The Lunar Effect can the Moon really affect our feelings?

Are You Affected By The Moon

Have you ever felt a little odd but not known why? Felt unusually inspired? Or simply felt emotional for no reason? Don’t fret; the cause could actually be the Moon! As it is said to bring feelings and emotions to the surface that most of the time we are completely unaware of. For example a new Moon can sometimes make you crave new beginnings or a full Moon can make you feel angered and energetic. Interestingly, the word “lunatic” used to describe someone who is either mentally ill or dangerous derives from the word “lunaticus” meaning “of the Moon” or “Moon struck”.

Many of us are aware of the Moon’s powers and feel very drawn to it at night, in particular when it is full. The bright beams burst through the window and you can’t help but notice the atmosphere it creates. But can that bright light in the night sky really affect our feelings? Greek philosopher Aristotle and Roman historian Pliny the Elder suggested that the brain was the “moistest” organ in the body and thereby most susceptible to the pernicious influences of the Moon, which triggers the tides. Belief in the “lunar lunacy effect,” or “Transylvania effect,”, persisted in Europe through the Middle Ages, when humans were widely reputed to transmogrify into werewolves or vampires during a full Moon.

Of course this is just a theory but many of us do admit to feeling a little more charged than normal during a Full Moon, even animals seem more alert and atmospheres and sensations seem a little more heightened than usual. Research has indicated that the powers of the Moon do actually affect the way we think and feel. According to Indian medical researchers CP Thakur and Dilip Sharma full Moon days are said to increase drama. An article was published in 1984 where they demonstrated that incidents of crime were far higher on full Moon days.

They based their work on four years of police reports from three towns: One rural, one urban, and one industrial. Apparently poisonings were particularly popular on full Moon days, but crimes of all types rose by a significant amount. Several years later, they published another article in the same journal about the rise in animal attacks during the full Moon! Crime statistics have also proven that people become more augmentative during Full Moons and research that has been carried out by detectives has often revealed a correlation between violent incidents and full Moons. Police officers and detectives have also spoken about seeing uncontrollable and strange behavior during full Moons.

But why is it the Moon holds such a strong influence over our emotions?

There are many spiritual and scientific beliefs.For example, many spiritual thinkers and some wiccans believe that the Moon is the Mother as she is aligned with the water element that females naturally respond to and in Wiccan religion the Moon is the primary Goddess. The belief is that through various phases, the Moon guides us through the mysteries of life as it moves through different star signs and different cycles it allows some people to keep track of their emotions, but can also explain why females are said to be more in tune with their emotions than some men. For example the Moon also coincides with the menstrual cycle of women and the Moon only increases her relevance during certain cycles for spiritual seekers and mystics and she is a symbol to us of what is possible. Therefore, many also choose to worship the Moon during certain cycles for bringing such power and illumination into their lives.

Scientifically, It is believed that the Full Moon’s influence over us stems from its influence on water. The human body is made up of about 80percent water therefore the Moon connects with us by disrupting the alignment of water molecules in the nervous system. Therefore we respond in such a way.
The Moon also affects the tides of the sea. For example, when the Moon is full or new, the gravitational pull of the Moon and sun are combined. At these times, the high tides are very high and the low tides are very low. This is known as a spring high tide. Spring tides are especially strong tides (they do not have anything to do with the season Spring). They occur when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in a line. The gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun both contribute to the tides. Spring tides occur during the full Moon and the new Moon and are both intense phases.

The Full Moon is used for worship and spell casting and the New Moon for new beginnings and cosmic ordering in new opportunities such as new love, or new work.

However, all Moon phases are powerful and magical and we can see from evidence, history and general observations that the Moon is not only a powerful light in the sky but a magnetic pulse that vibrates through earth causing waves to hit their peak and emotions to reach their limit. Through phases, faces and astrological cycles, the unpredictable wheel of the Moon is clearly at the very core of our souls, and some don’t even realise!

Tuning into Moon Cycles:

The Moon cycle is the Moon’s continuous orbit around earth and the phase of the Moon changes each time it moves.
The Sun will always highlight exactly one half of the Moon; we see it at different angles as it continues to rotate around the earth. For instance when we only see a tiny bit of Moon, called the “Crescent Moon” it is because only a sliver of sunlight is reflected on earth.

Here are the Moon phases
1. New (also called the Dark Moon) - not visible
2. Waxing Crescent
3. First Quarter - commonly called a "half Moon"
4. Waxing Gibbous
5. Full - we can see the entire illuminated portion of the Moon
6. Waning Gibbous
7. Third Quarter - another "half Moon", but the illuminated part is opposite of the First Quarter
8. Waning Crescent
9. New - back to the beginning

Refs:
http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/Moon-wicca.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6723911.stm
http://io9.com/5086250/does-the-full-Moon-really-make-people-crazy
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lunacy-and-the-full-Moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunatic
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/Moon/Moontides/
http://www.Moonconnection.com/Moon_cycle.phtml