On June 22, at the time of the solstice, we entered into the sign of Cancer, a sign associated with water, the nocturnal, fertility, and intuition, ruled by the Moon and guided by emotion and the heart. The Moon is reflective of the entire life cycle from birth to death to rebirth, like the Moon itself waning and waxing toward fullness. Within Acutonics we work with two cycles of the Moon (explored extensively in Acutonics Level I and Level II) the New Moon and the Full Moon. Although many of the healing themes, and correspondences of the two Moons are similar in nature the quality of the interval and our archetypal understanding of the New Moon 5th and the Full Moon 6th is what guides the specific therapeutic uses of the moons.
Moon Myths and Archetypes
The origins of myths associated with the moon are as old as the Moon and the stars, and found in the myths of legends of virtually every culture around the globe including early myths from India, Asia, Egypt and Ethiopia that celebrate the goddess of the constellation of the Great Bear. To the Greeks the Moon was known as Artemis, Selene, Semele and Phoebe and to the Romans she was Diana, Selene and Luna. As a young child Artemis was fearless. She is depicted sitting on her father’s knee, asking him to fulfill simple requests. She asks for perpetual virginity, young female companions to serve her, and a short hunting dress so that she can move freely in her hunt of wild animals. She doesn’t ask Zeus for her bow and arrow but goes on her own to request it from the Cyclopes. As a fierce hunter, somewhat androgynous in nature, she also comes to be identified with the Amazons.
The Roman goddess Diana was originally associated with woods and forests, considered a protector of virginity, and worshipped as a goddess of the Moon. She is depicted with a bow and arrow, often accompanied by a wild beast. She is also identified with the crescent and the torch. Her name is derived from diviana, which means shining one.
The Moon guides our instincts and intuition, allowing us to be open to the twists of fate and fortune, and to journey deep into our unconscious depths, not afraid to dream and create new cycles that honor collaboration, nurturance, and community. The Moon lends support in our journey as we embody the best characteristics of the ancient healers, the purity of the stream, the sacredness of the healing experience, and the critical importance of being connected to the cycles of life and the natural world.
New Moon
The metallic blue New Moon is approximately a G Sharp, when combined with Ohm the New Moon 5th is created. This interval is compared to the crescent moon either waxing or waning, it functions as a gateway, an invitation to release from a particular paradigm and move forward with hope and possibility. It has a quality of opening, releasing, moving things away.
Full Moon
The white Full Moon is approximately an A sharp, when combined with Ohm the Full Moon 6th is created. This interval is compared to the cycle from one full moon to another. Evolving from the seed of the new Moon to the blossoming feminine beauty of the full Moon, this is the lunar archetype of Mother, the tidal tug that pulls us toward home, our common point of origin. This interval is very effective for building yin energy, the moistening, consolidating, and cooling energy of the body. It helps to reveal buried emotions, brings things to fruition, and potentiates the expression of physiological processes.
Healing Themes, Archetypal Key Words: Subconscious motivation, the unconscious, emotional and habitual reactions to life, the mother, nurturing, receptivity, adaptability, emotions, feminine aspect of our nature, memory, intuition, assimilation of ideas and thoughts.
Anatomical Correspondences: Fluids, menstrual cycle and other physiological cycles, breasts, uterus, lymphatic system, hypothalamus, autonomic nervous system, pituitary gland, stomach, digestive system.
Specific Disharmonies: Fluid imbalances, disconnection from memory and instinct, emotional imbalances, issues with assimilation including digestive problems and difficulty assimilating thoughts, ideas, emotions, feelings of oppression, lack of fulfillment.
Physiological Actions of the New Moon
The New Moon 5th is often used as an opening to gain access to the energy of organs, points and meridians of the body. The quality of the New Moon opens, releases, dispels and promotes new insights. It helps release trapped emotions, and because of the moon’s relationship to fluids it can also help release blocked or stagnant fluids.
Extraordinary Vessels: The extraordinary vessels provide unparalleled access to source, our connection with Wu Qi, the source of undifferentiated oneness. As a portal of access to the extraordinary vessels, the New Moon 5th Interval serves as a great starting point, an invitation to shift the energetic pattern that you are hoping to address in the vessel selection and treatment plan. Remember to open with the New Moon fork and balance with the Ohm fork.
Joints and Range of Motion: The New Moon 5th can be used to address stagnation in the body, such as poor range of motion in a joint. To treat the knee joint apply the New Moon 5th to points surrounding the knee, follow with Ohm/Saturn 2nd to support the integrity of the joint, and Ohm/Jupiter 4th for its expansive quality.
Relax the Spine: Apply the New Moon 5th to UB 10, Celestial Pillar and UB 60, Kun Lun Mountains to relax the entire spine. This is useful prior to massage or other bodywork to increase the efficacy of the treatment and release spinal tension.
Craniosacral Still Point: Apply the New Moon 5th to the back, placing the New Moon on DU 16, Wind Mansion and the Ohm on DU 2, Low Back Shu, to promote deep relaxation and the smooth flow of Kundalini energy.
Asthma and Lung Congestion: Apply New Moon 5th to LU 1, Central Treasury, REN 17, Chest Center, and LU 9, Great Abyss (source point of the lungs) to open and support the energy of the lungs. Follow with the Ohm/Mercury Microtone since Mercury corresponds to the lungs.
Emotional and Psycho-spiritual Opening: Sweep the New Moon 5th tuning forks over Window to the Sky Points to invite new insights, connect action with divine mission and promote unity with our true selves. The New Moon 5th can also be applied on or over REN 22, Celestial Chimney to clear suppressed anger and help connect with the deep truths that must be spoken.
Release Stifled Emotions: Apply the New Moon 5th to LU 3, Heavenly Residence to release unexpressed grief. Following with Full Moon 6th to allow the expression of grief to move toward well-being.
Blocked Chakras: Any blocked chakra can be opened by applying the New Moon 5th directly on or over the chakra. For example, to open the 4th, or heart chakra, place the New Moon 5th on or over REN 17, Chest Center. This helps open the heart to unconditional love and is useful when people have shut down to protect themselves from hurt or betrayal.
Fluids: Since the Moon has a correspondence to fluids, the New Moon helps to release and allow circulation of fluids. Apply New Moon 5th to SP 9, Yin Mound Spring and/or SP 6, Three Yin Intersection to promote fluid circulation, treat edema and water retention; can also be applied directly on and over the area(s) of edema.
Post-Traumatic Swelling: After an injury use the New Moon 5th middle or high-frequency intervals over the area of the injury and swelling to open and gently release the stagnant fluids. Follow with Zodiac 3rd for pain.
Cycles: The archetypal nature of the Moon relates to all types of physical cycles and can be used to facilitate the cyclic flows in the body. For delayed menstruation, apply New Moon 5th to SP 6, Three Yin Intersection and SP 8, Earth’s Crux. The New Moon 5th can also be used to induce craniosacral still point to regulate cyclic flow of cerebrospinal fluid.
Full Moon
Physiological Actions of the Full Moon
Moistening, tonifying yin energy, consolidating, building, bringing to fruition
The full moon is the brightest night of the Moon’s cycle. This is the time when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, a time of great polarity. It is illuminating, shining light on our instincts and our deeper essence. The tides of the oceans and our inner tides are affected profoundly by this opposition. In Chinese medicine, this may be referred to as the yang of the yin, the fullest expression of yin energy. The full moon not only brings things to completion, it also nurtures them.
Perimenopause and Menopause: For symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, agitation, and dryness (dry eyes, dry skin, dry mucous membranes), apply the Full Moon 6th in a progression on the Ren Mai Extraordinary Vessel. Open with the Full Moon on LU 7, Broken Sequence and balance with the Ohm fork on KID 6, Shining Sea. Consider an application of all three octaves of Full Moon 6th (Low, Middle, and High) on REN 4, Origin Pass, KID 3, Great Ravine, and UB 23, Kidney Shu to help relieve menopausal symptoms. This strategy can also be used in other yin deficiency treatment strategies.
Dry Lungs and Dry Cough: For treatment of dry cough following a cold or for lung dryness related to smoking or emphysema, apply Full Moon 6th to LU 1, Central Treasury and LU 9, Great Abyss—the source point of the lungs. Follow with Ohm/Mercury Microtone as Mercury corresponds to the respiratory system and helps to consolidate the use of the Full Moon 6th on the lungs.
Dry Constipation: To relieve dry constipation, use Full Moon 6th on ST 25, Celestial Pivot and ST 36, Leg Three Li to moisten the intestines and facilitate assimilation. Follow with Ohm/Pluto Microtone as it directs energy deep into the intestines and promotes elimination.
Anchoring Yang Energy: When the yin energy of the body is weak, it is less able to ground and anchor the yang energy. This can produce a sensation of energy floating upward or disconnection of the upper and lower parts of the body. It can also result in feelings of vulnerability or oversensitivity. This imbalance can occur for a number of reasons, including chemotherapy treatment, pharmaceutical treatment (such as high doses of steroids), or long-term chronic illness. To tonify yin and help consolidate yang, the middle and low-frequency Full Moon 6th Intervals can be applied to REN 4, Origins Pass, KID 3, Great Ravine, KID 6, Shining Sea, UB 23, Kidney Shu, and SP 6, Three Yin Intersection. High-frequency Full Moon 6th can be used in the subtle fields over the body and in an oval (or cosmic egg) configuration around the body, to cocoon it.
Emotions: The Full Moon 6th helps bring things to fullness such as suppressed or diminished emotions that are preventing a person from being able to move forward in their life. This is an excellent opportunity to work with a progression of the New Moon 5th followed by Full Moon 6th. If a person is stuck in an old emotional pattern of anger or grief use the Yang Wei Mai Vessel, place the New Moon fork on SJ 5, Outer Gate and balance with Ohm on GB 41, Near to Tears. To bring the pattern to full expression so that the person can move forward follow with Full Moon on SJ 5 and Ohm on GB 41.
Creativity: To enhance the creative process apply the Full Moon 6th to the fifth chakra (REN 22, Celestial Chimney) follow with Ohm/Venus 6th to utilize Venus’s correspondence with creative, artistic expression. To address creative blocks use these two intervals on the Chong Mai Extraordinary Vessel, open on SP 4, Grandparent’s Grandchild and balance on P 6, Inner Gate. The Full Moon Fork and Venus Fork are placed on the opening point SP 4 and the Ohm is placed on the balance point P 6, Inner Gate.
Labor and Delivery: To bring a full-term pregnancy to fruition and assist in ease of delivery, the Full Moon 6th Interval can be used on the Chong Mai Extraordinary Vessel SP 4, Grandparent’s Grandchild and P 6, Inner Gate and the Ren Mai Extraordinary Vessel LU 7, Broken Sequence and KID 6, Shining Sea. The Full Moon tuning fork is placed on SP 4 and the Ohm on P 6, followed by the Full Moon fork on LU 7 and the Ohm on KID 6. These two extraordinary vessels have strong functions to influence the uterus and the birth process.
You will learn more about working with the New Moon and Full Moon Tuning Forks in Acutonics Level I: Sound Gates to Meridian Harmonics and Acutonics Level II: Higher Harmonics and the Inner Nature of Tone. Also refer to the books Acutonics from Galaxies to Cells: Planetary Science Harmony and Medicine and Acutonics There’s No Place Like Ohm, Sound Healing, East Asian Medicine and the Cosmic Mysteries.