Saint Augustine in His Manichaean Phase and a Madagascar Moon Moth

This very large moon moth (bought at an insect fair, while still in her cocoon) emerged near my bed on a full-moon night, and then, days later, deposited her eggs on her own silky cocoon.

Women in their natural state, which is to say, sleeping out-of-doors, arrive at menses in synchrony and ovulate with the full moon.

It is to St. Augustine’s wisdom that every pope defers as regards birth control. Brought up a Christian, at age 16 he abandoned his faith and dabbled in Manichaean astrology which tempted him with its easy prophecies, “All who leave the earth go to the moon which is swollen by their breath” during the first half of the month.

Madagascar’s unique flora and fauna remained undisturbed by humans until about the time of St. Augustine (500 A.D.).