The new full moon has healing powers – use them or, if it helps, howl at it

Our ancestors understood the importance of lunar cycles for planting and harvesting crops. In these difficult times, perhaps we should pay it more attention, suggests Christine Manby

Illustration by Tom Ford

As you read this, life in the United Kingdom may look very different to what we’re used to but if there’s one thing I’m sure we’ll all be able to do no matter what transpires over the coming weeks, it’s open a window and howl at the moon. There’s a full moon in Libra coming on 8 April. Start warming up those vocal chords now.

For most of us, the moon is just a thing in the sky that occasionally catches the eye when it’s particularly big and beautiful. But our ancestors knew that the moon was more than just a decorative feature. They understood how to work with the moon, using its cycles to predict the best time to plant and the best time to harvest their crops. It wasn’t just superstition. The moon circles the Earth as the Earth circles the sun. The moon doesn’t emit any light itself but at times of the month when the earth isn’t blocking the sun’s rays, the moon reflects that light with astonishing efficacy.

The moon also influences the Earth’s gravitational field. When the sun and moon are both in line with the Earth, at the times we call the “new” and the “full” moon (at the new moon, the Earth is between the two, casting the shadow that makes the moon look like a crescent), the gravitational influence is greatest. This causes the highest tides of each month. But it’s not just the oceans that are affected. The gravitational pull of the moon works on much smaller bodies of water too, bringing moisture trapped deep in the earth closer to the surface, for example.