How does the moon affect us physically and emotionally? A transcription of an interview with leading expert Davina Mackail
Janey
Welcome Shaman, author, Feng Shui, Dream and Moon expert Davina Mackail. We are talking about moon energies. We know the moon pulls the water in and out right of the ocean. And so it’s not surprising is it really that it’s going to affect us one way or another, we’re 70% water and the moon in one way or another is going to affect us physically and emotionally.
For anyone who has never even considered that concept before because there will be people who haven’t really thought about that. explained to us a little bit more about the moon
Davina 0:34
It is the fastest moving planet, it kind of whizzes round every 28 days is it’s complete cycle 2829 days. And it has a huge influence on us, particularly for the feminine body because also outside periods, menstrual cycles change with the moon cycles, the tides get larger and bigger around the new moon or the full moon. So it does exert a cosmic ray influence or a gravitational influence on these tides and waters. It’s the waters of the world and our blood fluid, if you like. But if we look back, I mean, this isn’t all woowoo and weird. Its written about in the farmers Almanack. So farmers for aeons, since ancient times have always planted by the moon.
Janey 1:22
Linked to biodynamic farming ?
Davina 1:26
Well, it’s more around biodynamic farming now and people that are aware, but I’m talking way back in ‘olden’ times, people planted by the moon, because that’s what worked. So they knew that the crops were going to be better if they planted the seeds around a new moon, that kind of new beginnings when the sap is stronger, when, the Earth’s pool is more likely to push the seedlings up and give them strong growth, and to harvest around the full moon and when it’s fuller and more abundant, and at its right best and richest.
So really simple things like that have been in existence for a very long time. I mean, new wisdom, it’s just, in a sense revived wisdom, because the moon is a really easy way to get back in touch and connect with nature. We can see the moon, the same moon, just look outside and, and to become aware of it cycle through the month keeps us connected with the cycles of climbing life and our lives and what’s happening in them. And it gives us a great opportunity to have the ‘pause’ moments. Like for example, we’re in the Dark of the Moon now. So we’re two days before a New Moon on Thursday.
So just before a new moon, this is the dark of the new moon. And just before, we don’t really feel like doing much, we can feel a bit lethargic, we can feel a bit less, have a duvet day, quieter, more inward, it can be quite emotional, it can be a time when secrets get revealed, because it’s just in that dark time. And it’s when we want to hide things and don’t really want to share much of ourselves.
Janey
Interesting, it’s exactly how I’m feeling!
Davina
It’s not a good time to book a party, for example. So if you’re gonna get married or engaged or have a special event or party don’t book it for the dark of a moon. all you have to do is Google the moon phases these days, and you’ll clearly get where the dates are, and the times and where they are. So it’s easy to look at that. But it’s well worth checking.
Janey 3:43
Does everyone get impacted? Or is it just that, sometimes we don’t notice? Or is it that some people are affected more than others? And why might that be?
Davina 4:00
I think some people are affected more than others. I think it’s a number of things. We have different predicate systems. So some people are more auditory, some people are more visual, some people are more kinesthetic. And I do think in aesthetic people, people that feel that people empaths people that are very sensitive, have a lot of water in their astrological sign, for example, or the planets in water sign something like that, they are going to find this effect of the moon more strongly or will notice it more. I actually personally believe that a lot of sort of bipolar conditions are actually related to the moon. It can become a quite serious condition and obviously needs its various treatment. But if you just notice your moods and swing quite a lot within a monthly cycle , you can just be very down or quite slightly more agitated or excited.
If you look at the moon time table, you will probably notice it’s in correlation with the moon. So we have this dark and then we have the new moon on Thursday in Leo. And that is going to produce that slightly softer, quieter energy, but it’s a new beginning. But when we start something, we’re not so flat out. Whereas the energy builds then for two weeks up to the full moon and around the full moon, we can be a little bit more manic. So if you have Bipolar tendencies, and I do hand reading, and actually you can check it out for yourself. So if you have a nice squeegee, soft, silky, thumb, thick thumb pad, just at the base of your thumb, that normally means you have a more empathic quality, or you have a strong curve, on the edge of your hand running down from the little finger to the wrist, that sort of outer edge of the hand, if that’s quite curved, then you will tend to find the moon affects you more strongly because you have more association with water.
Davina Mackail who lived in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest for 2 years.
Janey
It’s really fascinating! So in a sense, what you’re saying then is, some of the wisdom that we used to think about when we thought about our menstrual cycles, which is, don’t try and blast it out for the whole goddamn month, accept that you’re gonna have a bit of downtime but as a society, we don’t really like to do that anymore. We tend to behave as if everything feels like it has to be bigger, better, faster, more,
Davina
But we don’t. We don’t honour the cycles of time. Exactly. We don’t honour the cycles of time at all. I mean, we should run everything in in the seasonal things. There are times for things growing, there are times to cut back and preserve and there are times to let go. as you say, it’s that progress, progress, progress. It’s the sort of linear Advancement at all costs, and it doesn’t serve us as we can see, I mean, we’re having multiple system failure across the globe!
Janey 6:53
Absolutely. And so it’s quite easy to see why in so many cases, a lot of women end up completely burnt out, because, they’ve got month after month after month, when they’re meant to have had some downtime, very specific downtime. But that’s probably been when they’re pushing through and doing their power meetings, or whatever the hell. And then suddenly, the body says, you know, what, I’ve kind of had enough.. And then in some cases, it will just be a case of going to the GP and shoving in some antidepressants, or HRT, or both, without being asked about their drinking And by the way, to slip that in, as I always do, you know, all completely crashing and burning and wondering what the hell’s wrong with me. Actually, we could go back to basics, right?
Davina
Indeed, and also, I wonder how many, if you start to pay attention to the moon, those are the women that are menstruating, they’ll find their cycles often come into cycle with the moon. So they’ll start a period on it on a new moon or a full moon, it will actually sync with the moon cycles. So we have this innate natural wisdom. And when we allow ourselves to go back to it, our bodies read because it’s natural, it’s in our ancestral kind of lineage, it’s in the middle of the brain, it’s our bodies, at least knowing whether our minds have overridden it over the world. So if we start to become aware of that cycle again, and we very quickly become entrained to it, and it just helps. It also helps with your planning. Just your To Do lists, you’re planning, okay, it’s a new moon, it gives you that chance to begin again, it gives you that chance to have a look at your goals. Okay, so the New Moon is a new month, am I on track? Can I set new intentions? Do I need to, clear something out of here, and then as the week and then progress with meetings in that two weeks up to the full moon, that’s a very, very good energy to get shit done, basically.
Janey 8:51
Run us through the how it how it pans out, what are we looking for then?
Davina
Well, new moons are great times to set an intention, begin something, start a project, write your first paragraph of your book, send an email to someone that you’re desperate to do business with, you know, sign a contract on a new deal, buy a house, buy a new car, , those are the things that you’re making, then planning to have them or set that intention or put the wheels in motion on a New Moon is a wonderful energy for that, then you have like two weeks up to the peak of the full moon, where that energy will take you on its own trajectory.
You’ll find things flow easier you get responses faster, there is a kind of energy that carries you. We need to be like the leaf on the river. We just flow and we’re always going to end up at the sea eventually if we just go with the flow in that expanded consciousness, but most of us tend to be in our little rowing boat paddling furiously up stream against the tide of the flow and making life difficult.
So for me working with the moon just makes life easier, it makes it flow, maybe we have enough stress and difficulties, why not?,It’s great for women. Particularly, I’m not saying men are not affected, but it does predominantly because of the womb, the uterus, the blood flows, etc, it definitely affects women more.
Once we are done with the new moon, we’ve got our two weeks of that, then the full moon normally brings something to a combination or a completion, it can be very, very emotionally charged it normally is when you’re going to get a bus stop or have a route or blow out your best friends.
That can get very volatile, depending on what sign it is how its aspected astrologically. But full moons can be wonderful, have a party and it’s very high energy. But just be aware, it can also be an energy where you can blow up and be very over emotional and act sort of out of sorts, and fly off the handle for no apparent reason.
And then after that full moon as the cycle comes down, and it’s waning again, then basically, that’s a good letting go. So it’s good for clutter clearing, it’s getting rid of things you no longer need in your life. It’s great for just clearing the decks, having conversations that have been getting in the way. And as that gets right down to the tail end that we’re in right now. Then we have this energy of quiet retreat going inside, pausing just taking time to go, Oh, where am I? I don’t feel what am I going? What’s happening?
Janey
You’ve already mentioned how we can work with some of these cycles and take our downtime and plan things with more energy or whatever. How else can we harness its power for ourselves? if we want to visualise, if we want to set intentions if we want to meditate, can we use different aspects of the moon to guide us?
Davina
Starting something should always be in that new moon and about the week after ,10 days after from a new moon onwards is always the time to start a new regime, a new programme start a new plan, something of that nature. And that’s the best I mean, and if you want to save some money on haircuts, here’s a top Moon tip if you’re trying to grow your hair and you really want to get the length then only ever have it cut on a new moon.
Top Moon tip:
‘If you’re trying to grow your hair and you really want to get the length then only ever have it cut on a new moon’
Its statistically proven. if you want to grow it and you want more body etc. If you’re trying to save money and you have a shorter haircut and you don’t want to go to the hairdresser, so often have it cut around a full moon and it will not grow as fast. You’ll find. nails grow a little bit, but it’s miniscule. You know, the hair is because it’s normally around six weeks or two months between appointments for most, but with the hair that does really make a difference if you have short hair cuts. as well.
Janey 15:00
And I’m guessing as well, we’ve sort of already touched on it. you’ve already said, starting a new project I just after the new moon is great. And will also affect how we feel creatively?
Davina
Creativity is a little different. Because I would say throughout the moon cycle, you can be creative. And that that is how the Muse works with each individual, because, for example, you can have that initial energy in a new moon, but new moons I think, potentially a less creative, they’re very, very good for being a little bit more logical and a little bit more practical. It’s like right, ‘to do’ lists done, I’ve done my things that I need to take off, this is what I’m going to put in progress. Whereas actually, as the energy builds towards a full moon, the energy can become quite excited and more energised.
So that can actually give you bursts of creativity or downloads or revelations or inspirations because there is just more energy around. The other thing is, this time we’re in now, this Dark of the Moon, is when we go in, it’s like, if we look at the seasons of the year, winter is the most creative time. Spring is like the new moon if you like. So the new moon of spring is when you put those creative ideas into practice that you’ve been incubating in winter. Winter is like the Dark of the Moon. It’s exactly the same cycle. It’s like the Dark of the Moon. And that’s actually when you’re quiet and you’re internal. And you dream and you daydream and you take time to read a book and be inspired or learn something or just go inside. And that actually is where that bigger sense of creativity can emanate from.
Janey
I’m guessing that with the work that you do if you work one to one with someone then it would be about their own astrological sign?
Davina
I have a lot of tools in my toolbox these days. I’ve been doing like readings for clients for over 30 years so its really individual to the person, I don’t have a prescribed way. Normally I will work with the Tarot because it’s very good, unconscious archetypes but it’s just a root in really, and it very much comes to me….I might look at people’s hands or look at their astrological cycle, their gene key. I mean, there’ll be a whole bunch of things in there, depending on what that person is looking for
Janey
Thank you Davina
You can find out more about Davina’s work by following her on Instagram, booking a 1-1 session at www.davinamackail.com
You can hear this interview on the Alcohol Free Life podcast from August 2022 and watch the video and exclusive extra Q and A in The Sober Club www.thesoberclub.com