Here’s how the eight lunar phases can affect our dreaming minds.
The changing appearance of our celestial companion the Moon is credited with influencing our life in many ways including our moods, our bodies – and our dreams.
On a Full Moon, do you notice your dreams are wilder? Perhaps on a New Moon your dreams have deeper meaning?
Given in a typical lifetime we spend on average six years of our life dreaming, it’s only natural that we want to understand the nagging messages from our slumbering minds – and dream expert Florance Saul believes the eight moon phases can shed light on this.
‘Our life is fully affected by the Moon’s ebbs and flows – and that includes our dreams,’ says Florance. ‘The meanings of our dreams change depending on where we are in the phase of the Moon. ‘I always keep a dream diary. If you plot your dreams noting the moon phase they occur on, it can give you greater insight, rather than if you’re just thinking, ‘I dreamt of teeth, I need to talk to someone’.’
While research has shown we are more likely to have bizarre dreams around a Full Moon, Florance has identified an increase around the Waxing Crescent phase. She suggests on a spiritual level, as the moon begins to grow in size, people are drawn to uncovering the meaning of their dreams.
‘In this lunar phase, moonlight starts to shine on new beginnings so our dreams are more vivid,’ she says.
Florance explains that if we think of each of the eight moon phases as a lens in which to view our dreams, this can help us to navigate challenges and realise goals in our waking life…
Phase 1 -New Moon: Truth seeking and new beginnings
‘New Moons are associated with visions, spiritual awakenings, inner truth seeking and manifesting goals,’ says Florance. ‘It’s an opportune time for reflection, setting intentions and understanding yourself better through dreams.
When we remember our dream on a New Moon there is heightened power to gain key information about ourselves that can help us make decisions.
Common dream symbols associated with New Moons include: keys/doors (unlocking opportunities), water (renewal) stars/planets (guidance from beyond) snakes (rebirth). Whatever dream appears during this phase directly relates back to a new beginning.’
Phase 2 – Waxing Crescent Moon: A deeper understanding of your dreams
Let’s say your dream features a full sun (success), flying birds (freedom), and a waterfall (cleansing emotions) – these three symbols usually represent fresh starts. Your dream could be telling you that you’re ready for making positive changes.’
Phase 3 – First Quarter Moon: Signs of commitment
‘A bicycle might represent progress towards reaching goals; although not always easy, you will get there if you keep pushing forward. A house could mean security, which indicates that while things may be uncertain right now they are likely to settle in time – so stay focused on your goals.’
Phase 4 – Waxing Gibbous Moon: Dreams of building success
For example, dreaming about an ocean might imply needing greater space in order for growth and progress. Dreaming of a car could suggest movement forward towards success and achievement. While dreaming of trees could signify feeling grounded, having reached more stable ground on your journey – or having figured out something significant that was previously unclear.’
Phase 5 – Full Moon: A time of transformation
Analysing dreams on the full moon is about understanding how the dream symbol reflects what needs to be released. For example, if you dream of being back at school as a child, this could mean that you need to release old feelings about your childhood.’
Phase 6 – Waning Gibbous Moon: Closure and re-evaluation
‘For example, dreaming about a lost dog may signify that you need to let go of an old friendship or someone’s attitude in order to move forward. Likewise, dreaming of tall trees might indicate that you have reached maturity in certain areas of your life and need to now consider what you need to leave behind you.’
Phase 7 – Third Quarter Moon: Identifying truths than can help us grow
‘This may sometimes be through forgiveness for our own actions or those taken by others around us. When analysing a dream using this moon phase, we must relate any dream symbols back to how we forgive ourselves for mistakes, troubles or how we interact with others.’
Phase 8 – Waning Crescent Moon: Unresolved emotions
‘A good example might be someone dreaming about their partner having an affair out of the blue. This could be interpreted as a fear-based projection about a wrongdoing they have been unable to forgive in their waking life. It’s important to not only identify why these types of dreams might occur at this time, but also look at our internal landscape. Dream symbols on the waning crescent phase can be interpreted through the lens of working towards forgiveness.’
