Human understanding of the Moon was very similar throughout all cultures in the history. The fact that the same symbols and symbolic meanings appear in all cultures, might suggest that mankind possesses a "collective unconscious".
The Moon has different visible phases that inspired human kind since pre-history. In many ancient cultures, the Moon was thought to be a supernatural phenomenon that mirrored the life of a woman. She waxes and wanes from maiden (new moon) to mother (full moon) to crone (‘old’ moon). The changing moon is also associated with women because of the regular twenty-eight day cycle that matches the cycle of menstruation.
According to the ancient cultures, the Moon was a three-fold goddess, which is said to rule the senses and emotions. To the Romans she was Luna, Lucina, or Diana, and to the Greeks she was Selene and Artemis. The symbol used for the triple goddess is a circle in the centre of a left facing and right facing crescent.
The Moon symbolizes everything that is female and unstable; it symbolizes the fertility, unconsciousness, intuition, imagination, emotions, the feminine psyche, habits and routine. The symbol of a crescent moon often symbolizes new beginnings and realizing your dreams, while a full moon is associated with illumination and clairvoyance without thinking. The energy of the moon is said to be deep, subtle and does not involve conscious thought.
In old stories and myths, the full moon is also believed to have a loony effect on humans and animals. This superstition and fear is a reflection of the old crone that is feared and can foretell death. The association with the cycle of menstruation identifies the Moon with blood, and the Moon represents the shadow side of the Sun and reflects the fear and mystery within our souls. These facts inspired many story tellers to the famous legends of the werewolf, loonies, ghosts and phantoms.
The Moon is still important in many cultures to this day and lunar calendars are used in many cultures and religions. Some cultures still celebrate Moon Festivals as in China, or a holiday with every full moon like the Poya days in Sri Lanka. In other cultures the Moon and the relationship with fertility is said to influence farming. The different phases of the Moon have different influences on growth of vegetation and the health of cattle.
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