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Moon lore for birthing and courting | The Old Farmer's Almanac

The Full Moon, Childbirth, and Marriage

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The Moon has a personal relationship with us all, and folklore has it that childbirth and even marriage are influenced by the Moon.

Does the Full Moon Affect Childbirth?

  • Though nobody can be sure of when a baby will be born, some Moon lore suggests that births are more likely to occur 7 days before through 7 days after a Full Moon.
  • In fact, many cultures believe that the full Moon’s pull on a woman’s amniotic fluids increases the chances of giving birth at this time.

  • Some nurses and midwives claim the new Moon is also an active time for births.

  • According to folklore, babies born the day after the full Moon enjoy success and endurance. 

See our Moon Phase Calendar.

Does a Full Moon Affect Relationships and Marriage?

As the Moon regulates water, it’s an age-old belief that it also regulates the rise and fall of our emotional tides.

  • According to some lore, the full Moon is an ideal time to accept a proposal of marriage as love is amplified. This certainly does not mean that marriages that do not happen on Full Moon nights are not successful – although it could be less than auspicious to get married when there’s no Moon in the sky at all.
  • Further, the Full Moon is the best time to consummate marriage, according to the ancient Greeks, while the New Moon is the best time to drain out stale energy and belief systems. 
  • The New Moon phase is also the one best for breaking up.
  • According to folklore, if a young woman sees a dove and glimpses the new Moon at the same instant, she should repeat: “Bright Moon, clear Moon, Bright and fair, Lift up your right foot, There’ll be a hair.” When she removes her shoe, she’ll find a hair the color of her future husband’s.

Enjoy moonlore? Here’s more on the full Moon and good luck!

About The Author

Martha White

Martha White has been a full-time writer and editor since 1987 and has a broad background in journalism, opinion columns, syndicated features, humor articles, book reviews, essays, and fiction. Read More from Martha White