What do Lunar Cycles and Gruesome Beheadings Have in Common?
Tue, Aug 12, 2008
Environmental Graffiti Will be Changing Dramatically Soon. Get a Sneak Preview By Signing Up Here.
Image by: Rick Leche
Visualize towns torn apart with random beheadings, frenzied knife attacks on grassy knolls and werewolves howling at the moon. No, it’s not your average Saturday night out on the town; they’re just a few of the maniacal incidences associated with the advent of a new or full moon.
And, unless you’ve been locked away from civilization lately you may have noticed the recent spate of beheadings. It’s been a pretty grim time. Two seemingly unprovoked attacks in Greece and Canada saw two guys go stir crazy with a bloody big knife, one beheading his girlfriend, the other beheading a complete stranger on a bus. Neither had previously recorded psychological problems. Both incidences occurred at the time of the new moon. But is this just coincidence or could these gruesome events of the past few weeks be related to the gravitational forces of the moon?
Whether in myth and legend or reality a new or full moon is said to send people mad. In fact, ‘lunacy’, ‘lunatic’ and most probably the term ‘loony’ all derive from the Latin word for moon – “luna.”
Lunacy Through the Ages
In ancient times, if the Chinese emperor’s astrologers failed to predict the exact times of a new or full moon they were beheaded; there is at least one recorded case in 2300 BC. Roman authorities were more lenient on troublemakers who committed crimes during the new moon as they were convinced it had major influence on people’s behavior. In the middle ages pregnant women were warned that if they went out during a full moon they would give birth to lunatics. And in 17th century England links between the moon and madness actually entered into English law. Sir William Hale, who later became Chief Justice of England, wrote:
“The moon hath a great influence in all diseases of the brain, especially dementia; such persons commonly in the full and change of the moon, especially about the equinoxes and summer solstice, are usually at the height of their distemper.”
Astrology
The new moon in August occurred on the same day as the solar eclipse, August 1, 2008, which, astrologers say, means it fell in the sign of Leo. This is turn is thought to agitate the nebulae cluster of The Aselli, or the asses, which were traditionally held by astronomers as harbingers of death by fire, fever, hanging and beheading!
Could this be a tentative link to how people behave during the phase of a new moon?
Image by: Bill Buckingham for APOD
…and now for the (pseudo) science.
Not entirely convinced, we thought we’d indulge our clinical senses and look at it from a purely scientific point of view: How could the new moon affect us? Physiologically, what could it do to the contents of our skull? Maybe if we understood that then we could surmise whether in fact the moon has any influence whatsoever on our mental faculties.
During a full moon, the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun and therefore negates the sun’s gravitational pull, but during a new moon the moon sits on the same side of the earth as the sun, thus massively increasing the sun’s gravitational effects.
This dramatic change in gravity may have a significant affect on the human brain. Who’s to say that there isn’t some transient damage to this intricate organ that, when compared to the size of the earth, sun and moon, is minute and therefore more prone to greater changes during these fluctuations in gravitational force? After all the brain is encased in a closed space so even the slightest pressure changes could dramatically affect normal functionality.
Think of the pressure headaches some people get before and during thunderstorms due to changes in the atmosphere. If that slight change in pressure causes blinding headaches then it’s entirely possible that the pressure generated during the phase of a new moon coupled with a solar eclipse could have huge detrimental effects to the human brain.
Are the recent beheadings in Greece and Canada explicable? It’s impossible for us to prove one way or the other, for that there would need to be highly controlled clinical trials. In the meantime we’ll have to leave the ball in your court. What do you think?
If you want to find out all the latest news on the environment, why not subscribe to our RSS feed? We’ll even throw in a free album.
You Might Also Like Our Friends' Posts From the Intertubes
“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”
August 12th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Interesting. I’ve often wondered about the effects of the earth’s fluctuating gravitational and magnetic fields on one’s physiology.
I’ve never bought into astrology, but the mythology behind it has always fascinated me since it seemed to be the result of thousands of years of observing possible correlating patterns of biological cycles to passage of time in relation to planetary cycles.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
The scientific thinking is expanding even more than gravity to include magnetics, at least at the Full Moon. Each month at the Full Moon, the Moon enters the Earth’s magnetotail. During this transit there are greater electrostatic discharges and an extra negative charge on the Moon.
Combine this charge with the natural magnetism rooted in the Earth’s core with our human magnetic qualities, which can be scientifically measured now, and the ancient myths, astrology, and superstitions start to make sense for a modern mind educated with linear thinking and technology.
The resonant effects of the moon can also be described with a movement of pressure and release with pressure building towards the Full Moon and then releasing towards the New Moon.
During each cycle there is a movement of high and low and the New Moon represents the low section of the cycle. This concept of low does not mean less power, just as an ocean wave needs great momentum to build upwards on its path. People respond differently to these conditions. Some may react to the change of pressure as a frightening abyss while others will view it as a fertile valley.
Humans are wonderfully varied in their sensitivities and reactions. While I may not be able to digest gluten very well, your metabolism may do it with ease.
Subjective issues such as psychological, mental and emotional ones are challenging to categorize concretely as easily as we do the number of cars stopping at a traffic light. As for resonance with the distance of the Moon and Sun from the Earth, the CEO of a gas and oil company located in another state or country could have a hugely greater effect on your daily economic life than the neighbor next door. Proximity does not necessarily rule resonance.
Finally, science may be catching up to describe the unseen forces that can hopefully start to be applied in a positive manner rather than observing only negative effects. The revolving rhythm of the moon phases can be successfully applied to all parts of human condition from achieving goals to financial planning to making wine. I look forward to news stories that write about the success of a company that increased their sales by 40% because they adjusted their marketing strategy to take advantage of the moon cycle rhythm.
Laraine at http://www.phasenews.com
August 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
“Neither had previously recorded psychological problems.” This is not true. The guy in Greece had mad major psychological problems before the incident.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I completely understand it all it makes perfect sense