Art, obsession, and identity
In the same way you purify your physical space, you can purify your energetic body. Take a bath or shower with the intention of clearing your energetic body, and release what you no longer need.
Connect with your emotions, particularly any emotions that you’d like to release. Write them down on a piece of paper by hand. Afterwards, you can burn the list in a safe way.
Find your birth chart online using an astrology calculator and discover which area of your life this moon is affecting you in. When you know the house the full moon will be occurring in your chart, you can uncover the themes this moon is inviting you to heal and release.
Moonlight is a popular way to charge your crystals. Leave your crystals in a place where they will be exposed to the light of the moon overnight. This can be outside or on a windowsill. Set your intentions and allow the moonlight to work its magic.
You can meditate on the light cast by the full moon, imagining it cleansing your energetic body and releasing anything that’s weighing you down. Imagine yourself surrounded by healing moonlight, as it dissolves fear and other uncomfortable emotions.
Cleanse the energy of your home by burning incense or herbs that have cleansing properties. Setting the intention to release these energies from your home helps to let go of any stagnancy that’s built up over the course of the month.
If you’re struggling to switch off, why not try a sound bath? Sound is tied to the water element, which we also associate with the moon. There are lots of free videos online, and you can meditate on the sound if you find silent meditation too difficult.
Cleanse your physical space by clearing and cleaning. Release objects and items that you no longer use or need, clearing and making space for the new.
Due to the moon’s influence, it's said, you may find your dreams are more vivid around the time of a supermoon.
Supermoons cause a 5 cm (2 inch) larger variation in the tide, referred to as a perigean spring tide.
The biggest difference between high and low tides occur at the new moon and full moon. The gravitational pull of the tides combines to pull the water in the same direction. These are known as king tides at the new moon, and spring tides at the full moon.
Full moons in general are a time of culmination and release in astrological terms. Supermoons are believed, astrologically, to heighten these themes and emotions.
Not every full moon is a supermoon. There are usually three to four supermoons in a year. Between 2020 and 2025, there are four supermoons each year.
Although the energy of this full moon is intense, you can work with it to harness its power. The amplified energy makes it the perfect time for purification, rituals, and release.
"The main reason why the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle is that there are a lot of tidal, or gravitational, forces that are pulling on the moon," said NASA's Noah Petro, deputy scientist of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, in a 2016 Space.com interview.
When a supermoon coincides with a lunar eclipse, it makes the moon look red. This kind of moon is known as a "super blood moon."
Due to its closeness, a supermoon can appear up to 14% bigger than a normal full moon, or a full moon at the apogee (farthest point).
The moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but actually an egg-shaped/oval orbit.
In contrast, there are no points of comparison in the middle of the night's sky, which may make it appear smaller when seen here.
The term "supermoon" is used in popular culture to describe what astronomers call a perigean full moon. This is when a full moon occurs near or at the time when the moon is at the closest point in its orbit around the Earth.
Get outside and find a good place to bathe in the light of the moon. Reconnect with nature and admire its beauty on this celestial event.
Sources: (NASA Solar System Exploration) (National History Museum) (Space.com) (Moody Moons) (Original Botanica)
See also: What your moon sign says about you
A rising and setting supermoon on the horizon might appear even bigger than usual. Of course, the actual moon's size does not change. The placement of the moon in comparison to mountains, trees, and buildings on the horizon can sometimes make it appear larger.
When the moon is at the perigee, it is 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth. When the moon appears at the perigee, it's larger and brighter than a regular full moon. It's not a regular full moon, it's a supermoon!
The alignment of Sun-Earth-Moon and the perigean closeness of the orbit mean supermoons cast about 30% more light on the planet than when the moon is dimmer. This is because more of the sun's rays are reflecting off the lunar surface to reach Earth.
The farthest point in the ellipse is called the apogee. The closest point in the ellipse is called the perigee. There's a difference of around 27,000 miles (about 43,450 km) between these two points.
The moon orbits the Earth in the shape of an ellipse: an oval that brings it closer towards and farther away from Earth as it goes around.
A supermoon occurs when the moon's orbit is closest to Earth, at the same time that the moon is full. This is what gives it a super full, bright appearance in the night's sky.
On November 14, 2016, the Earth experienced a particularly spectacular supermoon. The orbit was the closest it had been since 1948. The next supermoon of that size won't occur until November 2034. The closest supermoon of the century will occur in December 2052.
The term “supermoon” was coined by an astrologer, Richard Nolle, in 1979. It’s become popular since the November 2016 supermoon. However, it’s actually not an official name.
Ah, the mystery of the moon, our closest celestial body. The Earth's only satellite, the moon influences everything from the tides to the migration of birds. There is still much we don't know about why the moon affects the Earth, but the strong gravitational pull certainly keeps us guessing!
But, in keeping with the theme of this gallery, what makes a moon "super," you might ask? Well, a number of things. Click on to find out all about the phenomenon of the supermoon, take note of why you need to pay attention to it, and learn how to harness its power in your own life!
Work with the water element on the full moon. You can put a container of water outside or on a windowsill overnight. Let it bathe in the supermoon moonlight. Afterwards, you can drink your supercharged moon water or use it for rituals.
Why you should pay attention to the supermoon
A larger and brighter moon lights up the night's sky
LIFESTYLE Astronomy
Ah, the mystery of the moon, our closest celestial body. The Earth's only satellite, the moon influences everything from the tides to the migration of birds. There is still much we don't know about why the moon affects the Earth, but the strong gravitational pull certainly keeps us guessing!
But, in keeping with the theme of this gallery, what makes a moon "super," you might ask? Well, a number of things. Click on to find out all about the phenomenon of the supermoon, take note of why you need to pay attention to it, and learn how to harness its power in your own life!