Dictionary term
Tide
Direct answer
Tide: A Tide is a long-period rise and fall of ocean water driven chiefly by the gravitational interaction of Earth, Moon, and Sun and modified strongly by local geography.
A Tide is the recurring rise and fall of ocean level shaped mainly by lunar and solar gravity.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Also appears in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Tide with an official local tide station, datum, time zone, and weather caveat rather than calculating water level from Moon phase alone.
- Do not use it for
- Never use a generic lunar rule as a substitute for official tide and hazard information.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Astronomical Season, Meteorological Season, Equinox, Solstice
The story behind Tide
Coastal communities have tracked tides for navigation, fishing, harbor work, and safety; modern services combine harmonic prediction with observations.
Tide in spiritual tradition
Tides show how a celestial influence becomes local through coast, depth, wind, and place.
The Great Almanac frames Tide with educational restraint. Mystical or symbolic language may be meaningful, but it should not be exaggerated into certainty, panic, or permission to ignore ordinary responsibility.
Tide in the Bible
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Tide in numerology
Tide is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Tide matters
Tides connect celestial geometry with real coastal conditions, but local timing and height require station-specific prediction.
Example in a reading: Two nearby bays can experience different tide times and ranges because coastline and seafloor shape the tidal wave.
Interpretive caution: Never use a generic lunar rule as a substitute for official tide and hazard information.
How Tide is used in a reading
Use Tide with an official local tide station, datum, time zone, and weather caveat rather than calculating water level from Moon phase alone.
Where interpretation stops
Tide is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- NOAA Ocean Service: What Are Spring and Neap Tides? - Official explanation of lunar-solar alignment and spring and neap tidal ranges.
The page starts with a direct definition, then separates use, example, caution, spiritual meaning, and historical context. For astrology, occult, demonology, curse, and spiritual warfare terms, the editorial rule is to explain the term without making fear-based, fatalistic, medical, legal, financial, or ritual-instruction claims.
Continue learning
Continue into the live sky, space weather, universal timing, and the wider field surrounding the current season.
Open Worldwide WatchRelated terms
These related entries help place Tide inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
