The Moon
the full moon, and so on. Tradition has it that we get an
impulse, insight, or idea at the New Moon. During the
two-weeks between the New Moon and the Full Moon
(the waxing moon), this impulse or insight develops into
something objective; we build it into something concrete;
in other words, this seed impulse grows into something
real and reaches fruition at the Full of the Moon. After
the Full Moon, whatever we have built up or made
manifest proceeds to break-up or dissolve, and we
gather whatever experience or rewards we can from it; it
breaks up during the waning two-weeks of the lunar
cycle, from Full Moon to the next New Moon. Thus the
endless lunation cycle, similar to the breathing of our
lungs, goes from a collapsed seed point (New Moon) to
a full manifestation (Full Moon) and back again. This is
the archetype of the cycle.
The lunar cycle endlessly expands and contracts,
bearing forth and taking back—creating and destroying.
Given this fact and the tradition that has built up around
it, those who study the lunar cycle seek to take
advantage of this constant cycle and its very regular
opportunities. In the West, this very practical knowledge
either was never accumulated, never studied, or has
been lost, it is hard to tell; my guess is that it has never
been studied, here in the West, in as much detail as it
has been in the East.