How Full Moons Affect People

The full moon is known to have the power to pull on the ocean tides, but can it pull on your emotions as well? There’s a good amount of evidence that the full moon can affect your moods. Learn how to handle it best.

Does a Full Moon Affect Moods?

The Latin word for moon, “luna,” is the root of words like “lunatic,” so it has a strong correlation with strange behavior. People have associated the full moon with wild mood swings since ancient times. Today, 81% of mental health specialists believe in this lunar influence, and many night workers report that people behave more strangely when the moon is full.

However, many people have studied the effects of the full moon, and there’s been a lot of conflicting results. For example, one study says that crime spikes during full moons, while others show no increase in arrests and police calls. Whether the lunar influence is real or not, it has turned into folklore that many people believe in and swear by.

The Full Moon and Mental Health

Some studies have indicated that bipolar patients experience mood swings that coincide with lunar tide cycles. Some individuals have also hypothesized that changes in sleep patterns associated with the phases of the moon can influence moods and mental health. The moon impacts each individual differently, but there is evidence to suggest that your moods and mental health may feel the same lunar pull that the earth’s tides react to.

How to Handle the Full Moon Affecting Your Moods

If you feel like the full moon has a strong influence on you, make a mindful effort to use its energy for positive purposes. You can:

Have full moon parties and celebrate the energy with dancing and entertainment.

Create a full moon ritual where you meditate on the full moon’s energy and draw it in to fuel your higher goals.

Cleanse your space and use the full moon to energize positive activities that organize and recharge your living area.

Set your crystals in the light of the moon for an energy charge you can draw on all month.

Once you understand how the full moon and other moon phases affect you, you can start to use these cycles to your advantage.

How Moon Phases Affect You

The moon’s phases have a noticeable impact on many people. You might feel the moon influencing your emotions and giving a little push to your actions at certain times of the month. Track your sleep, motivation levels, and other feelings throughout the 29-day cycle to see how the moon influences you.

The Moon Phases and Astrology

The moon is imbued with feminine energy and closely associated with the goddess in pagan religions. It has a measurable impact on the tides, and since our bodies are mostly water, many people believe that its pull works similarly on humans.

How Does the Full Moon Affect People?

Does a full moon affect moods? It certainly seems to! The full moon’s energetic pull reportedly causes people to sleep less and experience stronger emotions. The full moon is also associated with sleepwalking, violence, and other strange behavior.

The Effect of Other Phases

Each phase of the moon has its own effect, though most are more subtle than the power of the full moon. Understanding how the phases may affect you will help you evaluate your actions and urges in a new light so you can act accordingly.

New moon: Introverted feelings and a desire to retreat and reflect.

Waxing crescent: Hopefulness and excitement for things to come.

First quarter: Forward momentum and decisiveness.

Waxing gibbous: Evaluation and reflection on what’s important.

Waning gibbous: Enthusiastic, generous, and giving.

Last quarter: Release and the desire to purge what doesn’t serve you.

Waning crescent: Surrender and relaxation.

With the moon’s impact in mind, you can adjust your projects and goals to coincide with the times when the moon will provide the most support. Reflect on new projects during a new moon, and push them through to attain completion around the full moon.

Everyone experiences the pull of the moon differently, but you may find that adjusting your calendar to align with the moon will give you an unexpected boost in your success rates.

The full moon is known to have the power to pull on the ocean tides, but can it pull on your emotions as well? There’s a good amount of evidence that the full moon can affect your moods. Learn how to handle it best.

Does a Full Moon Affect Moods?

The Latin word for moon, “luna,” is the root of words like “lunatic,” so it has a strong correlation with strange behavior. People have associated the full moon with wild mood swings since ancient times. Today, 81% of mental health specialists believe in this lunar influence, and many night workers report that people behave more strangely when the moon is full.

However, many people have studied the effects of the full moon, and there’s been a lot of conflicting results. For example, one study says that crime spikes during full moons, while others show no increase in arrests and police calls. Whether the lunar influence is real or not, it has turned into folklore that many people believe in and swear by.

The Full Moon and Mental Health

Some studies have indicated that bipolar patients experience mood swings that coincide with lunar tide cycles. Some individuals have also hypothesized that changes in sleep patterns associated with the phases of the moon can influence moods and mental health. The moon impacts each individual differently, but there is evidence to suggest that your moods and mental health may feel the same lunar pull that the earth’s tides react to.

How to Handle the Full Moon Affecting Your Moods

If you feel like the full moon has a strong influence on you, make a mindful effort to use its energy for positive purposes. You can:

Have full moon parties and celebrate the energy with dancing and entertainment.

Create a full moon ritual where you meditate on the full moon’s energy and draw it in to fuel your higher goals.

Cleanse your space and use the full moon to energize positive activities that organize and recharge your living area.

Set your crystals in the light of the moon for an energy charge you can draw on all month.

Once you understand how the full moon and other moon phases affect you, you can start to use these cycles to your advantage.

Moon Phases and Their Meanings

Just as the 29-day moon cycle can influence the tides, so too can it create a subtle pull on our emotions. Understanding the moon phases and their meanings can help you plan your activities in alignment with this lunar power.

The Phases of the Moon

The moon goes through eight phases. In order, these are:

New moon: The moon is between the earth and the sun, so the illuminated side faces away from the earth, and the moon appears completely dark.

Waxing crescent moon: The moon is crescent-shaped and growing every day.

First quarter moon: Half of the moon is visible.

Waxing gibbous moon: The moon is more than halfway visible and growing every day.

Full moon: The moon’s face is entirely illuminated by the sun.

Waning gibbous moon: The moon is more than halfway visible and shrinking daily.

Third quarter moon: Exactly half of the moon is illuminated.

Waning moon: The moon is crescent-shaped and getting smaller each day.

What Do Moon Phases Mean?

Understanding the moon phase meanings will help you see how the cycle of the moon can influence your life. When you plan your activities around the moon and its phases, you can use its subtle power to boost your chances of success. So, next time you feel like you need a bit of guidance, just look up to the night sky.

Here are the meanings for the eight phases of the moon:

New moon: New beginnings.

Waxing crescent moon: Intention setting, planning, and confidence.

First quarter moon: Reflection and decision-making.

Waxing gibbous moon: Refinement and mindfulness.

Full moon: Divination, manifestation, and release.

Waning gibbous moon: Gratitude and self-evaluation.

Third quarter moon: Forgiveness, cleansing, and release.

Waning crescent moon: Surrender, compassion, and self-kindness.

When you’re mindful of the moon phases and their meanings, you can coordinate your big projects and plans with the movement of the moon to give yourself a little boost of lunar power. Settle in for self-reflection and meditation during the next new moon, and decide what you want to manifest through the moon cycle.