I caught my son howling at the moon, should I be carrying around garlic and holy water?
One of my favourite times of the month. The full moon. I love it. I love seeing the moon big in the sky and lit up so we can see the surface. Since being a little kid, I've looked for the face in the moon. I can't be the only one who does it?? My obsession with the moon is not one the rest of my family share, they tolerate it and they humour me but, in all honesty, I know they aren't really bothered which phase the moon is in at any given point. It doesn't stop me though. Especially through autumn when the moon rising begins while it’s just getting dark.
I can be found bursting into the boys’ bedroom to get a glimpse of it. And don't get me started on the supermoons!! It's almost as much fun as when Tom Hardy is presenting bedtime stories on CBeebies. Like I said, they humour me. Probably passing it off as another of my quirks. Max, my middle child, hears me coming up the stairs and I'm met with a sarcastic pre-teen comment about it being "the full moon again" before he goes back to screaming down his headset at his friends while they play some game like Fortnite or GTA. I'm a google diagnosed selenophile and proud of it!! Aside from the moon looking pretty amazing when it's full it also has a pull that I can't really explain. I'm not talking werewolves or crazed behaviour, although we have caught our youngest howling at the moon on more than one occasion... but let’s put that down to imagination for now (and hope we're right). Though there are times I do look at him and wonder if I should be carrying around bulbs of garlic or a vial of holy water, just incase.. but I digress. I know science might not back me up here but I can't help but feel somewhat affected by the moon, unlike most people I speak to, I actually sleep so much better when the moon is full but I also have this energy surge and a lot more mental clarity around projects or whatever I have going on in my life. I've heard it said that the full moon at its’ brightest is said to illuminate areas of your life which have been in darkness.. so maybe there's something to it?! Maybe it’s just my innate need to have some form of structure to my life, aside from the sun rising and falling the moon phases are the next "definites" I can rely on to live by.
Scientifically backed or not, my clear quartz sits on the windowsill to "charge" in the moonlight. I once gave my grandma a clear quartz and told her to keep it charged. I'm not sure she took me seriously until she got my text reminders on the night of a full moon. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't.. but what harm can it do?!
I can't be alone with this? I can't be the only one who has this instinctive love for a rock that likes to circle our little planet? Or am I just letting my weirdness show? Let me know in the comments!! In all seriousness though, I suppose like any other faith, religion or belief system, having something in your life that you can use as a positive influence is a great thing. Like I said before, at the time of the full moon I have a lot more clarity in my life. Maybe it is purely psychological, but who cares?!
For someone who deals with a load of overwhelming feelings, it's a bit of a relief to feel that lift, even if it is just for a short time. The great thing is that the more I recognise it, the more I've been able to harness it and use it to my advantage the rest of the month. So maybe when I feel that clarity, I plan ahead, I know what I need to do so I go ahead and actually do it. That feeling of being productive is really powerful to me. When I'm struggling with anxiety it is so easy for me to slip into feeling useless. So, ticking off boxes, feeling creative and productive goes a long way to easing that stress. I'm all in on anything that can lift my mood. So, this upcoming full moon, clouds permitting, I'll be at my children's bedroom window with my camera poised (because while my child becomes a werewolf at the time of a full moon I become an amateur photographer) and I'll be ignoring the tutting and sarcasm from my son Max in the background just so I can catch a snap of the moon in all her glory. I might set some goals. I might create that amazing content I've been thinking about. I might charge my crystals. And I might perform a little exorcism on the littlest munchkin (who is more like his mother than I dare to sometimes admit). Side note, that's just a little joke for all the moaning minnies who might actually take it seriously, the truth is I only perform exorcisms on the new moon! Haha.
Stay safe. The Luna Mum Kerry R xx
P.S If you want to know more about me, why not have a look at my webiste? www.kerrymrichardson.com
