Tonight, (October 18, 2013) is a full moon with an eclipse. Should you expect anything in particular? What are some of the studies saying about the full moon and how it affects us emotionally and physically? Does it affect our relationships? Have you ever noticed a difference in yourself or others during a full moon?
The most common effects of a full moon that are mentioned online are; mood, fertility, reproductive behavior, birth rate, blood loss, human behavior, law and order, politics and sleep quality. But a great number of studies are said to be inconclusive as to what the direct effects are.
According to many sources, the words, “lunatic” and “lunacy” derive from the Latin word, “Luna,” meaning moon. Their earliest uses date back to the 1500’s.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “It must be a full moon,” when people start doing things out of the ordinary or out of character.
During the time of the full moon you many notice an increased staff of police on patrol as well as in the medical fields.
Wiki suggests that studies are inconclusive that a full moon has the ability to affect us much other than a slight lack in sleep. The webpage sites, “People notice if something dramatic happens during a full moon, but do not notice when nothing dramatic happens; furthermore, dramatic occurrences that do not occur during full moons are typically not counted as evidence against the belief. Believers are further bolstered in their belief through communal reinforcement: The more people talk about the effect, the more people notice spurious relationships.”
I can tell you, from my experience that I believe if I had kept proper notes that I would have been able to support the fact that indeed, the full moon has an affect over a great number of people but maybe not all. I have worked in the field of customer service for most of my life and observed an increase in irritability, irrational thought processes and behaviors and a higher than normal increase in rudeness and abruptness. Could this be linked to the decrease in sleep that studies have concluded to be a cause of the full moon?
I recall knowing with certainty when it was a full moon based on the behaviors of alarm signal activity and the increase in customer behavior when I worked as a dispatcher for a commercial alarm company. There was a higher number of false alarms, panic and escalated customer service complaints.
My friend Nicole is a dog trainer and she states that the puppies in class seem to let her know it’s a full moon by acting with a sense of restlessness and crazy behavior.
In addition to this evening being a full moon, there will also be a Penumbral Eclipse (meaning the Earth will move between the sun and the moon causing a partial dimness of the moon) that can be seen in several countries, including the U. S. It will not be very visible except around 7:50pm EDT where you may see a shadowy smudge.
If you believe in astrology, which I do, it will interest you to know that an eclipse of a full moon generally indicates endings or culmination points.
Susan Miller from Astrology Zone has this to say, “Take any message you hear at the time of an eclipse seriously. There usually is no way to get a situation reversed. If someone brings news you don’t like on an eclipse realize that there is little chance you can get it reversed, at least not for four months, if ever. See the news as essentially a non-negotiable decision and try to move on. Events that follow an eclipse have more weight than events brought on by a normal new or full moon. In fact, an eclipse is like a turbo-new or full moon packs much more energy and punch. An eclipse may even bring on an event that seems ‘fated’. Eclipses always bring unexpected changes of direction if you have a planet that will be touched.”
What have been your experiences and what is your personal opinion on this subject? Let me know your thoughts below…
Check out other categories on this site for more thought provoking, inspirational and self-help posts. You can also find my other blog site of all things paranormal at: http://www.WhereTheGhostsLive.WordPress.com.
Sources:
- Wikipedia Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_effect
- Mail Online Website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2377915/A-moon-DOES-affect-sleep–inner-caveman.html
- Scientific American Website: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lunacy-and-the-full-moon
- Time and Date: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2013-october-18
- Christina Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/1017/Penumbral-lunar-eclipse-Friday-So-what-s-a-penumbral-eclipse-anyway
- Astrology Zone: http://www.astrologyzone.com/forecasts/eclipse.html
- The Cosmos News: VIDEO : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hduXiknB1DA
The Peace and Happiness Project 
I can always tell when it’s going to be a full moon, just by the craziness of our customers and trucks drivers. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for stopping by Catherine. I have always felt the same way, that I could predict a full moon just by the way other people are acting. Thank you for stopping by.
Since you asked the question on line and there was chatter about lack of sleep on a full moon, I didn’t have to look far to realize that it affected your two nieces, Jessica & Christina, and even I didn’t shut the lights off until nearly 2AM. I’m exhausted!
Definitely affects my sleep quality! I went to bed at 2 a.m. this morning and could only sleep until 4:14 a.m. – I’ve been up ever since! 🙂
Based on what other people have said to me about this post, 2 AM seems to be about the time a lot of us fell asleep. I was up very early myself as well. At least it’s good to know there could be a cause for it. Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate it.
Although the evidence is only anecdotal I do believe the moon exerts a powerful energy over us and our planet. Looking forward to the eclipse later although we won’t see it here, we’ll still feel its energy. I live near the sea here and I noticed the high tide was very high today. Just one of the effects of the full moon…Great post; very informative.
Thank you Andrea. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the like as well. Enjoy the eclipse
I love full moons. I haven’t noticed a change in people during them. But then, I’ve never worked in customer service. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for crazy behavior tonight.
I haven’t noticed anything yet today except that many people I know didn’t sleep last night including me. But I go through that sometimes for a week at a time so I can’t judge for me. Glad you stopped by. May tonight be calm in your world.
I look forward to Susan Miller’s monthly horoscope the first of every month… like a crazy person. I keep refreshing and refreshing the page. LOL And I totally feel a change in my mood. Bah humbug
I will check her horoscopes out. I came across her page while researching but haven’t gone much further. Thanks.
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Thank you so much Samantha. I truly appreciate your kind words.
I am writing this following the “blood moon” of 2/14/14. I just Googled to see whether there was any connection between lunar eclipse and sleep problems, as I had a very restless night. As others mentioned, I wasn’t able to fall asleep at all until 2, despite having felt very tired at around 10, and then slept very restlessly, with pains. Never did see the blood moon – saw a partial eclipse, but it looked ordinary, and then it was out of my view.
Thanks for your comment Rae. I did have trouble falling asleep and kept waking up often because of the way I was dreaming. This noon signifies new beginnings. It is the first of 4 eclipses over the next year and a few months, which is very unique.