Today people in San Pedro only look at the moon to admire it. If you happen to look up and it is there, you cannot resist the temptation of admiring its splendor. Thomas Kirkpatrick spends a whole month vacationing in San Pedro and spends more time on his verandah admiring the moon and stars and the view than anything else. The moon has even inspired him to write a poem entitled, “I Leave My Heart in San Pedro”.
Not so 25 years ago! People admired the moon, but studied it also for other reasons. The bushman, for example, knew that it had to be the right moon to cut trees to be used as posts to build their houses or piers. If the posts were cut on the “wrong” moon, (mala luna) they would rot after two or three years, but cutting them on the “right” moon (buena luna), they would last forever. The good moon was one week after the full moon. (check this with don Severo)
The full moon also affects the tides, so the local men waited for the right moon to dig their wells which were the source of drinking water. If dug under the wrong moon, the water table would be low and when it rose, it could be brackish or salty.
Also the full moon meant for certain older men, the ripe time for their love lives or sexual relations to become enhanced. The “luna llena” or full moon seemed to have the power to invigorate their sexual powers. In fact, some men eagerly awaited the coming of the full moon to be able to enjoy their once a month romantic experiences.
The full moon meant the time when the fish would be in movement. This meant the time when the fish traps would make a good catch for the fish came to the shoal to spawn and enter the traps. A week before the full moon, fishermen would head to the reef for late evening or night fishing for this was the time that the fish would bite very well. The full moon also meant a crowd of boys walking down the beach killing crabs for they would come out for their courtship walk.
And finally the full moon meant another menstruation cycle for some young lady who went along with the moon and the calendar. These and many other real facts and beliefs we got from our ancestors, the Mayas. They moon was mysterious. The moon was transcendental. Nevertheless, the fact remains that twenty five years ago, the moon had a lot of influence in our lives.
