It's no secret that the lunar cycle and its effect on our bodies is a topic of much debate. Some people are convinced that it impacts their moods, while others say it has no effect at all. And then there are those who believe—and have proof—that the moon has a significant impact on our lives.
Whether you believe there's something to this idea or not, you can use the information below to track your life and see if it helps you notice patterns in your behavior.
If you're interested in using the moon's cycles to track your life, here's what you need to know:
The moon is full once every 29 days (the average period from one new moon to another). The new moon marks the start of each cycle and occurs every 30 days (or so).
We all know that the Sun and Moon are the most significant astrological planets, and that they come together in a conjunction once every lunar month. (For beginners, that means if you're born on a New Moon, you'll probably have both the Sun and Moon together in the same sign.) The rest of the time, they go their own way, touching and whirling apart again.
Let's talk about its phases and what they mean:
The lunar month has 8 phases. New moon, Waxing Crescent, First quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full moon, Waning Gibbous, Last (third) quarter moon and Waning Crescent.
New Moon: This phase is when the moon appears totally black in the sky and isn't visible from Earth. During this phase, the sun and earth are aligned on opposite sides of the moon which means that our planet blocks any light from reaching it.
Waxing Crescent: This phase lasts from 7 days before to 2 days after new moon. only part of the disc becomes visible as it rises above or below the horizon at dusk or dawn respectively - though if you look closely at this stage you may notice that some parts appear brighter than others because they reflect light from nearby buildings or trees for example! This is known as "lunar phase lag" - when light sources on Earth cause shadows on our satellite's surface (which are then reflected back onto us).
First Quarter: At this stage of the cycle when half of it has been lit up by sunlight and half is still dark (it takes about 1 day for light from Earth to reach Moon).
Waxing Gibbous: The moon is getting bigger but not yet full. It looks like an egg with a yolk that's about to spill over onto a plate (that part's up to you!). The moon is at this stage for about one week before it becomes full.
Full Moon: means that the moon is fully illuminated by the sun and there are no shadows on its surface or on Earth. At this point in its cycle, it looks like a perfect circle from our vantage point on Earth—and it's often called "the harvest moon" because farmers would use it for harvesting crops when there weren't any clouds in the sky to block its glow!
Waning Gibbous: The cycle begins when you see one-half of the Moon illuminated but less than before; when its waning or shrinking in size due to the earth's shadow on it.
Last (third) quarter moon: when three-quarters of its surface is illuminated by sunlight; when it looks like there is a crescent shape with an illuminated tip pointing down toward Earth.
Tracking and Feeling
So how do we use this information? The moon's phases have been used for thousands of years by cultures around the world as a way to track time and plan their schedules. But they're also a great way to understand yourself better and get an idea of how things are going in your life right now.
If you want to try this out, start by taking a look at the current phase of the moon (this is easy—just Google it). Then think about what's going on in your life right now. Are you feeling pretty good about things? Or is there something that needs fixing? Are there things that need to be done? What do you need? Who could help out?
When you're done thinking about that, take a look at what phase the moon was in when you started thinking about this stuff. Were things looking up then, or were they looking down? If the moon is waxing (getting bigger), then that means things are looking up; if it's waning (getting smaller), then things are looking down. New moons are about ideas and full moons are for when these ideas hit a culmination point. ( Help track your patterns and events using the moon phases using the example. )
Want to plan lunar activities on a specific day? Don't forget that Monday is ruled by the moon!
Take advantage of your most productive hours and do the things that make you feel good—like cooking a nice meal or doing some chore around the house. Then relax! There's no need to worry about getting stuff done when there are only 24 hours in a day. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) most of us have jobs these days, so we have to deal with capitalism's insistence that we spend our time working instead of relaxing. But if you're lucky enough, take advantage of those Monday hours and do something nice for yourself—you deserve it!
The Lunar cycle and your menstrual cycle
We know the lunar cycle is made up of 29-and-a-half days, which means it's only about two days off from the average length of a human woman's menstrual cycle: 28 days. That may seem like a small difference, but it can make all the difference when you're trying to chart your cycle so that you know when to expect your period.
(In order to determine what lunar phase is synced with your menstrual cycle, you'll need to track it over several months—at least 3 months.)
So if you know what moon phase your cycle belongs to let’s talk about what that means for you and your life.
New Moon Cycle - This phase is about having a break from worldly affairs, for self-improvement and seeking inspiration. If you are on this cycle, it's time to rest and nurture yourself. This phase is telling you that self-care is a priority. It's time for introversion and self-reflection. Healing becomes a priority. This is the perfect cycle for pregnancy.
Waxing Moon Cycle - The pink moon cycle is about expansion. It's about being ready to take on more than what you're currently working with—to stretch yourself and grow into your greatest potential as a person and as an artist/creator/etc. You're getting ready for something. Expansion—whether that's within yourself or externally in the world around you. It's not about being perfect; it's about being prepared and ready for whatever comes next.
Full Moon Cycle - The red moon cycle means it's showtime! If you want to be the most you, then embrace the full expression of you during this phase. Coming into yourself and showing your true colors is a necessary part of the process. You are here to help, and you can do that best when you're totally in touch with who you are, what makes your heart sing, and how you want to help the world around you. This is your time to be creative!
Waning Moon Cycle - When you're in the purple cycle, you may feel like you've been hit by a truck. You've gotten closure on something—a relationship, a job, a project—and now you're left in limbo. It's not easy to get from there to wherever it is that you want to go next. But there's an elder energy in you that can help with this transition. You'll need wisdom and patience as you move through this time of change. Wisdom is knowing what the right thing to do is at any given moment. Patience is the ability to wait for that right thing—even when it feels like everything else is falling apart around you.
Last but not least, what does it mean when you get your period during an eclipse?
Eclipse - Eclipse cycles are supercharged, and they can bring a lot of stuff up for us—both emotionally and physically. It's not just because you haven't had enough coffee yet—it's also because the universe is trying to tell you something important about how best to take care of yourself right now. So what should we do in these moments? Accept what comes when on this cycle. That doesn't mean we have to do all the work ourselves—it just means that we shouldn't be surprised by what happens during an eclipse cycle and let it throw us off balance.
So hopefully by now you have some Ideas on how to incorporate the phases of the moon to track your life because we don't all have an entire film crew recording our day-to-day.
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