Do you know what phase the Moon’s in right now?
Do you know if she’s waxing or waning through the sky at the moment?
Do you know when she was last reborn as ‘new’?
Or when she’ll next reach climactic fulness?
Well, maybe you should! Because our lady Luna is not just a pretty sight, she’s a powerful wisdom keeper, an ancient companion that does far more than just keep us company when the skies are grey. The Moon is a powerful receiver and transmitter of energy, and like the rest of nature, She holds medicine. This medicine – information, learning, lessons, insights, and patterns of growth – changes as she does every cycle. But it’s not complicated or difficult to grasp, In fact, you don’t even need to read books or go to classes. All you actually need to do is to look up into the sky above!
Many people still think the Moon is an exclusive night-time visitor. But during a single lunar cycle (which lasts around 29 and a half days) she’ll make appearances in the skies at all hours of the day and night.
When Luna rises in the east, early on in the day, you know she’s waxing (growing). And when she is still visible when you wake up in the morning (and closer still to lunchtime) over the western horizon, it’s a giveaway that she is on the wane (fading).
Get used to looking up.
Let your eyes rest on her gentle curves.
Make friends with her sight in the sky (whatever the time of day or night it is). And without actually needing to do very much more, you’ll start to find your life shifts a little. Here’s how:
1. The Moon Brings Perspective
Take time out to gaze at the Moon.
Finding somewhere to sit out, comfortably, or wrapping up warm and lying down on a patch of grass and letting her light fill up your eyes, is a wonderous thing to do. It reminds you of how ancient and everlasting the celestial bodies are and never fails to put life into perspective.
We all have day-to-day worries, anxieties, and irritations but opening up to the light and presence of the Moon is a sure way to let them lie. The Moon reminds us that there are larger cycles and powerful forces at play, and it’s ok to let the small things go.
There’s a reason so many indigenous cultures refer to her as ‘Grandmother Moon’. Let her in and you’ll find her to be a truly comforting presence in your life.
2. The Moon is a natural timekeeper
Long, long ago, before ticking clocks, watches or iPhones told us what time to get up and what time to stop, our ancestors kept track of time by counting how many, and what kinds of Moons appeared in the sky.
The Moon has never not completed a cycle around Earth.
She’s more reliable than any battery-operated device, or printed or digital calendar and whilst man-made clocks and calendars are vital in this modern world we live in, our timekeeping methods point in one direction – the future. Lunar calendars, formed from the phases of the Moon as she grows, peaks and withdraws, give our time-keeping a more cyclic nature, which connects us all more intimately to the cyclic nature of life. The Moon signals how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go before the next new beginning. Because every 29 days, Moon-time lets us begin again – man-made, linear time keeps pushing us forward.
3. The Moon Brings Body-Awareness
Once you start to form a relationship with the Moon, you’ll find it doesn’t take long before the power of the Moon starts grounding into your body. Her influence becomes a whole lot more than just cognitive awareness, as your biological rhythms align and shift too.
Very often it’s women who notice the biggest change, quite shortly after they begin to take the time to notice the Moon and cultivate a conscious interest in the lunar cycles. Often, they’ll find that their menstrual cycle synchronizes (unless they are using hormonal methods of birth control) and they bleed closer to either the new or the full Moon.
Another influence on both men and women, is the Moon’s journey around the zodiac, as each sign corresponds to a different part of the body. So when the Moon enters Aries, for example, the head is stimulated so people prone to headaches or migraines could find they flare up. Then when the Moon slides into Taurus and the jaw, neck, and shoulders are activated, you’d better wear a scarf if you’re somebody who suffers from sore throats, as any weakness here could cause you extra trouble.
So you see, an awareness of the Moon sign can help greatly when it comes to knowing when to carry out any soothing, healing practices for particular ailments – and when to avoid certain intervention too.
4. Tracking the Moon Phase Improves Your Relationships
We all know that there are certain times in the monthly menstrual cycle when women feel extra sensitive, emotional and irritable. The same can be true for the lunar cycle too – just before the new Moon, when Luna is waning and she’s losing light as each day passes. This dark time is often when, for both men and women, our own energy levels drop and shadows rise.
Shadows are the aspects of our personalities that we’ve often sought to subdue and suppress, that can be angry, judgmental and destructive. It’s crucial to realize that when your shadow appears, when you lash out and say or do something you ‘normally’ wouldn’t, it’s rarely about anything outside of yourself. More often, something within you – an emotion, an issue, or the memory of trauma – is rising in order to be felt, worked through and healed – so what you need to try and do, is retreat to a place where you can do this work.
Explaining this to your loved ones (instead of unleashing your wrath!) and taking some time out will definitely save you al some heartache.
And on the other end of the spectrum, when Luna is waxing and getting close to her full phase, it’s the optimum time to throw a party or get together with friends. Energetically, we’re being supported by Luna’s full, dynamic, magnetic energy so this is the time you’ll find that people are at their most sociable, talkative and energized…so make the most of it!
Using the lunar rhythms to plan your social calendar can be a lot more effective when it comes to improving relations than simply looking for gaps in your schedule. As a general rule, plan any big social gathering during the week around the Full Moon, and create space to retreat during the week around the New. Record how you feel and how you’re able to interact with people and go from there!
5. The Moon Helps You Let Go
The lunar month is often likened to the cycle of life and death. The New Moon is when new life originates and we’re encouraged to plant a seed of intent. As the Moon waxes, that seed grows towards fruition and the peak in life-force and energy that comes at the full Moon. Then as Luna wanes, her light fades and she disseminates, a time of slowing down, reflection, acceptance and wisdom comes, before eventual ‘death’ and total release.
The death that occurs here is, of course, symbolic, but no less powerful. So with the close of each and every lunar month, we’re given another opportunity to release to this death, some aspects of ourselves that no longer serves, some task that’s been completed, or any other thing in your lives you no longer want or need.
The Moon teaches us to let go and teaches us that each tiny ‘death’ is, in fact, a necessary part of life and of beginning again.
Your turn. Do you follow the phases of the Moon? What are the greatest gifts that la Luna has offered you in your lifetime? Share with us below!
