Full Moon Madness or Simply Mad About the Moon?

(Photo credit)

  “It is the very error of the moon. She comes more near the earth than she was wont. And makes men mad.”
~William Shakespeare, Othello

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February 2nd was the fabulous Full Snow Moon and featured a halo of rings adorning the bright Lady and planet Jupiter ~  exuberating a gorgeous circle of light! The Snow Moon, which is also known as the Hunger Moon or Wolf Moon, celebrated Jupiter’s coming opposition by joining in a beautiful pairing. Even last night, they were noticeably close together enough to shine big, bright and beautiful!!

I, however, (along with my hubby and mother) was en route to Hamburg to visit my father in rehab and was only able to gaze longingly at her from the front seat of my car. Nevertheless my hubby, whom I must confess takes a vast majority of my Full Moon photos for my blog posts, also could not help but to notice her beauty and simply said, “Wow! Look at how big and bright that moon is tonight!”

Not only is the Full Snow Moon directly opposite the Sun, but in mid-winter they’re nearly on opposite ends of the celestial polarity. Another interesting fact is that Jupiter will also be in the “full moon” phase when it reaches opposition this Friday, Feb. 6. From Earth’s perspective, Jupiter and the Sun lie on opposite sides of our planet at 180° apart. As the Sun sets Friday, Jupiter will rise in the east and remain visible all night until setting around sunrise exactly like a Full Moon.

But, what about the moon’s strange effects on our moods when she is full? According to Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, and contemporary authors such as the psychiatrist Arnold Lieber, the theory regarding the full moon’s ­effects on our behavior are more than likely caused by its’  influence on water. Since the human body is made up of about 80 percent water, perhaps it’s only natural that the moon “works her magick” by disrupting the alignment of water molecules in the nervous system. For centuries, people have been debating as to whether this “theory” is scientifically sound ~ fact or myth?  While both critics and supporters alike have pondered over this very subject, I would like to share a few documented statistics which I have found with all of you …

Violence and Aggression:

·  11,613 cases of aggravated assault in a 5-year period: assaults occurred more often around the full moon.
Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978)
·  34,318 crimes in a 1-year period: crimes occurred more frequently during the full moon.
Reference: J. Psychology, vol. 93:81-83, 1976.

Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis:

·  18,495 records from patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in an 11-year period: admissions for psychosis were highest during the new moon and lowest during the full moon.
Reference: Lunar madness: an empirical study (1977)
·  25,568 psychiatric emergency room visits in a 13-year period: visits increased near the first quarter moon and a decreased around the new moon and full moon.
Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978)

Animal Bites:

·  1,621 patients over 3 year period who were bitten by either a cat, rat, horse or dog: the incidence of animal bites was significantly higher around the full moon.
Reference: Do animals bite more during a full moon? Retrospective observational analysis (2000)

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So there you have it, my friends! As for me, I am of the opinion that science indeed has its’ place, but it can not “prove” nor disprove for that matter everything in this life … most especially when it comes to things pertaining to the mystical and/or the spiritual realms.