Sadhguru looks at the influence of the moon on the human system, and the role it can play on the spiritual path.

Sadhguru: We have come to modern times where day or night, light is glaring in our eyes. Even if there is a full moon, I think most people who live in urban areas today don’t even notice it. How can you miss a full moon? Isn’t it big enough and bright enough?

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To do anything with yourself, it would be useful to be aware of where the moon is because it creates different types of qualities and energies in the system.

Different positions of the moon have different kinds of impacts on human physiology and mental make-up. In India, every day is counted, and how the different positions of the moon can be made use of for human wellbeing is a very established part of the culture. The different positions are used for different purposes. A whole lot of things happen between the full moon to the new moon and back again to the full moon. To do anything with yourself, it would be useful to be aware of where the moon is because it creates different types of qualities and energies in the system. If one is aware, one could make use of it.

Every phase of the moon, you can either look up in the sky and notice it, or if you bring a certain level of awareness and perception to your system, you will see the body behaves slightly differently for every phase. It is very much there both in the male and the female body, but it is more manifest in the female body. The timing with which the moon goes around the planet and the cycles that human beings themselves go through within themselves, and the very process of human birth – the process of creating this body – are very deeply connected.

From Logic to Magic

Because the moon has a large influence on our daily life, in the eastern cultures – particularly in India – we drew two kinds of calendars. For mundane affairs, we have a solar calendar. For all the other subjective aspects of our life – which is not information or a technique, but a live thing – we have a lunar calendar. Generally, the influence of the moon is considered illogical. In the West, anything illogical got labeled as madness or insanity. In the English language, the moon is referred to as “lunar.” If you take a step further, you come to lunatic. But in Indian culture, we always saw the limitations of logic. Logic is very useful to conduct the material aspect of your life. If you want to do business or build a house, you have to be logical. But there is a dimension beyond logic, without which the subjective dimensions can never be accessed. As one shifts from the calculations of the logical mind to intuitive ways of looking at life, the moon becomes more important.

The word “luna” essentially means “moon”, but it also means that you have moved away from logic. If you have moved away from logic, if your system is not well established, you will move towards insanity. But if you are well established, you will move into intuitive perception. The moon is a reflection. You can see the moon because it reflects the sun’s light. A human being or human perception is also reflection. If you see anything other than the reflection, that means you are not seeing the truth. Any perception is actually a reflection. And as reflection is the nature of the moon, the deeper perceptions of life have always been symbolized with the moon. So moonlight and mysticism have been very heavily connected everywhere in the world. To symbolize this connection, Shiva, the Adiyogi wore a piece of the moon on his head as his ornament.

The Way Creation Is

The yogic sciences and yogic path were also structured like this. The initial few steps are 100% logical. The lower rungs of yoga are very logical and sun oriented. There is no room for anything else. But as you climb higher, it moves away from logic and goes into areas which are totally illogical. Logic has to be thrown away because that is the way life and creation is structured. So the moon becomes very important. When we start we are on the sun. When the sun is on, everything is distinct and clear cut. When the moon is on, everything gets mixed up. You do not know what is what.

This is the only way any science can happen. If you look at modern science which is still in its infancy actually, the same thing is happening. They were 100% logical to start with. After they took a few steps, now they are slowly becoming illogical. The physicists are almost talking like mystics. They are beginning to talk the same language because this is the only way it can go, because that is the way creation is. If you explore the creation, that is how it will be.

Editor's Note:  Stay in touch with important days in the year and the lunar month with Isha's Calendar, available as rss feed, ical, html (view in your browser), or embed the calendar on your site.