Fairy tales told us it’s made of cheese & that cows jump over it, Lao Tzu called it the way to Heaven or the Tao, and nations raced to be the first to step on this illustrious mystery hanging the sky. But do you know just how much you are affected by the moon? And how much of our world is controlled by it? If you have ever struggled to sleep under a full moon, then you have felt its effect.
The moon itself is over 4.5 billion years old! This large lunar rock rotates the earth as we travel around the sun. In each lunar cycle (roughly a month) we have a new and full moon. The new moon creates a shadow in the night’s sky as it travels directly between the earth and the sun, while the full moon lights up the night sky when it reflects the light of the sun. Each is given a zodiac name depending on where on the Zodiac constellation of stars it appears e.g. Scorpio New Moon or Pisces Full Moon.
Most people understand that the moon’s gravitational pull slows down the earth’s rotation giving us our 24-hour day format, our seasons and causes the daily tides of our seas and oceans. Great swathes of water are directed by the distance of the moon from the earth. It stands to logic and reason that the moon will affect us too as we are made of 60-70% water.
Our ancestors truly understood the power of the moon. They used this cyclical lunar pattern to choose planting and farming methods to yield the greatest harvest from the earth. Practices still used to this day. Even when we think of the changing date of Easter each year, as it is measured by the moon and not our modern calendar. But in our modern technological society, our awareness of nature’s effect on our wellbeing is almost forgotten.
However, our ancestors have left many clues for us in the English language to help us remember just how much we are affected by the moon. Examples: a women’s menstruation (mene is Latin for moon), lunatic (from the word lunar), month (comes from the word moon and denotes its 30-day lunar cycle), Monday (literally means moon day), and many more.
Even if you think about the mythological idea of the moon creating a transformation of a human into a werewolf, comes from the well-known idea that the full moon can send you mad. And if you have ever been unlucky enough to be in an A&E on the full moon you know this is true! It has also been scientifically documented that there is more criminal activity around the full moon.
So now we are starting to get the full picture of just how much our lives are impacted by the moon! Even when we aren’t acutely aware of it. From the length of our day, seasons to even our mental health, crime levels and our sleep. Which is why I love basing my sound baths around the new and full moons. I use sound bath and guided meditation to help balance the strong effect of the moon and to soothe any overwhelming emotions that inevitably come up. The sound bath ensures a great night’s sleep, a calmer mind and better
energy levels no matter what the moon is doing.
The moon is a beautiful reminder that life is not all rigid routines that eventually lead to burnout. There is a time to rest and a time to shine. Aligning with the lunar cycles allows us to embrace the natural ebb and flow of our energy levels and to comfortably release any strong emotions that come up. E.g. Letting go on the full moon and embracing a fresh start on the new moon like our ancestors. So even if this mysterious natural satellite might not cross your mind often, it is always there in the background guiding us, moving us and literally moving oceans.
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