What Do People Do and Avoid on a Full Moon? A Simple Guide

There is nothing you must do or must avoid on a full moon; what is said on the subject is belief and habit. Many people use the full moon night as an occasion to write, to list what they want to let go of, to spend time outdoors and to stay quiet for a while. Which of these you take up is for you to decide.

What is a full moon and when does it happen?

A full moon is the phase in which the Moon, seen from Earth, appears as a complete circle. It happens about once a month and the day changes every month. You can find that month’s date in a calendar or a sky app.

What do people do on a full moon?

The habits kept for a full moon night are mostly simple things. None of them needs special materials.

• Writing: opening a notebook and writing down what happened that month and what stayed with you.
• A letting go list: setting down on paper the habits, thoughts or tasks you no longer want to carry.
• Time outdoors: stepping out to the balcony or garden, or going for a walk, and looking at the Moon.
• Quiet: switching off the phone and screens for a while and sitting without talking.
• A gratitude list: noting a few things from that month you are glad happened.
• Tidying up: finishing a small task left half done, or sorting out a drawer.

No promise can be made that these bring a result. For most people the full moon is simply an easy date to remember for pausing and taking a look once a month.

How do you write a letting go list on a full moon?

• Choose a calm place and take paper and a pen.
• Write the date at the top of the page.
• Form sentences that begin with “What I no longer want to carry is”; keep them short and concrete.
• Next to each item, if you wish, add what you would like to put in its place.
• Read the list once, aloud or silently.
• You can keep the paper, tear it up or open it again at the next full moon.

The list does not need to be long. Three items are easier to remember than thirty.

What are people told not to do on a full moon?

Many sayings go around that begin with “on a full moon you should not”. Ones that are often heard are these:

• The saying that you should not cut your hair.
• The saying that you should not take an important decision or sign anything.
• The saying that you should not start a new job or project.
• The saying that you should not get into arguments and should put off difficult conversations.
• The saying that you should not make large purchases.

These are beliefs and customs. This post neither confirms nor refutes them; it passes them on only as sayings that people repeat.

Where do these beliefs come from?

It is hard to point to a single source. Folk beliefs passed on by word of mouth, old farming and calendar habits that followed the phases of the Moon and, today, astrology publications and social media posts are among the places where these sayings circulate.

The same saying may be told one way in one region and the opposite way in another. That in turn shows they are custom and not rule.

So how should you decide?

The decision is yours. You can keep a habit that is meaningful to you and drop one that is not. For matters such as a haircut, signing a contract or starting a job, it is enough to look at your own circumstances and calendar.

This post contains no reading of the future and no religious assessment about the full moon. If you are going through a period that weighs on you, talking to a professional matters more than a list; these habits do not replace a doctor or a psychologist.

What happens in Merve Tüfekçi’s full moon workshop?

Merve Tüfekçi holds new moon and full moon meditation workshops at Şifa Köyü in Şile. The rhythm followed in the workshops is this: an intention is set at the new moon, and at the full moon you look at what you want to let go of. This is not a rule; it is the workshop’s own flow.

The gathering takes place in nature. There is breathing and a guided meditation; there is work with the soil, with seeds and with the living creatures of the farm, and the day closes by touching the soil. As the meditation is guided, you do not need to know anything beforehand. The experience differs from person to person.

You can also join the workshop online; it can be held in Turkish or in English. As the day of the full moon changes every month, you can ask us for that month’s date and our team will get back to you.

In short, there is no list of duties or prohibitions for a full moon night. A notebook, a little quiet and a few minutes to look at the sky are enough of a start for anyone who wishes.

This post is for general information only; it is not medical or legal advice.

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