What's with the Moon?

(Times and Seasons Series: Post #VI)

Have you ever made observations of the moon for an extended period? how sometimes it's in the night sky and sometimes in the day sky? If its movements are to be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years, as in:

14 ¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years: ...
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (JST Old Testament | Genesis 1:14, 16)

then what might we be missing by not paying attention?

From the Ethiopic Book of Enoch [1 Enoch],¹ we read this about the moon:

XLI. 3-9. Astronomical Secrets. ...
5. And I saw the chambers of the sun and moon, whence they proceed and whither they come again, and their glorious return, and how one is superior to the other, and their stately orbit, and how they do not leave their orbit, and they add nothing to their orbit and they take nothing from it, and they keep faith with each other, in accordance with the oath by which they are bound together.
6. And first the sun goes forth and traverses his path according to the commandment of the Lord of Spirits, and mighty is His name for ever and ever.
7. And after that I saw the hidden and the visible path of the moon, and she accomplishes the course of her path in that place by day and by night--the one holding a position opposite to the other before the Lord of Spirits. And they give thanks and praise and rest not; For unto them is their thanksgiving rest.
8. For the sun changes oft for a blessing or a curse, And the course of the path of the moon is light to the righteous And darkness to the sinners in the name of the Lord, Who made a separation between the light and the darkness, And divided the spirits of men,²

CHAPTER LXXII. The Sun.
3. And I saw six portals in which the sun rises, and six portals in which the sun sets and the moon rises and sets in these portals, and the leaders of the stars and those whom they lead: six in the east and six in the west, and all following each other in accurately corresponding order: also many windows to the right and left of these portals.³

32. On that day the night decreases and amounts to nine parts, and the day to nine parts, and the night is equal to the day and the year is exactly as to its days three hundred and sixty-four.⁴

37. As [the sun] rises, so he sets and decreases not, and rests not, but runs day and night, and his light is sevenfold brighter than that of the moon; but as regards size they are both equal.⁵

CHAPTER LXXIII.
1. And after this law I saw another law dealing with the smaller luminary, which is named the Moon.
2. And her circumference is like the circumference of the heaven, and her chariot in which she rides is driven by the wind, and light is given to her in (definite) measure.
3. And her rising and setting change every month: and her days are like the days of the sun, and when her light is uniform (i.e. full) it amounts to the seventh part of the light of the sun.
4. And thus she rises. And her first phase in the east comes forth on the thirtieth morning: and on that day she becomes visible, and constitutes for you the first phase of the moon on the thirtieth day together with the sun in the portal where the sun rises.
5. And the one half of her goes forth by a seventh part, and her whole circumference is empty, without light, with the exception of one-seventh part of it, (and) the fourteenth part of her light.
6. And when she receives one-seventh part of the half of her light, her light amounts to one-seventh part and the half thereof.
7. And she sets with the sun, and when the sun rises the moon rises with him and receives the half of one part of light, and in that night in the beginning of her morning [in the commencement of the lunar day] the moon sets with the sun, and is invisible that night with the fourteen parts and the half of one of them.
8. And she rises on that day with exactly a seventh part, and comes forth and recedes from the rising of the sun, and in her remaining days she becomes bright in the (remaining) thirteen parts.⁶

CHAPTER LXXIV.
1. And I saw another course, a law for her [the Moon], (and) how according to that law she performs her monthly revolution.
2. And all these Uriel, the holy angel who is the leader of them all, showed to me, and their positions, and I wrote down their positions as he showed them to me, and I wrote down their months as they were, and the appearance of their lights till fifteen days were accomplished.
3. In single seventh parts she accomplishes all her light in the east, and in single seventh parts accomplishes all her darkness in the west.
4. And in certain months she alters her settings, and in certain months she pursues her own peculiar course.
5. In two months the moon sets with the sun: in those two middle portals the third and the fourth.
6. She goes forth for seven days, and turns about and returns again through the portal where the sun rises, and accomplishes all her light: and she recedes from the sun, and in eight days enters the sixth portal from which the sun goes forth.
7. And when the sun goes forth from the fourth portal she goes forth seven days, until she goes forth from the fifth and turns back again in seven days into the fourth portal and accomplishes all her light: and she recedes and enters into the first portal in eight days.
8. And she returns again in seven days into the fourth portal from which the sun goes forth.
9. Thus I saw their position--how the moons rose and the sun set in those days.
10. And if five years are added together the sun has an overplus of thirty days, and all the days which accrue to it for one of those five years, when they are full, amount to 364 days.
11. And the overplus of the sun and of the stars amounts to six days: in 5 years 6 days every year come to 30 days: and the moon falls behind the sun and stars to the number of 30 days.
12. And the sun and the stars bring in all the years exactly, so that they do not advance or delay their position by a single day unto eternity; but complete the years with perfect justice in 364 days.
13. In 3 years there are 1092 days, and in 5 years 1820 days, so that in 8 years there are 2912 days.
14. For the moon alone the days amount in 3 years to 1062 days, and in 5 years she falls 50 days behind: [i.e. to the sum (of 1770) there is to be added (1000 and) 62 days.]
15. And in 5 years there are 1770 days, so that for the moon the days in 8 years amount to 2832 days.
16. [For in 8 years she falls behind to the amount of 80 days], all the days she falls behind in 8 years are 80.
17. And the year is accurately completed in conformity with their world-stations and the stations of the sun, which rise from the portals through which it (the sun) rises and sets 30 days.⁷

CHAPTER LXXVIII. The Sun and Moon: the Waxing and Waning of the Moon.
1. And the names of the sun are the following: the first Orjârês, and the second Tômâs.
2. And the moon has four names: the first name is Asônjâ, the second Eblâ, the third Benâsê, and the fourth Erâe.
3. These are the two great luminaries: their circumference is like the circumference of the heaven, and the size of the circumference of both is alike.
4. In the circumference of the sun there are seven portions of light which are added to it more than to the moon, and in definite measures it is s transferred till the seventh portion of the sun is exhausted.
5. And they set and enter the portals of the west, and make their revolution by the north, and come forth through the eastern portals on the face of the heaven.
6. And when the moon rises one-fourteenth part appears in the heaven: ⌈ the light becomes full in her ⌉: on the fourteenth day she accomplishes her light.
7. And fifteen parts of light are transferred to her till the fifteenth day (when) her light is accomplished, according to the sign of the year, and she becomes fifteen parts, and the moon grows by (the addition of) fourteenth parts.
8. And in her waning (the moon) decreases on the first day to fourteen parts of her light, on the second to thirteen parts of light, on the third to twelve, on the fourth to eleven, on the fifth to ten, on the sixth to nine, on the seventh to eight, on the eighth to seven, on the ninth to six, on the tenth to five, on the eleventh to four, on the twelfth to three, on the thirteenth to two, on the fourteenth to the half of a seventh, and all her remaining light disappears wholly on the fifteenth.
9. And in certain months the month has twenty-nine days and once twenty-eight.
10. And Uriel showed me another law: when light is transferred to the moon, and on which side it is transferred to her by the sun.
11. During all the period during which the moon is growing in her light, she is transferring it to herself when opposite to the sun during fourteen days [her light is accomplished in the heaven], and when she is illumined throughout, her light is accomplished full in the heaven.
12. And on the first day she is called the new moon, for on that day the light rises upon her.
13. She becomes full moon exactly on the day when the sun sets in the west, and from the east she rises at night, and the moon shines the whole night through till the sun rises over against her and the moon is seen over against the sun.
14. On the side whence the light of the moon comes forth, there again she wanes till all the light vanishes and all the days of the month are at an end, and her circumference is empty, void of light.
15. And three months she makes of thirty days, and at her time she makes three months of twenty-nine days each, in which she accomplishes her waning in the first period of time, and in the first portal for one hundred and seventy-seven days.
16. And in the time of her going out she appears for three months (of) thirty days each, and for three months she appears (of) twenty-nine each.
17. At night she appears like a man for twenty days each time, and by day she appears like the heaven, and there is nothing else in her save her light.⁸

CHAPTER LXXIX.
1. And now, my son, I have shown thee everything, and the law of all the stars of the heaven is completed.
2. And he showed me all the laws of these for every day, and for every season of bearing rule, and for every year, and for its going forth, and for the order prescribed to it every month and every week:
3. And the waning of the moon which takes place in the sixth portal: for in this sixth portal her light is accomplished, and after that there is the beginning of the waning:
4. 〈And the waning〉 which takes place in the first portal in its season, till one hundred and seventy-seven days are accomplished: reckoned according to weeks, twenty-five (weeks) and two days.
5. She falls behind the sun and the order of the stars exactly five days in the course of one period, and when this place which thou seest has been traversed.
6. Such is the picture and sketch of every luminary which Uriel the archangel, who is their leader, showed unto me.⁹

CHAPTER LXXIV
4. And in certain months she [the Moon] alters her settings, and in certain months she pursues her own peculiar course.
5. In two months the moon sets with the sun: in those two middle portals the third and the fourth. ¹⁰

Does the moon really set with the sun in portals three and four? if so, why does she do this? And are those middle portals the ones that relate to months 6 and 7 (with five months on each side of them) and with the Fall Equinox (transition) marking the end of month 6 and the beginning of month 7?

If we observed the moon using 1 Enoch's calendar, what might it tell us about signs and seasons, days and years?

With out Gregorian Calendar, we seem to have lost the precision and beauty of days and months and years as seen in the grid version of 1 Enoch's calendar.¹¹

If indeed, the sun and the moon “keep faith with each other, in accordance with the oath by which they are bound together,”¹² then should we be more observant of their signs and seasons, days and years?

For now, let us also begin observing the moon to see what she does in relation to 1 Enoch's calendar.

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1. Perhaps the best source to explore all the extant Enoch writings and references is the Annotated Edition - The Book of Enoch: Translated from the Ethiopic Text by R. H. Charles, D.Litt., D.D. (Includes the Slavonic Text (2 Enoch); the Hebrew Text (3 Enoch); and Enoch Text Passages from the Writings of Moses and the Book of Jasher) compiled by David R. Hocking, Editor. Available at BeaconLight Books.com ( https://beaconlightbooks.com/the-annotated-book-of-enoch/ ) or other online or walk-in book stores.
Note: The Slavonic Book of Enoch (2 Enoch) gives different timing for the moon: 7 months of 31 days, 4 of 30, and one of 28, totaling 365 days (Hocking, p. 106).

Other Annotated Books by David R. Hocking at https://beaconlightbooks.com/
• The "Gospel Tangents" interview with the Editor, David R. Hocking can be seen at:
   723: Books of Enoch & Jasher (David Hocking 2 of 2) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oGXd3cWvUs&t=4220s
   722: Annotated Book of Mormon (David Hocking 1 of 2) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6osuaogbT0
• See also the Enoch chart posted at Deja Vu - Times II: https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/09/signs-seasons-days-and-years-part-ii.html
• and the calendar / time series posts:
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/04/gods-prophetic-day-evening-to-evening.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/09/deciphering-heavens-times-signs-and.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/09/signs-seasons-days-and-years-part-ii.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/09/deciphering-night-and-day-or-day-and.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/12/signs-seasons-iv-do-we-need-sundial.html
https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/02/pondering-enochs-calendar-v.html
2, Anonymous, Enoch. The Book of Enoch: The Complete Collection (Translation and commentary by R.H. Charles) (Alpha Centauri Religion 9201) (Kindle Locations 1625-1648). Alpha Centauri Publishers. Kindle Edition. (All bold emphasis added.)
3. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2510-2513)
4. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2567-2569)
5. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2577-2578)
6. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2580-2597)
7. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2598-2628)
8. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2702-2737)
9. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2741-2751)
10. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2604-2606)
11. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/02/pondering-enochs-calendar-v.html
12. See CHAPTER XXL.5 above.