Through the centuries there have been many superstitions woven around the moon and heavenly bodies. The word lunatic actually comes from the Latin word for the moon luna as ancient people believed that people were more likely to show signs of madness during the time of the full moon.

The phases of the moon are held in high respect in superstitions and magic. When the moon is full was always felt to be a good time to cure many illnesses. A child born when the moon is waning is a sign of bad luck while it is still believed among the farming community that the most successful seeds are likely to be those sown during a waxing moon.

And of course there couldn’t be superstitions without romance under this most romantic heavenly body. For instance, should a girl want to know when she might get wed, she would hold a silk handkerchief up in front of the full moon. The number of moons showing through was thought to represent the number of months she must wait before walking up the aisle.

In ancient times, an eclipse filled people with trepidation and they truly imagined this was an omen of bad things to come; some even believed it was a sign that the world was about to end.

During the time of a lunar eclipse superstitions warn that a pregnant woman should not touch her belly otherwise the baby would be born with a conspicuous birth mark.

Long ago, ancient man believed the stars to be the dwelling places of Gods. It was believed that to point a figure at a star would insult the Gods and the finger would get fixed forever in that position.

A wish would be granted if on noticing the first star of the evening, a person said the following simple and now popular verse: Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight.

Many ancient superstitions centred on shooting stars. In England they were seen as omens of a coming birth while in the Middle East it was believed that shooting stars were missiles being hurled by the Gods to discourage man from trying to invade the heavens!

Thunder, believed in ancient times to be caused by Heavenly intervention features heavily in many superstitions. A British superstition for instance tells that if it thunders on the first Sunday in a New Year a member of the royal family will die. Thunder occurring during the last two months of the year is indicative of a VIP in the local community likely to die. Thunder after a funeral was felt to signify that the person’s soul had reached heaven.

It was also believed, long ago, that even if lightening struck your home, you would come to no harm if you moved your bed into the middle of the room, climbed into it and pulled the sheets over your head!

Finally, on the next new moon, look up into the skies, face the moon and make a wish. According to superstition it will come true by the end of the year.