1639

Like this  wooden church in Clausthal, Germany dating back to 1639! Recently the church tower has been renovated with 40 fir trees, which have been harvested by the moon phase.

Once you get the idea of how of few simple principles work, experimenting with the moon phases becomes fun and tuning in second nature. Effectively you can save much time, effort and resources in many diverse areas in your life, like gardening, health, home maintenance, building and renovating.

The Moontime Diary 2013 makes it easy for you to experiment with the moon phases. Every day, practical hints tell you what is favorable or sometimes what you should avoid. Extensive tables help you to identify the best timing for many other activities, from financial planning to dentist appointments.

If you find this interesting, please share it with as many like minded people as you can, many thanks and moon blessings. Iris