Tonight is a full moon, a time that has long believed to have an effect on us. Many people, including health professionals, believe that there are flares of mental illness during the full moon, although studies have been inconclusive.
Some people struggle to sleep during a full moon, and a study published in Sleep Medicine in 2014 showed that even in a controlled environment, with no exposure to the moon, people took longer to fall asleep and slept less.
Traditional cultures associate the cycle of the moon with the menstrual cycle, and some midwives will say there is an increase in births, or women going into labour around the full moon also.
Like sensitivity to foods, temperatures, or electromagnetic frequency radiation, sensitivity to the cycle of the moon is likely to affect some individuals more than others.
Homeopathically we are interested in anything “strange, rare or peculiar”, so if you are affected by the phases of the moon that is most definitely something your Homeopath wants to know.
There are around one hundred remedies that are listed in my Repertory as aggravated by the full moon. There are also some interesting little rubrics which are more specific.
If the moonlight makes you feel better, then Aurum may be a remedy worth considering, although the full moon can also aggravate conditions for Aurum, including suicidal thoughts.
If you have asthma which is aggravated at the full moon, then Spongia may be the remedy for you, and for a cough worse at the full moon, consider Sabadilla.
It is often recommended to take worm treatments at the full moon, as the worms are more active at that time. I have even seen it recommended to take Cina daily for three days at the full moon. Interestingly there are five remedies in my repertory for worm complaints at the full moon, and Cina is not listed. The five remedies are Calc Carb, China, Ferrum metallicum, Mercurius and Sulphur. And Sulphur is the only remedy listed for itching rectum at the full moon.
If the moon makes you anxious and unable to sleep, consider Nat Carb, Sepia or Sulphur. Nat Carb is also indicated for nightmares at the full moon. Sleep walking and sleeplessness at the full moon are both characteristics of Silica.
There are a number of remedies indicated for menstruation at the full moon, including Sepia and Nitric Acid, but the one I want to highlight is Crocus Sativa, or Saffron. This can have not just a normal period but extremely heavy periods at the full moon, and also is a remedy for periods that have stopped and then suddenly return at the full moon.
Finally, I want to discuss Luna. An imponderable remedy, this was made from exposure of a vial to the full moon.
The remedy has difficulty concentrating, lots of confusion and feelings of disconnection and detachment. They may have outbursts of anger and frustration, particularly towards their own partner or children (like Sepia). Moods can change rapidly in a short space of time and they can lack motivation.
Luna has vivid dreams, but find sleep unrefreshing, have trouble waking and then feel generally worse after waking.
They are very thirsty, wanting cold drinks, but can have an increased sensitivity to alcohol, and can feel as if they are hungover. If they do drink their hangover can be severe.
Unsurprisingly, with the moon’s affinity to the menstrual cycle, there are PMS symptoms of bloated abdomen, painful breasts and facial acne, and once the period arrives pain with an aching in the pelvic floor and cramping in the uterus, and long and heavy periods.
Interestingly there is no mention in the proving about whether the cycle of the moon had an effect on the provers, but it is likely that there would be effects, and perhaps even the menstrual cycle tied to the moon.
Are you affected by the full moon?