Humans have been in awe of the moon since the time we started to question our surroundings. When a baby first see’s this silver orb they look in awe upon its wonderful glow. In history we find text about “The Man in the Moon.” At one time people would say the moon is made of cheese. The Moon plays an important part to our physical, mental and emotional health. We fight more, we love more and more babies are born during a full moon. This is something farmers have known for centuries. Farmers have used the moon as a method to determine when to expect calves in the spring, I’ve heard old farmers call it a ‘Calving Moon’, as well as in crop growth ‘Harvest Moon’.

There are references in many beliefs and cultures to the power of the moon. Some have feared it, some have worshiped it. Others named it as a deity, usually with a goddess as they had concluded that the Moon must be feminine. Why? Because of the menstrual cycles women have are close to the same time the Moon cycles through, approximately every 28 days. Even the phases of the moon have aspects.

The Maiden is seen as the virginal young woman, or girl, who has not yet awakened. She is all about enchantment and new beginnings, youthful ideas and enthusiasm. She is associated with the waxing phase of the lunar cycle, as the moon grows from dark to full.

The Mother is the next phase in a woman’s life. She is fertility and fecundity, abundance and growth, the gaining of knowledge. She is fulfillment — sexual, social, and emotional — and she is represented by the full moon. Springtime and early summer are her domain; as the earth becomes green and fertile, so does the Mother.

Finally, the Crone aspect is the final stage. She is the hag and the wise woman, the darkness of night, and eventually death. She is the waning moon, the chill of winter, the dying of the earth.

It also has strong effects on emotion, it seems to effect how we feel more intently during a full moon.

There is much lore behind the moon. The Zodiac and Tarot for example both have divinatory meanings.

The Meaning of the Moon in Astrology:
While the Sun is the core self through which you find expression in the world, the Moon is the inner life that only close companions get to experience. It’s the private you that reveals itself behind closed doors, when you’ve put on something more comfortable. It’s also the unguarded you that has to act on instinct, the one that comes out in a crisis.

In astrology, the Moon is the instinctual self, and because of that, some might not feel comfortable with its full expression. In times of great stress, these qualities could be exposed and make the person feel strangely out of control. If you’ve ever completely lost it, you’ll know what it’s like when the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon and you become a full-fledged “lunatic.”

But in daily life, the Moon is what you fall back on to restore your sense of emotional security. It’s the little private habits that are comforting. For some this means reaching out socially, but for others this could mean retreating to a solitary corner of the mind. It also speaks volumes about how you handle your intimate life. Some Moons have a detached air, while others cast a welcoming luminescent glow.

A key relationship in astrology is that between the Sun and the Moon. If someone has an ongoing tug-of-war between the will to act and the emotions, it often shows up there. When you understand the essence of the Moon, you’re no longer “in the dark.” This is valuable information for understanding the interior life of family members, friends and of course, potential romantic partners.(SOURCE: astology.about.com)

Tarot: XVIII The Moon

The moon dimly lights the scene below. Dogs howl at the moon and a crayfish rises from the water, representing the subconscious world. There is a sense of mystery to the entire scene.

The moon has long been recognized for the effects it has on all life forms. Its gravitational pull upon the earth controls the tides; fish spawn at the time of the full moon. As our bodies contain a large proportion of water, we also experience the same kind of magnetic pull that the moon has upon the earth.

Crime levels and births increase at the time of the full moon, with emotions and tempers running higher than usual. So there is much to be said for “moon madness”

INTERPRETATION:
The Moon represents illusionary situations, possible deceptions, and feelings of uncertainty. Emotions are highly charged and fluctuating, like a pendulum swinging back and forth.

Due to the mystical associations of the Moon, it can also show our dreams becoming more vivid as the subconscious reveals itself to us. Feelings of intuition and gut instincts are heightened.

When this card is present, it also warns that it’s important not to jump to conclusions, for the light of the moon can create illusions, shapes in the shadows that are not what they seem. There is usually far more to a situation than first meets the eye and it would be wise to be watchful but not to act in haste, taking time until the situation has revealed itself more clearly. (SOURCE) Easy Tarot Handbook by Josephione Ellershaw

It is clear that The Moon is held in a reverence. Even by the animal world. Wolves and dogs are known for howling at the moon. If your in a rural area you may have heard those chilling howls in the night. The waves tides are drawn in from the gravitational pull of the moon. Aquatic life are effected, Fish spawning during full moons.

Even hollywood uses the moon in horror films. Werewolves have been told for centuries to be changed by the effects of the full moon. Music is written about the moon or the moon is a huge backdrop to the song.

We even gave each month a full moon.

Full Moon Names and Their Meanings
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. Here is the Farmers Almanac’s list of the full Moon names.

• Full Wolf Moon – January Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

• Full Snow Moon – February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

• Full Worm Moon – March As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

• Full Pink Moon – April This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

• Full Flower Moon – May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

• Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!

• The Full Buck Moon – July July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.

• Full Sturgeon Moon – August The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

• Full Corn Moon – September This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon.

• Full Harvest Moon – October This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief Indian staples are now ready for gathering.

• Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.

• The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon – December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.(SOURCE: farmers almanac.com)

We have used the moon in referance to things being big or far. We have sent people to the moon and continue to dream of life on the moon.

Next time your out late at night and notice the moon, stop and think just how many people have or are doing the same thing as you. And smile knowing you are part of something big!