Some call her grandmother moon, some call her sister moon, some talk about that mysterious man in the moon. Whatever name we give the moon we can't deny her power. Everyday I track which lunar phase we are in. Waxing, Waning, New or Full. In ancient times the moon was feared and worshiped. Our ancestors didn't know why this mass light in the dark sky changed so frequently and why it controlled the tides and a woman's bleed. The ancient people worked with mythology to help them understand the ways of the universe and gave the moon god and goddess identities.
It's common for a lot of maternity wards in hospitals today to have extra staff on-call around the full moon. A midwife friend of mine told me the midwives in her hospital used to anticipate the arrival of the full moon as they knew they would be rushed of their feet and feel considerably understaffed. It's much more common for false labour to start on the full moon and can effect how fast your water breaks. New studies are being done about the effects of the full moon on a pregnant woman late in their 3rd trimester and its already been widely discussed between birth workers that when a baby is due a few days around the full moon then that baby is very likely to arrive on the fullest time of the moon.
I believe that when the moon is full energies are amplified (positive and negative) and if we don't pay attention to this and channel our energy in creative ways then they will surface in ways we don't want them to. I think that when the moon is dark or new there is a massive possibility to plant a seed of transformation. The dark moon allows us the look deep within ourselves to realise what we truly want and as it is born again so are we.
Ancient women used these phases of the moon to compliment their menstrual phases. On the full moon women would ovulate and be at their most fertile. On the dark moon they would menstruate and gather together in a woman only space they often called Red Tent for four days of rest and pampering while they used their energy to release negative emotions in order to be fresh and reformed for the next month. Everyday i write a moon journal which i document the details of my moontime (menstruation) and the moon phases to reveal any connections. If you would like to track the moon i have posted a link below so you can see what phase we are in...