I think that with the advent of electric light, we have stopped looking at the sky. Our ancestors were oriented or enlightened by the light of the stars or the moon. At this moment, who among us could say in which phase the moon is today. It is no secret to anyone that the moon exerts a very powerful influence on the earth. From sea level, the work of fishermen, to the orientation of birds and the behavior of people are affected by the different cycles of the moon. Apparently, each phase of the moon has its special energies that we must know in order to take advantage of.

One of the best-known myths about how the moon affects man's behavior is precisely the story of werewolf. According to popular beliefs, this werewolf is a person who becomes a wolf due to a curse and only when there is a full moon. This transformation occurs at night and man not only acquires the appearance of a wolf but also the ferocity and savagery of the animal; so it can be very dangerous, even for his loved ones, as he loses human consciousness.

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In Venezuela there are different beliefs about the moon. There are those who attribute to the full moon, specifically, regenerating and vivifying faculties. Others, on the other hand, believe that the lunar light is harmful and disturbing. The indigenous people of our country have given it beneficial powers and have woven legends and myths around it. Like the beautiful and magical Warao myth that talks about the owner of the light and how the moon rose to the sky; or likewise the Pemón myth that reminds us that women and land are fertile according to the type of lunar energy. But there are also legends that speak of spiritual transmutation just with the arrival of the full moon, which allows some men to become snakes, pumas or panthers.

So much influence that the moon can cause in man, that in our country are called "lunatics" to those people who can change their behavior from one moment to another. According to the definition provided by the Royal Academy of Language, a lunatic is one who "suffers from madness, not continuously, but at intervals". That is to say, we believe, although this has not been approved by science, that the lunar light can be the cause of some extreme and perverse behaviors in the human being. Likewise, in some there is a belief that the moon has a direct influence upon our bodily fluids, such as sweat and blood. For example, it is believed that a woman's menstruation may be affected, as well as her sexual desire.

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Just as the moon affects body fluids, it also affects nature's fluids as well. We know that the tide remains low during the waning and growing phase; but not when the moon is in a new or full phase, which is when the great tides, also known as "living tides," originate. That is why I have heard some fishermen say that it is better to fish when there is a new moon, since the fish are more active and tend to be looking for food; not so with the full moon, because it is believed that with this moon the fish see the bait clearer and are difficult to catch.

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In that same order, the moon also affects the growth of plants in nature and hair in man. If we want trees to develop more foliage we will have to prune them in new moon. If we want to reduce the development of the foliage to favor the fructification, we must prune during the full moon or the fourth waning moon. Something similar happens with hair. If you want your hair to grow faster and stronger, you must cut it with the moon in the quarter or full moon. It is not recommended, for example, that you cut your hair on a new or waning moon if you don't want it to grow fast.

As I make this post, I remember three things: first, I remember a friend of mine who had a red spot on his face that was supposed to be because his mother, when she was pregnant, had seen a blood moon. According to popular beliefs a pregnant woman cannot see this moon, since it is said that energy is very strong and harmful to the human being.

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Other things I remembered was a Spanish film I saw many years ago called Plenilunio, based on a book with the same name and which deals with an inspector who must investigate a series of murders of young people and girls and the only clue he has is that the killer only acts when there is a full moon. Also, I remembered a beautiful Venezuelan song, written by the great Venezuelan composer Simón Díaz and that has been versioned by many foreign artists, titled Tonada de la luna llena. With this musical piece I would like to close this text.