Why work with the Moon?

What ís it anyways? What do I mean when I say that?

For millions of years, the Moon comes and goes in a steadfast rhythm. It waxes and wanes like clockwork. Before electricity, motorized vehicles and the omnipresence of watches, people made appointments based on the Moon: for example, say: let us meet at Stonehenge at Midsummer Full Moon.

In the Netherlands, we have this organisation for women living in rural areas (Plattelandsvrouwen), and they still meet at Full Moon. Not for some spiritual reason, no! Nowadays most travel by car, but not too long ago all was done by bike, and there were hardly any lights along the roads. Meeting at Full Moons was simply the most doable and the safest. And in the 21st century, they still meet at Full Moons, because they always did.

The Moon is reliable and steadfast. You can always count on the Moon.

At the same time, the Moon affects the Earthly waters. It is the Moon that rules the tides of the oceans and seas. The Moon pulls and pushes the waters. Ebb and flood, eb and flood… Like breathing in, and out.

What is the Moon, what exactly do we see?
The Moon circles around the Earth, and the Earth circles around the Sun.

The Moon reflects Sunlight.

This reflected Sunlight is softer, a different colour, even compared to direct Sunlight. It changes our perspective profoundly by changing shades.

The reflection gets smaller or bigger, as the Earth gets in or out of the way.
Every day, Earth and Moon slide a little, so that you see a slice of Moon more, or less. And once a Month, the Moon is completely invisible from our Earthly point of view.

It is like a dance between Sun and Moon and Earth. They turn around and around each other. This short animation shows you how:

A slow, cosmic dance in a steady rhythm…

So, on a daily basis we see (except when it is cloudy) the Moon waxing and waning, appearing and disappearing, and appearing again.

Why should we live more aligned to the rhythm of the Moon?
Different people are good at different stages of any project:

- There are the visionairs and instigators, great for inspiration and the engine of many a wondrous startup!

- There are the busy bees, the workers that make sure that things keep going, that all details are taken care of, that things get cleaned up after the party.

- There are the thinkers, the ones that come up with genius solutions and systems that enable the visions of the instigators to come alive.

- There are the connectors, the ones that talk and network and build bridges, they translate misunderstandings until everybody gets it.

All of us are at our best in one, maybe two of these roles. But for a project or a change in habits to really become a solid and vivid success, all of those are needed. Not only come up with the idea, but also follow through. The birds flight view, and a keen eye for detail. Having the energy to start, and knowing when to stop.

That is the essence of synergy: the sum of two people working together, is much more than what they separately would have done.

We have to be aware of what we ourselves are naturally good at, and then we have to make sure that the other parts are taken care of aswell. Either by improving and disciplining ourselves, or by knowing when to ask for help, or hire it.

A hint of how to work with the Moon
The beauty of working with the Moon, is that she appeals deeply to our dreams and emotions, while offering this steadfast almost eternal rhythm at the same time. That is why I love it! It keeps me focused, it reminds me that time is passing by, which means that I have to take action instead of keep on dreaming. And the special, milky light, creates space where my dreams can grow bolder and stronger, where my opinions soften and where I see things literary in a different light.

The difference in light, and the everchanging phases of the Moon can inspire us to use all factors that that make a project a solid and vivid success. Let the waxing Moon inspire you to think of all that needs to grow in order to reach the goal of your choosing. Celebrate at Full Moon all you already have endured and achieved, and shed its light on all that still needs working on. Let the waning Moon inspire you to remind you of all that you need to let go to improve and move on. And use the darkness of the Dark Moon to turn inwards, to recharge and deeply rest; to nurture seeds of plans and options that still have to be born.

Bathing in Moonlight beats thinking outside the box anytime!