What does the full moon do to us?

What does the full moon do to us? The romantic white-blue orb that has looked down on us peacefully every night for 4.53 billion years.

Although, peaceful?

Full moon is traditionally associated with quite a lot of turmoil!

This article previously appeared on the website of The Telegraph.

Fertility and road accidents

For instance, the light of the full moon is said to stimulate ovulation, leading to greatly increased sexual activity on full moon nights, especially when couples in love are hoping for family expansion. Add to this the fact that births are much more common on full moon nights and there is already quite a bit of activity going on.

More crimes are also said to be committed during a full moon, more traffic accidents occur, wounds bleed more heavily and more people are admitted to psychiatric institutions. The latter because the full moon is said to trigger hallucinations in people prone to them.

Persons who become completely confused around the full moon are called 'moon sick'. This is also where the word 'manic' comes from and since the Latin word for moon is 'luna', also 'loony' or 'lunatic'.

In terms of physical health, seizures, nervous weakness, circulatory problems and epileptic fits are attributed to the full moon.

Insomnia

The full moon also seems to affect our sleep. You may have noticed yourself that you sleep more lightly when the moon is full or even lie awake half the night. While some claim this is because the moonlight then shines brighter through the curtains, others believe it is mainly the powerful moon energy that makes it harder for us to fall asleep.

The latter could explain why many people dream much more restlessly and intensely when it is the full moon and sleepwalk more around that time.

When the moon is full, it is at the peak of its 28-day journey around the earth and is said to have the most influence. At that time, everything we engage in is amplified by the moon. Nice things, but also not so nice things.

If you are comfortable in your own skin at that moment, the full moon will only give you more energy. If you are struggling with problems at the time, you may be overcome by dejection, apathy or even depression.

If you are already a bit grumpy and irritable, under the influence of the moon, this can easily turn into an anger outburst.

Individuals who are creatively inclined actually welcome the influence of the full moon.

As the lunar energy strengthens our intuition, they often get the most brilliant hunches this period and dare to act on them.

Menstruation

And then, menstruation, or lunar periods. Is it really true that the moon regulates the menstrual cycle? Long ago when there was no contraception and the moon was the only source of light at night, many women menstruated during the full moon.

This seemed to have to do with the light and gravity of the moon that would affect ovulation and hydration.

In any case, it is notable that the moon takes 28 days to go around the earth and the average female cycle is about 29 days.

Thereby, in astrology, the full moon symbolises 'letting go', which you can relate to the 'big clean-up' that accompanies menstruation.

What does the full moon do to us

Apart from us humans, the moon also affects nature. Not for nothing have many farmers taken this into account for generations. During the full moon, crops that grow above ground are planted especially. In the light of the full moon, seeds are said to germinate earlier, fruits grow faster and certainly contain more juice.

Although the full moon is still associated with fertility, restlessness, feelings, health and behaviour even today, no study has yet been able to scientifically prove the above claims.

The scientists who do believe there is a link are in turn strongly contradicted by other researchers who have a completely different theory.

In this way, a hint of mystery remains around the full moon. After all, will it or won't it...?

I personally believe that each person, brain, nervous system and body reacts differently to external factors and thus also to the position, gravity or light of the moon.

Lunar astrology

Like the moon's influence on fertility or human well-being, the workings of astrology (in which the moon plays an important role) have never been scientifically proven.

Astrology is called 'science' by many astrologers, but actually it is mostly ancient wisdom. Personally, I see astrology as a craft through which people who believe in it get more self-insight or just that extra push in the right direction through a comprehensive birth drawing.