Phases of the Moon and their effect on us
Phases of the Moon and their effect on us
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DANCE LIKE EVERYBODY’S WATCHING
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Living an empowered life is about co-creating. It is about relationship and ritual. It is not about things just happening to us, or us controlling everything. A powerful example of harnessing this balanced, empowering dynamic is understanding, and then working with, the phases of the moon.
Our own rhythm is very much connected to the external rhythm of the sun and the phases of the moon. Our inner and outer worlds are governed by the interplay of rhythms: the mitochondria in our cells have rhythm, as does the cosmos. Circadian rhythms are our own individual cellular clock. They govern, over a cycle that is close to 24 hours, the biological processes of almost all known plants and animals. Circadian rhythms are synchronised by sunlight but also modulated by moonlight.
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HOW AND WHY
DO THE PHASES OF THE MOON AFFECT US?
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Our world is governed by the interplay of rhythms. The mitochondria in our cells have rhythm, as does the cosmos. Circadian rhythms are our own individual cellular clock. They govern, over a cycle that is close to 24 hours, the biological processes of almost all known plants and animals. Circadian rhythms are synchronised by sunlight but also modulated by moonlight. Our own rhythm is very much connected to the external rhythm of the sun and the phases of the moon.
There is relatively little research on the moon’s phases and their effect on us. Scientists have theorised that humans may be influenced by the moon’s gravitational pull on the oceans, as we are made up mostly (75 - 80%) of water. Given the planet’s similar water ratio to us, it’s difficult not to find sense in this science.
This gravitational pull creates tides that rise and fall to a rhythm of 12.4 hours. The height of these tides is controlled by the phases of the moon. This force is strongest - and the waves highest - at the full moon and weakest at the new moon. This is a 14.8-day cycle. Indigenous and first nation people have always acknowledged the connection between the cycle of the moon and its effect on the water inside and outside of us.
Another scientific theory on the moon’s effect on us is that we may be sensitive to fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, caused by the phases of the moon, but the research around this is limited.
Scientific framework aside, humans have worshipped the moon for our entire history. There is a historical knowing that it affects us. That knowing has been tempered by a light polluted world; our connection to it has been disrupted but the moon continues to affect us. The lunar cycle has an impact on human reproduction, in terms of fertility, menstruation and birth rate. It affects the quality and duration of our sleep. Biodynamic farmers plant and harvest to the moon’s cycle. And we may just feel more like dancing on a full moon.
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NEW MOON
NEW BEGINNINGS
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Do you.
The new moon is the first phase of the lunar cycle and is invisible to us on the Earth, except during a solar eclipse. In this first phase, the moon is on the same side of the Earth as the sun with its shadow, or dark side, facing towards us. It rises at sunrise and sets at sunset.
Traditionally this is a time of retreat to your sacred space and set intentions. In many ancient and pre-modern cultures, women would gather together in moon lodges. The new moon marked the beginning of the menstrual cycle for many women in a pre-industrial/technological time that was so strongly connected to the lunar cycle.
The new moon is an ideal time to check-in, renew and nurture new beginnings.
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WAXING CRESCENT
GROWING / EMERGING
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Be sure to get good rest at this time as your dream state is in manifest mode.
When we look at a waxing crescent moon, we see a sliver of the moon’s illuminated side (we see the light on the right) and a much bigger fraction of its night side. This night side is dark because the moon is immersed in its own shadow. The waxing crescent moon rises before noon and sets before midnight.
Under the waxing crescent moon, things are set in motion. Feel the rising energy of this phase to begin to create from the intentions set during the new moon.
Time to begin making the subconscious – dreams, ideas, desires - manifest.
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FIRST QUATER
ACTION
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Time to get physical.
This lunar phase is halfway between the new and full moon and it looks like half an illuminated moon. It is called a quarter moon because this half that is visible to us represents a quarter of the total moon, when considering its illuminated and shadow side. It rises at noon and sets after midnight.
This is a dynamic time of taking action and accelerating the manifestation process; to take our intentions and bring them into the physical world. The first quarter moon enables us to be in the flow of life; to really be in the world.
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WAXING GIBBOUS
REFINEMENT
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Check yourself.
A waxing moon describes the phases between a new and full moon when the moon’s illumination is growing. Gibbous comes from the late Latin adjective ‘gibbosus’, meaning ‘humpbacked’. In terms of the moon’s illumination, it simply means that it is more than half and less than full. The waxing gibbous rises after noon and sets after midnight. The moon is also more visible in the daytime, as a larger portion is illuminated.
The waxing gibbous phase is a time for editing and refinement. If something doesn’t feel right, re-align. This phase asks us to trust that we know what is best for us and to take action accordingly.
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FULL MOON
FRUITION / EMBODIMENT
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Dance, rejoice and make magic!
The moon is opposite the sun as viewed from Earth and its sunlight side is completely visible to us. The moon will appear to be full for two or three nights (it is defined by astronomers as being a true full moon when it is precisely 180 degrees opposite the sun). It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise.
The full moon symbolises transformation, abundance and fertility. Traditionally, across myriad cultures, it is a potent time for ritual and gathering together. Women, as ‘keepers of water’ - again the connection between the moon and water - in many first nation communities, lead ceremonies involving dance, drumming and fire. In Wicca, a core spiritual full moon practice is ‘Drawing Down the Moon’: asking for guidance and filling oneself with divine energy. All major Hindu festivals are held on the full moon, or Purnima, which is thought to be supremely auspicious.
During a full moon, the sun and moon are in opposite zodiac signs. Everything can feel intensely charged because this duality of opposition may illuminate and heighten polarities within us. It is beneficial to let go of anything that doesn’t support your higher self or purpose: release instead of react.
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WANING GIBBOUS
REFLECT
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Just be good to you.
The moon’s light is decreasing; darkness comes in from the right. We see a waning gibbous moon often in the early morning, in the days following a full moon. A waning gibbous moon rises later than sunset but before midnight.
The waning gibbous phase is a great time to practice self-forgiveness. Forgive yourself for everything: perceived bad decisions, mistakes, anything. Dive deep and see if anything else is holding you back. Let go and create space to move forward.
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LAST QUARTER
RELEASE
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Get Kondo up in there.
One week after the full moon. We again see a half moon from earth. “A last quarter moon provides a great opportunity to think of yourself on a three-dimensional world in space. Watch for this moon just after moonrise, shortly after midnight. Then the lighted portion points downward, to the sun below your feet. Think of the last quarter moon as a mirror to the world you’re standing on. Think of yourself standing in the midst of Earth’s nightside, on the midnight portion of Earth.”
The last quarter moon is a moon of release. Let go of anything not serving you – any clutter - particularly things accumulated during the last lunar cycle.
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WANING CRESCENT
RESTORE
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Be present and chill.
A waning crescent moon rises after midnight so is less seen than any of the other phases by the majority of people. The moon’s light is less visible day by day until the dark phase of the next new moon.
This is a perfect time to relax, rest and surrender. A time to remind ourselves that, in the most positive way, nothing is under control.
*The moon also moves through the 12 signs of the zodiac around every 2.5 days. This fast-paced transiting influences our collective mood, as the moon augments the natural energy of the sign it is moving through. It gives the day a flavour; a subtle emotional undercurrent. Just like working with the phases of the moon, the more we tune into this transiting lunar rhythm, the more able we will be to work with it, and it with us. Imagine discovering your own personal power days each month!