I see the moon, and the moon sees me

The moon has long been a source of fascinations and facts... of magic, mystery, and research. It is most interesting when lore and science collide, and even agree.



It was well-storied that the full moon was the catalyst that turned men into werewolves, and current hospital records and police blotters show that on full moon nights, the number of violent occurrences indeed does rise. From "luna" (moon), comes the word "lunacy".



The moon's pull on the tides was also found to have an effect on the water in human bodies, and especially women's bodies. When unencumbered by chemical influences such as birth control pills, most women's bodies will follow the moon's lead, aligning the reproductive cycle with the waxing and waning of that beautiful, luminous orb.



A few months ago, when we were making reservations and planning our upcoming vacation to Mystic, Connecticut, I realized with some annoyance that my own cycle was most likely going to fall right smack dab in the middle of it.

Aside from the obvious romantic obstacle that represents (I had such plans for that king sized bed, dammit!), it also throws a complete monkey wrench into our planned days of visiting aquariums and historic sites - having to run looking for a bathroom every two hours, carrying around a bunch of "supplies".... seriously?

I called my physician's office, hoping to be prescribed something temporary that might put things off a week, and was told that if that was my plan, I should have called three months earlier. Basically, they said they could prescribe pills but there was no guarantee at all that they would work. I said thank you, no... and set about drinking comfrey tea, which, according to Culpeper's Complete Herbal, "stays the courses".



Then, just before the full moon on the 11th of this month, I stopped drinking the comfrey tea. Happily, the full moon was my obliging ally. This is the first time in ages that I am actually thrilled to be walking around with cramps in my lower belly and seeking out the ladies' convenience every two hours. I am happy to be miserable this week, because it means that our vacation will be ever so much more enjoyable two weeks from now!

Thank you, Mystic moon!