The Garden: Full moon insomnia

When I wasn’t wide awake I was busy having wild visions only to find out the moon was out to play in its full splendour and I wasn’t even aware. The full moon last Saturday night caught me unprepared which is so unlike me.

Now the question for me has always been “Why can’t I sleep?” I have noticed a pattern in that each time there is a full moon, I would suffer insomnia and when I manage to get some sleep I would have wild dreams. At a certain point I felt something could probably be the matter with me in particular and so I started doing research and you can imagine my relief when I discovered that I am not alone.

According to scientists the effects of a full moon are felt by everyone even people who don’t know anything about astrology or the lunar cycle. It is a universal feeling.

For those of you who might not be aware, we had a full moon on Saturday, 18^th May shortly after 23:00 South African Standard Time which would be 21:00 GMT – since it happens at the same moment for all of us worldwide even if our clocks vary by time zone. So from wherever you were observing from on the planet, you would have witnessed the full moon showing off its beauty.   Last weekend’s full moon is classified as a blue moon or flower moon- flower moon because the full moon in May marked a time of increasing fertility.  Now, what makes this one special is because it will be the last blue moon this decade,  the next it occurs again will be on 22 August 2021.

According to Eva Taylor Grant, the fact that a full moon may affect your sleep is no surprise.

Astrology says the moon controls the ocean (The gravitational pull from the moon on Earth controls the tides of the ocean), and humans are made up of 50 to 70 percent water. Astrologer Lisa Stardust says being that the moon controls the oceans and waters on Earth, the human body may be affected as well by the lunar phases. As the moon affects the waters on Earth, astrology believes it also affects the waters within us.

Here are seven ways the full moon could affect your sleep:

It can be harder to sleep

You may dream more actively

You may feel restless

You may feel like you need less sleep

The full moon may disrupt your REM phase

You may have more trouble getting out of bed in the morning

You may want to stay up late

Jill Wintersteen brings on a refreshing take and says that the full moon also likes to align you and your heart. She goes on to explain that the moon rules our emotions, we feel her vibrations and they shift us. Sometimes we need a significant shift and that is what’s waking us up. The moon is powerful and mysterious, her true powers and vibrations are yet to be fully understood. Instead of fighting her and trying to sleep, embrace the connection and use the time to go deep within, without the distraction of the day.

I for one have taken the advice, I am busy putting together a “ritual” for the next full moon so going forward all the full moons will not catch me off guard I would be adequately prepared to make the most of it and if I’m not interested in entertaining the moon’s show off and want some sleep instead I’ll be sure to get me some crystals. Apparently sleeping with crystals around you during the full moon works due to the crystals ability to deflect energy. It’s all about energy in the end we’re all a bunch of energy balls 😅

As a follow up to last week’s article “Moon Time” wouldn’t you say it is rather even more clear why the moon time is such a sacred cycle for the ladies?

Now, I know we’re not all like Lerato who has the time to gaze at the stars every once in a while, we all have our favourite pass time some like to bird watch, some go fishing, some play soccer, while some prefer to paint, cook etc. However, no matter how disinterested you are in astrology, this information  should also be of great use to you and if you are genuinely seeking wellness I would highly recommend that you pay closer attention to your energy as a person, what makes you vibrate and what makes you lose your vibrations and all these are a step towards the right direction. It’s all part of our healing and also part of understanding ourselves better on our path to self care. Let’s refresh, reform and reflect together right here on The Garden, your wellness spot because a healthy you is a happy you.