Many people say that they are irritable and aggressive at the full moon, in fact more than during other lunar phases. Apparently, it leads quite easily to arguments, the aggressions erupt. Is there actually a connection to the moon phases?

So, we took a look at some researches to see whether more crimes, attacks and assaults have taken place at the full moon. The result: generally no increase of incidents can be determined. There is for example a study from Germany, where 23,142 cases of grievous bodily harm were investigated, during the course of seven years and no correlation could be found between the attacks and the phases of the Moon:

»No significant associations between full, absent, and the moon’s interphases and serious crimes of battery could be detected.«

Biermann T, Asemann R et al.
Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2009 Nov-Dec;50(6):573-7.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19840597

Almost all studies provide similar results: no correlation to the full moon. And even though, researches exist, which detect a connection (i.e. Lieber AL. The Journal of clinical psychiatry. 1978 May;39(5):385-92), these results could not be confirmed in follow-up studies or they were completely disproved by meta-analysis – meaning the synopsis for several comparable researches.

So, it looks pretty bad with regard to making the full moon responsible for our aggressions. There are probably various other aspects in our lives that make us boil inside. Until we have gained more knowledge about this, it might surely help to try and learn a new way of dealing with aggressions in general. Certainly a demanding task …

So when the Moon is at perigee at its closest point to the Earth of its orbit, it appears larger than usual for the observer from the Earth and therefore brighter because more reflected sunlight is visible. NASA estimates the difference of size perception between perigee and apogee to be 14 % and the difference of brightness to be 30 %. But one must consider the fact that the distance does not change suddenly but steadily. And then a few percentage remain which are hardly observable, especially not, when the Moon is high up in the sky and you have no means of comparison.

Whoever waits for this spectacular event on this super full moon in May 2012, might just be disappointed. The word »super« is completely exaggerated. Who would call a musician a »superstar«, who is only 7 % better than the average and only 14 % better than his worst competitor? We humans are obviously only susceptible for the magnificent, for the superlatives, for the sensational and the onetime opportunity, which has definitely to be grasped. Maybe because our life is usually the opposite.

If we ask a wise man about a happy life, he will advise us to search for this happiness in the balance, in the middle of the extremes. Of course, the highs and the lows are part of this, but the fulfillment lies in the happy medium. If we look at it in this way, the Moon is a perfect role model, because it wanders through the extreme without remaining in it and commutes consistently through all phases. That is quite super!

A gang of alcohol smugglers tried to hide barrels in a pond of a village from the eyes of the official custom officers. When they were caught by them one night at the shore and were asked to explain themselves, the smugglers tried to rake the surface of the water in order to make the view onto the barrels more difficult. They then claimed that they were trying to fish a round cheese out of the pond and pointed at the reflection of the full moon in the water. The officers thought them to be insane and simply granted them to continue as pleased.

Out of this raking of the surface of the water and the moon, the term »Moonraker« emerged. This expression is still used proudly today by the people who are born in Wiltshire and they sometimes call themselves moonraker.

By the way, there is another important point of reference to the full moon in this area: Stonehenge … it seems that the full moon shines in a special way in southern England.

(Painting: Robert Hugh Buxton, The Moonrakers)

A very popular subject in living by the lunar cycles is the cutting of hair. In most cases it is said that you should cut your hair during a waxing moon or during a full moon. A relationship is established here between the growth of the hair and the success of the cut and the dyeing of hair. Next to the phases of the Moon, the corresponding moon signs are also taken into consideration and the assigned elements. As a favourable time to visit a hairdresser, the moon signs Leo (fire) and Virgo (earth) are especially mentioned. No wonder that many hairdressers have picked up on this subject to connect their arts with the moonlight.

By the very nature of things, the statements, sources and reasons differ in the prognoses and partly contradict each other. But this is not so crucial. Many people have the desire to regain access to original knowledge, which lies within and brings them in harmony with nature. We all know quite well how difficult it is to retain this connection amid the noise of daily life. A calendar, which conveys certain rules, can be quite helpful, as it indirectly reminds of faith and profound knowledge. Whether such calendar is referring to moon events or another aspect might not be essential. More important is the feeling to find back to oneself. We think that this is how the success can be explained.

Who does believe in having their hair cut during a full moon and who simultaneously wants to consider the moon signs, will end up with very long hair this year, because the first full moon in Leo will be on 27th January 2013. This could cause unpleasant questions at Christmas. But you could also sidestep to new moon in Leo, which would be on 17th August 2012. ;-)

It can be assumed that it is more the moonlight, which could bear an effect, rather than the astronomical event full moon itself (which can also take place during the day, as we have already outlined). Hence, it should hardly make a difference whether one goes fishing in the night before/after or during a full moon itself, because the amount of light is roughly the same and is more influenced by clouds and weather rather than by the exact constellation of planets.

The moonlight could have two different effects: on the one hand, nocturnal fish, like for example the eel, might be deterred from light, because they could be spotted much easier and therefore run into danger to be eaten by other predatory fish. On the other hand, diurnal fish might »think« it is daytime during a full moon and begin to behave more actively. There are such fish species that bite also at night, like for instance the pikeperch, carp or the occasional pike as well. However, whether this behaviour is enhanced by the moonlight, remains unclear.

But what does the angler has to say? Surveys show that opinions differ, whereby the majority of those questioned say that the fish bites worse during a full moon. This could stem from the above described deterring effect of the moonlight for nocturnal fish. The other large second group of anglers say that they don’t notice a difference between full moon and other lunar phases. Only a few anglers actually report good catches. That such a catch is obviously something spectacular during a full moon and remains in the memory, could explain the sensational character of these announcements.

By the way, in many regions in Germany, fishing at night is actually not permitted or restricted to specific species. This is mostly justified with the protection of water, nature and local residents. How this works in other countries, we have not been able to find out yet and are interested to know more about it. All readers can leave a comment underneath this article.

Whether fishing or not, whether during the day or during the night, whether full moon or new moon … we’ll wish you »tight lines«!

To illustrate this again: let’s imagine the constellation of celestial bodies, just as described above, and let’s put a person on the day-side of the hemisphere (»day person«) and one person on the night-side (»night person«). From the moment it is full moon, being Sun – Earth – Moon in the exact position, the »night person« experiences the night and is able to see the full moon. However, for the »day person« it is daytime and he only sees the Sun. The Moon will only be visible for him again in the next night and will still look like a full moon, by the way.

Therefore, the full moon is an astronomical event and does not depend on which day or night time it is, for the observer from Earth.

This again makes it understandable, why at the time of full moon there are different local times for each time zone. It is a universal event (astronomy also defines a specific time as Universal Time = UT), and at this moment, the clocks of the people in the different time zones on Earth, are displaying various times. However, the full moon takes place at the same moment, in each country and for every person.

So – whether daylight or nighttime, the Moon will always be full and we will always admire the beauty of the cosmos.

The Bible says in the Gospel of Mark, with regard to the preparations of the Last Supper: »Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?« (Mk 14:12). So, the Last Supper was a passover meal and took place at the full moon.

Further, the story goes that on this evening the kiss of Judas took place, which betrayed Jesus, left him at the mercy of his enemies and led to his arrest. This fateful kiss also, took place at the full moon. And indeed, there are artistic representations of the kiss of Judas, where this is exhibited.

These days were marked by severe events and as so often when taking a look at history, the question arises, what actions humans are capable of. Unfortunately, current doings do not inspire confidence, as to any changes that may occur at some point in time. Too much misery, too many wars and too much injustice is happening all around us. On the other hand, an important foundation of every religion is not to give up hope and to find trust in the good. The faith in the light and a higher power holds assurance for many people.

The light of the Moon accompanies us. It is what it is. Maybe we can learn something from it.

It is noticeable that almost in every Asterix story a full moon can be seen, often even several times. Altogether, there are 63 full moon illustrations in the so far 34 publications. However, there is no deeper meaning – quite different to Batman – attached to the full moon. It appears to be rather a picturesque decor of the nightly scenes, as Marco Mütz from the German Asterix Archive outlined: »The moon is merely an ornamental prop in the Asterix adventures, indeed. I do not believe that it was used deliberately as a timekeeper.«

The word full moon is only mentioned twice in the actual text. Once in volume 1 (Asterix the Gaul), when Asterix talks about the druid Getafix and says: »He is probably cowering on an oak tree. Today is the sixth after the full moon, this is when the mistletoes have particularly strong powers!« So, here the magic powers of the mistletoes, that are the base of the famous magic potion, are being linked with lunar ongoings. On another occasion, in volume 2 (Asterix and the Goths), when the Gothic translator Rhetoric says: »In one week at the full moon.« Here, the position of the Moon is used as reference to time, just like it was customary in the old days.

Even if the full moon does not hold a key role in the Asterix comic, it still accompanies the events and lends a magic effect to the nightly settings. Maybe some time or other, there will be a volume called »Asterix and the full moon«. Who knows?

Images: Marco Mütz, German Asterix Archive, www.comedix.de
© Les Editions Albert-René/Goscinny-Uderzo

The Mare Crisium [1], the sea of dangers, is a clearly visible, round spot, which lies isolated on the edge and is perfectly suitable to locate the position of the maria on the surface of the Moon, as this keeps on changing during the course of a night and also in relation to the geographic location.

Immediately next to it – likewise, in the shape of three round spots – the Mare Serenitatis [2], the Mare Tranquillitatis [3] and the Mare Fecunditatis [4], thus serenity, tranquillity and fertility. A beautiful triad that instantly reflects in human life.

Finally, we would still like to mention the Oceanus Procellarum [5], the ocean storms, a large area opposite the Mare Crisium and the only »ocean« on the Moon.

In actual fact, the maria are lava, meaning molten rock (magma), which surfaced from the inside of the Moon and solidified. This happened through impacts of meteorites during the origin of the Moon, which also explains why the front is mainly affected (16.9% of the surface) and less the reverse side of the Moon (only 2.6% of the surface).

The lunar maria are often interpreted as figures, like the face or the hare on the Moon. Humans simply have a flourishing imagination.

During an episode of sleepwalking, those affected can carry out all kinds of tasks, from moving items around to eating to driving a car. The eyes are open and fixed, the face without any expression. It is often said not to approach a sleepwalker or not to wake them. In the early days, it was feared that this could cause them psychological harm. Today, we know there is only a danger of irritation or of an accident. It is recommended to take the sleepwalker by their arm and to lead them back to their bed. The next morning, the sleepwalker does not remember anything or only dreamlike fragments of what happened that night. Not a pleasant thought at all …

There is a famous scene in William Shakespeare’s »Macbeth«, where Lady Macbeth is described sleepwalking in her last appearance. The open eyes are mentioned here specifically:  »You see, her eyes are open.« Thereupon, the piece ends with the well known, dramatic death of the protagonist.

Against this background it is good to know that the full moon is not to blame for all of this. Although, it has surely watched one or the other wandering over the rooftops.

(Painting: John Everett Millais, The Somnambulist, 1871)