Does the full moon really effect us?

We've all heard about the full moon effect. There are the believers and the skeptics but we've all heard stories. So does the full moon effect us? Well if I could answer that question to everyone's satisfaction I would undoubtedly be very rich and very famous. Having said that, I do have a strong opinion and, I believe, compelling arguments. Yes, the full moon does effect us.

Let me start with just a brief scientific argument. Being the nerd that I am, I actually took a series of astronomy classes in undergraduate school. I have always been fascinated with the cosmos - both from an astronomy and astrology perspective. The math involved in a detailed explanation of the moon's effect on water is staggering, but trust me that it has an effect on water. Roughly 2/3 of the Earth is covered in water and the moon effects that water...hence the tides. I think everyone agrees on that principle. The human body is also roughly 50-60% water. It is, therefore, logical to surmise that the moon has an effect on the human body. So if we start with the logical scientific possibility that the moon could be effecting the human body, what other evidence do we have of its effect?

I'm fairly certain that there is at least one study for every ten people on the planet trying to either confirm or deny the full moon effect. Show me one that says there is no effect and I'll show you one that says there is. Regardless of the abundance of studies arguing for or against the full moon effect, no one seems to have an answer - at least not the scientists. But ask a police officer, or a nurse or a psychiatrist. They will most likely tell you that not only do they believe in its effect but they plan for it. Hospital emergency rooms and police stations plan to have more staff on call when a full moon is present. On a personal note, I was scheduled to be induced for my last delivery on a Monday morning. I was giving birth at one of the newest and largest maternity wards in the country. They called me at 6:00 that morning to tell me that they didn't have room for me because they had an unusually high number of women go into labor over the week-end due to the full moon. Now this was the hospital that told me this - and I wasn't happy about it either!

Aside from murders, mental patient admissions and onset of labor, what other, more subtle effects does the moon have? Again, from a personal perspective I can tell you that I know, without looking, when the full moon is coming. I am more emotional - plain and simple. Ater 42 years of episodes where I couldn't figure out WHY I was feeling so emotional and then realizing is was a full moon, I accept that it effects me. My husband, the skeptic Scorpio that he is, thought I was crazy for about the first two years of our relationship. Until I kept pointing out that when he was being overly cranky it was a full moon. He is now a believer. I believe that it effects all of us differently, but it does effect us. From my experience, it heightens your inner emotions. For me, that is pure emotion - crying, compassion, sympathy (I'm a Pisces - can't help it!). For my husband it's anxiety, tension, short-temperateness. For my son it's inner reflexion and contemplation.

So the next time the moon is full, ask yourself how you feel. Or better yet, the next time you feel emotions that you can't really explain, look up in the sky and I bet you'll see a big beautiful full moon.