New Research Revealed How Full Moons Actually Affect You, So Here's What You Should Know

I can't remember a single full moon that didn't stir up some seriously dramatic energy that made me feel some type of way. I know I'm not alone here: Some say the full moon messes with your mood, your behavior — all kinds of things. But if you've ever found yourself worrying about how the full moon is going to affect you, new research argues that you probably have nothing to worry about.

Here's the thing: The moon is huge. Yes, I'm stating the obvious, but what I mean to say is that the moon and its many phases play such an important role in our world as human beings. As AccuWeather explains, regardless of where you stand on the topic, you have to admit it's difficult to "completely disregard" the idea that the moon affects our behavior in some way, "because the tides on this Earth, the oceans, everything follows the moon’s gravitational pull."

Anyway, having said all of that, let's get into this new research. When it comes to that big glowing orb in the sky, perhaps you've heard the idea that some people who work in hospitals truly believe "bad things happen" during full moons, as The Wall Street Journal put it in a 2016 article? Well, a company called Qventus, which works with more than 70 leading hospitals in the U.S. to help simplify their health care operations, conducted what it calls "the most diverse sample size full moon effect study to date," according to a press release sent directly to Elite Daily over email.

After looking across 19 different emergency rooms over the course of two years, Qventus found that, regardless of the phase of the moon, there appeared to be no effect on the number of people visiting the ER on any given day. So, uh, did anyone else just breathe a sigh of relief, or was that just me?

"What’s more," Qventus' press release explains, "we found that there was no impact to the overall acuity of patients, meaning that those admitted didn’t have an increase in the severity of their condition."

I don't know about you, but this definitely puts my mind at ease a little bit. As Karen Murrell, M.D., chair of emergency medicine chiefs at health care company Kaiser Permanente, said in Qventus' press release, in her 30 years working in the emergency department (ED), "I have heard about the effects of the full moon hundreds of times from ED staff of all levels. Some hospitals even rearrange staffing unnecessarily and at cost. While there may be a random bad year when some hospitals have an increase in patients, it is comforting to know that this has nothing to do with the status of the moon and we can base our staffing predictions on real-time data."

The results of Qventus' research are no doubt convincing, and like I said, very comforting. However, according to Suzie Kerr Wright, an astrologer of 40 years, psychic medium, reiki master, and certified holistic life coach, it's important to avoid blanket statements when talking about astrology. In other words, she tells Elite Daily in an email, it's best to stay away from statements such as, "every full moon means more trips to the ER" or, "the full moon has nothing to do with increased hospital visits."

"A blanket statement in astrology is never going to be 100 percent accurate ([for example,] all Leos are egomaniacs, all Pisces are space cadets, etc.)," Kerr Wright explains. "We need to get away from that type of thinking, or astrology will never find the respect it deserves for the incredible power it has to empower and heal."

According to Kerr Wright, when full moons go wrong — i.e. when they seem to make people act, you know, not like themselves — that's when many people tend to choose not to experience the lunar event for what it is, or from a standpoint of personal responsibility, but rather, they look for ways to blame others, "hence arguments and emotional standoffs coming to a head," she explains. "When I was managing nightclubs in Boston 30 years ago, a Scorpio full moon was guaranteed to bring a fight or some form of confrontation/problem, so I would always bring in extra security. I can't remember a time where I didn't need them — never failed," the astrologer tells me.

Regardless of what you think may happen to you during the next full moon, what can it really hurt to take a little extra time to do things for yourself that make you feel calm, cool, and collected? If nothing else, think of the full moon as the perfect opportunity to check in with yourself, or to get back in touch with your self-care routine.

Kerr Wright recommends being kind to yourself and celebrating your accomplishments ahead of a full moon. Reward yourself, she says — maybe even buy something that symbolizes your achievements, and hold it as a talisman to keep you going through the next moon cycle.

"Definitely journal and consider new ideas to put in place based on the awareness you achieve during the full moon," she tells Elite Daily. "LET GO. Release is what this type of moon phase is all about. Let go of anything you need to (based on what imbalances you're experiencing) that keeps you separate from your goals in life."

Maybe that means you need to let go of a friend who isn't supportive anymore, or perhaps it's time to let go of a toxic family relationship. Whatever it is, Kerr Wright says that when the full moon is in Taurus (aka Oct. 24's full moon), it's best to "let go of fear of change."