Police officers swear that the full moon drives people to do crazy things. Emergency room workers say they always expect a surge of patients during the nights of a full moon.

People who work with animals swear they behave differently. Some people put forth that the moon’s gravitational pull has an effect on us the same way it affects the tides—and considering we’re made of 70% water, it makes you wonder.

If the full moon can have that much of an effect on us, what about the rest of the phases of the moon? How can we use the moon phases to our full advantage?

NEW MOON

The new moon is a perfect time for fresh starts. If you’ve been meaning to take on a new project or make changes, the new moon is the ideal time to start making plans.

The energy of the new moon is very optimistic and energizing; it propels us forward so we can get a jump on things that need to get done. It’s also a great time to start new relationships, so it’s a good time to plan a first date.

WAXING MOON

As the new moon begins to grow, it’s energy starts to influence our long-term transformations. If you’ve been pursuing higher education or striving to nail that project at work to secure a promotion, take advantage of the waxing moon energies and plan a late evening work session.

Creative people should also take advantage, as the waxing moon tends to bring inspiration. If you’re building something, you may find the project going smoother during waxing moon phases.

FULL MOON

Contrary to popular belief, the full moon is not bad! It doesn’t make us crazy or drive us to do horrible things. The energies of the full moon are simply powerful and abundant— they are energies that push and drive us to our full strength and determination more than any other time in the month.

If people are not ready for it, or don’t have a positive channel for that energy, it may be spent negatively, and that’s why hospitals and law enforcement agencies report so many of the bad outcomes.

To make sure you’re using full moon energy to your best advantage, plan to tackle some serious challenges during the moon that call for aggression— clean the closet you’ve been meaning to get to, or plan an extra exercise session. This is not, however, a good night to get roped into arguments or let anger go unchecked.

WANING MOON

As the moon seemingly grows smaller night by night, its energies are prime for helping us expel or release things. It’s a good time to get rid of anything that’s no longer serving us. Work on dropping unhealthy habits or negative patterns of behavior.

Have that heart to heart conversation with a loved one you’ve been meaning to have. Get out your feelings and clear the air. If a relationship isn’t going well, it may be a good time to break up. Try to purge pent-up emotions with a good cry or by writing them out on paper so that you can release them.

DARK MOON

When the moon isn’t even visible in the sky at night, it’s called a dark moon. This period of time is best utilized by resting and recharging your batteries. If you’ve been overworked, plan a day of leisure or get to bed a couple of hours early.

Spend some extra time in meditation. It’s a good time to sit quietly and contemplate worries or problems, as the energies of this moon during a quiet moment will help draw out the inner wisdom to help you deal with things.