Full Moon at the Spring Equinox

Friday was the Spring Equinox – the time of year when night and day are of equal length (equinox literally means “equal night”). It’s a time of equilibrium and balance, and a good opportunity to focus on how your life is balanced. Light and dark, both in harmony and counteracting each other. We need light and dark in our lives. Without the darkness, the light would be nothing but glare.

This particular equinox on Friday was very special because it was also the full moon. On the Stonewylde forum there have been many very excited posts from members waiting with anticipation for a sight of the full moon, and worried that the bad weather would prevent this. Several members have also posted about how the full moon affects them – makes them more energetic, active, even wild. Of course in the Stonewylde books, we see the extreme of this in Sylvie’s moongaziness. She’s really affected by the full moon, becoming restless, twitchy and eventually frantic as the rising of the full moon approaches. At Hare Stone she’s able to channel this strange moon magic, dancing on the hill top surrounded by moongazy hares until the energy is spent.

When I was teaching, we always knew the full moon would bring more behavioural issues with the pupils. And several people have said the same on the forum. I know a nightclub bouncer who always said there were more incidences when it was a full moon. The word “lunacy” and “lunatic”, now taken as meaning a generally insane purchase adipex online person, originally derived from “luna”, meaning moon. It was always taken that disturbed or unbalanced people would react badly at the time of the full moon. And as for werewolves … !

There was great excitement on the forum amongst those who did see Friday’s full moon, even if only through a break in the clouds. One member, Corn Mother who hails from Cornwall, sent the beautiful photo above, taken in very windy conditions. It is because of the full moon falling on the Spring Equinox that the Christian festival of Easter is so very early this year. This major festival is determined by both the equinox and the full moon, and is fixed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. So because the full moon was on the Equinox itself, this Sunday is the day to celebrate Easter.

Mr B heard on the radio that this last happened in 1913. I’d be really interested to know more about this, and why it is that such an important Christian event is fixed in this strange way. Please post your comments!

PS – and another forum member noted a strange green halo around the moon tonight (the night after the full moon). I know that the halo effect is caused by reflected light from the moon refracting through the ice crystals in the atmosphere. This phenomenom is known as a moonbow – what a beautiful name! But why would it be green tonight? Can anyone enlighten us please?