Cycles & Shapes

The moon, just like the sun, is a powerful celestial being. Its light fills the night sky, casting an unearthly sheen on whatever it falls upon.

In my blog about sunshine, I wrote about the sun’s influence in spiritualities and religions around the world, how its light sparked many tales and stories that have been woven into our lives today. The moon is no different. In many cultures, it is seen as an energy of our dark sides, our waxing and waning cycles, our own human patterns.

In Spanish, luna; in French, lune; the words used to describe moon are all elegant and graceful, just as the moon itself. It is the tide-puller, the cyclical satellite that orbits our planet. Research has shown that the moon’s phases can impact our emotions, sleep cycles, even behaviour. On a full moon, there may be more crime, more accidents, more disruptions overall. In an article by BBC, “The mood-altering power of the moon“, they state that “Ancient philosophers believed that the Moon caused madness and is the origin of the word ‘lunacy’.”

The moon is a higher power in which we are influenced by its cycles, shapes, and patterns. Even other animals like coral, scorpions, felines, canines, horseshoe crabs, and many more are affected by the moon. It is sometimes portrayed in society as a madness or, indeed, “lunacy”, when our moods and behaviours are altered by the natural clocks of nature. But I feel it is important to be in tune with these rhythms – we are now more isolated from the natural world than ever. Women’s menstrual cycles used to correspond directly from the cycles of the moon; now, because of artificial lights, light pollution, and spending more time indoors, the menstrual cycle is not as often connected.

There are many songs, poems, essays, articles, stories, and memorabilia that honour and appreciate our moon. Unlike other planets like Saturn, Jupiter, or Neptune, Earth only has its one, and she’s very important to more aspects of our lives than we’ll ever know.