The Effects Of The Full Moon

and how to be more in tune with life’s cycles

What The Moon Represents

Ancient astrologers gave a lot of attention to the Moon, tracked Moon cycles, and created lunar calendars. The Moon tracks the days and months, and the word “month” stems from the root word “Moon” as astrologer, Israel Ajose out.

In his book, Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune, Chris Brennan shares what 2nd century astrologer Vettius Valens says about the Moon, that it is “born from the reflection of the solar light and, possessing a counterfeit light, signifies physical life, the body, the mother, conception, appearance, goddess, living together, nurse, older sibling, housekeeping, the queen, mistress of the house, possessions, fortune, city, gathering of the masses, gains, expenditures, home, boats, travel, wanderings, etc.”

Obviously, some of that language is ancient and not what we are using today, but you get a general idea of what the Moon represents. The Sun emits light whereas the Moon reflects the light of the Sun. The Sun is associated with our intellect, spirit and vitality, and the Moon is our physical body, home, environment and nourishment.

The Moon represents our bodies, and our bodes are affected by what the Moon is doing. When we have a Full Moon, for example, we can feel more sensitive and also lose more sleep because Full Moons are a time of heightened activity. Generally speaking, the New Moon phase to the Full Moon phase is a more energetic time because the moon is waxing and becoming brighter, so you might feel more energized by Full Moons. But, you can also feel more tired and overstimulated because the energy is higher. Astrologer, Catherine Urban says, 

“We are affected by the Moon psychologically and physiologically. We’re very affected by the Moon’s effect on water and we’re 70% water, so our relationship with the Moon is felt on a cellular level. And, so we have a gift of being able to tap into that and understand that and feel it in our bodies as well, which can be translated into helping us understand these other planetary cycles that we can’t feel as easily.” 

The Moon and it's representation of our bodies and the cycles our bodies go through are part of our experience as humans on this earth. “The full moon might start the cycling of manic and depressive episodes due to the gravitational pull of the moon’s tides. But more research is needed. Full moons can also disrupt your circadian rhythm, causing problems with sleep, a known trigger for manic episodes.” Paying attention to the Moon and our bodies can tell us a lot about what we need and what is getting highlighted for us at any given time. 

The Full Moon is a time of culmination. The New Moon is when the Sun and the Moon are conjunct. When planets are conjunct, they are starting a new cycle. The New Moon is a time of darkness when the Moon is not being illuminated by the Sun because it’s next to it.

Conversely, the Full Moon is when the Moon and the Sun are in opposition to one another allowing for full luminosity. This is a time when things that started during the New Moon cycle will culminate or come to fruition. 

You can get an idea of what each Full Moon will indicate for you by looking back at what began during the New Moon. This could be the New Moon of that month or six months ago when the New Moon was in the same sign as the Full Moon. The Full Moon is a culmination period of all that you’ve been building and nurturing since the New Moon. It’s a time of acknowledging and celebrating all that you’ve accomplished, and all of the ways you’ve tried. Since the Full Moon is full illumination, all of your successes and “failures” will be highlighted. 

It’s a time of heightened activity so there can be a lot going on in your life, and often a mix of things you’re proud of as well as things you’re not happy about or things that haven’t worked out the way you wanted them to. And, that’s okay. You’re human. This is how it is. So, full moons are a mixed bag of celebration and increased intensity and sensitivity. 

RULED BY THE MOON

Are you Cancer Rising, Sun and/or Moon, or have other prominent planets in Cancer? This is the sign the Moon rules and where it’s most at home. Taurus is where the Moon is exalted, so if you have any planets in Taurus, then you’re also associated with the Moon. If you have traditional planets or sensitive points (like your Ascendant or MC/Midheaven) in Cancer or Taurus, or you were born during the night, then you are probably more affected by Moon cycles. Astrologer, Israel Ajose, points out, 

"I do find people who are born in the night or who have nocturnal charts; they respond to the Moon in a different way than people who are born in the day. I see the emotional responses, the physical responses, the lunar responses tend to be far more stronger for nocturnal births than diurnal."

Everyone is affected by the Moon, but some people are more affected than others. Some people are drawn more to the night; some people are more inward and reflective and have a more nocturnal experience in their life, or feel more comfortable in what the nocturnal realm represents - going inward, getting quiet, being intuitive, and being in tune with your body. 

If you want to be more attuned to astrology and your body, tracking the Moon cycles is a great place to start.

Also, check out my podcast episode all about Cancer & The Moon.