Astrology is making a huge comeback, and not just with the ladies it seems. In times that make no sense, taking advice from celestial bodies makes about as much sense as taking advice from clergy. You could want to howl at the moon, like a coyote. You could be longing to take the place of the moon, like Neko Case. Or you could take your cues from the moon and the resulting phases of the tides.
If you get dragged to a lot of craft fairs, chances are you’ve seen an image with “advice from the moon.” The popular graphic and accompanying text was conceived by writer, musician, and natural life guru Ilan Shamir. It is said that Shamir started his particular path to life after receiving a gift of a tree when he was young. Shamir has created feel-good designs that provide “advice” from many natural entities, including a rock, a tree, a butterfly, a lake, a pumpkin, and a rainbow. You can purchase his feel-good mini-book from Amazon.
Shamir’s advice from the moon is as follows: “Live life to the fullest. Be someone to look up to. Don’t be phased by difficulties. Take time to reflect. Enjoy a little space. Honor the cycles of nature. Light up the night!” These are cute bits of advice for middle-aged women who frequent hippie tea shops, but what if you’re actually wondering how the cycles of the moon affect our lives?
If you’re more up for hard science than dandelion tea, you’ll want to check out the lunar phases calendar for the remainder of 2020. This calendar is informed by NASA’s SKYCAL. (Particularly of interest is the full moon on the morning of October 31st, which aside from being Halloween is also the end of daylight savings time.)
If you need more information about how tides specifically are affected by the phases of the moon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association can help you out with that. The greater question is, are people affected by the phases of the moon?
Two studies in the 1970s & 80s indicated that the changing phases of the moon have a very slight (but not statistically significant) effect on patients with schizophrenia. However, those same studies and others since have not shown any correlation in increased aggression in people not affected by schizophrenia. Psychiatrist Tom Wehr has also had an interest in tracking the phases of the moon and patients suffering from mental illness. He started to look further into how phases of the moon affect sleep cycles, particularly in patients with diagnosed bipolar disorder. Results were somewhat inconclusive.
Regardless, the feeling of internal change that often comes with changes of season as well as changes of mood is a powerful one. If you are feeling like you are having a difficult time as the seasons change, especially after months of social isolation, don’t hesitate to call the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. This helpline exists to help folks in the times of mental health crisis as well as substance abuse issues.
If you’re feeling down, you could blame the cycles of celestial bodies. But rather than waiting and taking advice from the moon, you could take control of your own destiny.
