> Don't forget, sometimes these bizare claims do have some grain of truth to 
> them. Obviously the ability to see things before they happen is nonesense, 
> but old folk tales about plants having magical healing properties 
> sometimes turn out to be based in part on truth. No harm in checking it 
> out.

You are right here. Even the full moon has genuine magical properties. It's 
light grants people the power of sight in the dark of night.

To those living in medieval times who wanted to gather any plants with 
healing abilties it was probably not a good idea to do it in broad 
daylight - at least if being tortured and subsequently burned on a stake is 
not your idea of having a good time. Carrying torches to light the dark is 
no good idea, either. A torchbearer sees less good in the dark than if he 
doesn't carry any light at all... if you ever tried it, you will know. 
People carrying torches in the night make an impressive sight for those 
standing in the dark (or those watching movies with a medieval theme), but 
they themselves will not be able to see much.

That left only nights with a full or nearly full moon to go searching for 
herbs, or to get together in secrecy, or to actually notice anything strange 
at night. And I suppose that is the reason all the myths of the mystical 
powers of the moon really started: the only chance to properly see anything 
in the dark in ancient times was to go out in moonlight.

Post a reply to this message