The moon influences life on Earth. Nobody can deny that the gravitational attraction between the moon and the Earth causes the sea tides, which leads the sea to rise and fall.

However, there are other lunar facts that are not so consensual - the influence of the moon on our mood, traffic accidents, hair, female menstruation, for example. In fact, modern science still doesn't give us an answer for this.

Janet Shook, an Integrative Health Coach and spiritual teacher, explained to me how the moon affects our mood based on the ancient Vedic Teaching. “So as far as a modern-day study, I think it is an understudied subject. Science is more interested in man's effect on nature than on nature’s effect on man. My references are primarily from ancient Vedic teachings, which is a science established thousands of years ago that holds true today”.

In fact, in the same way that the moon influence tides and other natural phenomena it can influence our own body because if the “body is 70-80 percent water... you do the maths! The moon is moving your internal waters as well. We are all little planets, made of the same stuff as mother earth.”

However, the influence of the moon does not have the same effect on everyone. We can feel differently or not feel anything at all. “Everyone is very unique. Whether or not you are strongly influenced by the moon or not, or whether or not you are even aware of it, will depend upon a lot of factors. What we do know is that the moon influences the nervous system, and in turn, the hormones in the body. And hormones are strongly influential upon our moods”, she said.

Perhaps from a more mystical point of view, the moon is often linked to the “feminine element of being, also thought of as the receptive energy. As we know, the moon itself does not shine light, but reflects light from the sun. That's why the moon is the subconscious mind, the inner reality, the passive, introspective energy”. However, both men and women can be influenced by the moon, "as far as what it does to the psyche and how it effects hair growth, tissue growth, parasite activity, etc”

New moon

“During the New moon phase, we can think of emptiness. It is the dark moon. In the dark moon we can go deep into our desires. We can look at what we feel lacks, or misses from our lives, what is needing healing or clarity. On the 9, 10, 11 day of the moon our nervous system is most affected by the moon. This is a great time to fast, meditate, cleanse, or just tune in deeply to what is going on with you”.

Full moon

“On the Full Moon we experience a great amount of clarity. Where everything is illuminated and if we can be real with ourselves, we can see what is going on in our lives, in respect to the new moon that just passed two weeks before.”

Indeed, the influence of the moon on our bodies doesn’t start and stop with hair and nail growth. For example, about parasites, Janet told me that “cleaning them on the full moon is more effective as they will be more active. Also farmers will be very aware (hopefully!) of the influence upon the moon in planting cycles.”

Taking advantage of the moon effect

For Janet, the moon's influence on us is huge, but most of the time it goes unnoticed, because “many times people do not want to observe what is happening to them, they want to control or deny it. But if we follow what is happening to us, the experiences of emotion, hormones, the body, we come to self-knowledge”.

When I asked what we can do to take advantage of this knowledge in our daily lives, she said that theory is interesting, but practice is what creates the changes we want to see. “When you are aware of the different phases of the moon, you can use it like a calendar of personal change and evolution. With every phase you take steps; intention setting, nervous system regulation and analysis of your situation as it changes”, she added.

However, in her opinion to see these results people need to be aware of the cycles of their life, “through the cycles of the luminaries (Sun and Moon) and their relationship. Nature (where the moon is included) is the real world. We build our lives in institutions, ideas, habits, beliefs that are built on top of the real world, and unfortunately, sometimes in spite of it”, she said.

All in all, “The moon stimulates growth and the nervous system. It is operating within us on many levels. The more you know, the more you work in harmony with it, the more you are aware of yourself and the greater forces on this planet. But this is up to every individual. How connected, how awake, how aware do you want to be?”

For further information:

Www.janetshook.com

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Janet_shook@gmail.com

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins