Many people say from time to time that the Moon has only passive qualities. While it is true that the very obvious phases of the Moon consist of the reflected light of the sun, there are many other characteristics that the Moon brings to bear upon our Earth. We humans are effected by those characteristics, just as everything else on the Earth is effected. We are as much a part of the Earth's life and the Earth's mass as a tree, a deer, or a bird.
There are several active properties of the Moon, and this is a list thereof, not necessarily in the order of importance of the qualities of the Moon. The Moon causes to rise underneath Her the vast bulk of the tides in the ocean and rivers. The Moon causes to rise underneath Her a one meter high tide in the rock of the Earth as well, with certain known and hypothesized effects. The Moon also causes to rise underneath Her a tide in the atmosphere, in some ways similar to the other two tides, and in some ways different. This atmospheric tide controls the weather of the Earth to a very significant degree.1 The Moon's tides also cause certain effects upon the behavior of animals, notably on their feeding patterns, which can be an immense part of an animals life. But beyond tides, the Moon has other hugely important properties as well. The Moon's immense size and mass is a shield that swings over our heads, collecting meteors and comets, protecting us from bombardment. And beyond that, it is even very likely that the Moon, through a coupled dynamo effect, creates our Earth's strong magnetic field, protecting us from external radiation from space and our Sun's intense solar wind.
The ocean-tides of the Earth.
The ocean-tides of the Earth are well known to anyone living near the ocean. They are highest and follow a few hours after the Moon is at Her zenith, or highest point in the sky. The water of the ocean is a fairly dense fluid, so there is a lag in the time at which it is "pulled up" toward the Moon. If the ocean water were very much less dense, the tides of the oceans would follow the Moon's zenith much more exactly.
The rock-tide of the Earth.
There is a one-meter high tide in the solid Earth that follows the attraction of the Moon around, in constant motion. We don't notice it much because the "wave" is so miles long and wide. It follows behind the ocean tides because it is the "thickest" tide of the tides.
The atmospheric-tides of the Earth, and the influence on the weather.
Luna is closest to the Earth at the time that is called the perihelion. At this time, which either comes during the full-moon or the dark-moon, the attraction is greatest. This is the time when large rain storms are most likely.
There is a book written by Ken Ring from New Zealand called "Predicting the Weather by the Moon". In it he describes how he learned from New Zealand natives that Maori Wisemen can predict rain for their people. They do this so the people can fish. Fish hide during a storm. I have been following his weather guidance from this book, and I must say, it is more consistent than the TV or radio weathermen.
In a nut-shell, it is this: Luna acts upon the air, making tides, just as She does upon the water. Generally, when the Moon is at the horizon the atmosphere tide is low, the pressure low, and so the sky is inclined to make clouds and maybe rain. When the Moon is at zenith, in other words, straight above, the sky is inclined to unmake clouds and not make rain.
Supporting this, aside from witnessing it, there is a saying in Tibet that, "The full-moon eats clouds". This is definitely true, and I have seen it happen almost every time the full-moon is high in the sky.
Of course, there is a tandem effect between both the Sun and the Moon, both exerting tidal-forces, but believe it or not, the Moon has a stronger tidal action, because She is closer.
Every time the sky-tide is low, it wants to rain... Every time the sky tide is high, it wants to not rain.
Luna's tides causing an influence on the feeding patterns of animals.
My Father had a book thirty years ago, that I read out of curiosity. It was called, "Moon Up, Moon Down". He and I loved going fishing and hunting together; going out into the great wilderness and getting lost in it's immensity. What wonderful times. Perhaps he still has this book, I am not sure. But the point of this book was simple - if you are hungry then the fish, the deer, and every other animal is hungry. And the explanation was simple, we all naturally base our food-gathering cycles around the low-tide, because this is when the beaches and the marshes become exposed or stirred up, and food becomes visible.
The idea the author of "Moon Up, Moon Down" had was that all life on earth has some ancestral history with the seashore, or river-side, and so we all have instincts that tell us to look for food when the tide is low.
I personally have seen this play out in funny ways, like the story you always hear about the person who put down his pole to go get a sandwich and drink, take a nice big bite and start chewing, turning around in time only to see his fishing-pole jump out of its holder and get pulled down into the deep water. This has happened to me so many times that sometimes I am tempted to eat a sandwich so that I will catch a fish. Unfortunately, it's not that easy.
Luna's mass protects us like an immense shield.
Without Luna, like an incalculably huge mountain above us in the sky, we would be bombarded by errant asteroids, endangering all life much too often. As it is, sometimes we are hit by large meteorites. But scientists say that Luna scoops up most of the meteors that come near the Earth, and takes their blows for us. Luna is like a protective grandmother, shielding us from danger and bad news.
Luna even helps to make the protective strong magnetic field of the Earth.
Venus, without a large companion-Moon, has no magnetic field to speak of, and the solar wind drives through Venus's atmosphere, and the solar wind impacts upon the surface of Venus, streaming around Venus and back out again. Venus is burnt and waterless as a result, with heated temperatures of 400*F at her surface, and clouds of sulfuric acid in her skies
The Earth however, has Her large companion-Moon to protect Her. Luna not only swings around like a shield on a great arm, defending us from meteors and comets, but She also is dynamically coupled to the Earth in regard to angular momentum.
This dynamic coupling of angular momentum causes the Earth to slow down in its rotation on an extremely minute level, every day. This dynamic coupling of angular momentum also causes Luna to be thrown out away from the Earth about one inch every year. No need to worry, suffice it to say that Luna and the Earth will be coupled together longer than our Sun will shine. But that transfer of angular momentum causes something extraordinary to happen.
The iron-core of our Earth is actually the size of our Moon; about one sixth the size of Earth itself. There are two parts to the iron core, the solid inner iron heart of the iron core, and the liquid iron outer core. This liquid iron outer core is so hot, that it has the fluid consistency of water. In the center of this immense ocean of liquid iron, is the solid inner iron core; it is also quite immense. This huge solid round crystal of iron has an almost indescribable inertia. While the solid layers of the rocky part of Mother Earth above are slowing down, giving some of Her energy to the Moon, the immense spherical crystal of iron does not want to slow down as easily. The iron center, reluctant to slow, continues on, and a difference in rotation occurs between the surface of the spherical iron crystal and the underside of the solid rocky outer-earth which starts where the liquid-iron leaves off. The difference in rotation between the two causes the liquid, water-like, outer iron core to flow rapidly, probably in huge layers. These layers of iron currents flow down from the poles of the iron sphere, along the surface, and then out along the equator of the iron sphere. These currents would continue upward until they were drawn back toward the flow at the poles of the iron sphere. These immense flows of liquid iron would be a very prolific source of magnetism. All of this is caused by the dynamic coupling of the Earth and Luna.
The Earth and Luna work together like an immense dynamo, creating the protective magnetic field of the Earth, which fosters life so well.
What does all this mean?
Our Earth's great partner in the sky is often under-rated and given scant attention. She is truly a wonder, and we could hardly live without Her. Luna is easily as important for fostering life on Earth as the Sun, and both deserve recognition; both the Sun and the Moon are essential for life on Earth.
1. Predicting the Weather by the Moon, Ken Ring, 2000, Gothic Image Publications
Copyright © J. G. Jones