Full Moons can be emotional experiences we all have to deal with every month.
They’re strongest right around when they occur (the day before, of, and after). However, the impact of Full Moons can last for about two weeks before and after (starting after the previous New Moon and lasting until the next New Moon), and this period can bring on what has, in more recent times, come to be called the full moon hangover.
We have a Full Moon in Virgo on March 7th, 2023. You might be feeling that emotional energy pouring in and growing. As it grows, the effects of the Full Moon hangover start to kick in too.
We’ll usually feel the Full Moon hangover starting a few days before and for a week after the Full Moon. Depending on what the Full Moon is doing for you personally and what other astrology you have going on, this may last longer, but in general, it’s about a week and a half long.
What Are Full Moons?
A Full Moon occurs when the transit, or moving, the Sun and Moon exactly oppose one another in the zodiac.
Full Moons are a time to reap what you’ve sown, and you can make progress with what you’ve worked hard with and been smart about and may see setbacks with what you’re not invested in or need to change.
With the Sun and Moon at opposition, this puts our ego needs and desires (the Sun) at odds with our emotional needs (the Moon). Hence this is a highly emotional astrological event.
Emotions run strong and drive us, inspire us, and motivate us, but also cloud our judgment and skew logic.
Full Moons occur roughly every four weeks, and we experience 12-13 of them every year. The most emotional Full Moons are the ones in the Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
The Water signs are the emotional signs, so a Full Moon in a Water sign kicks that up to 11/10!
What Are the Full Moon Hangover Symptoms?
1. Feeling Exhausted
Probably the most common Full Moon hangover symptom is exhaustion. With the strong emotional energy messing with us, this drains us not only emotionally but mentally, physically, and spiritually as well, making us extra tired.
We likely need to make extra time for rest over the next two weeks.
The trouble is we usually have a harder time sleeping with Full Moons. We’re just tossing and turning all night long, and every problem we think we have rolls through our minds on repeat.
2. Experiencing Negative Emotions
Another Full Moon hangover symptom is being more negative and subjective. We can get stuck in our emotions, and this prevents us from seeing the big picture. It’s all just bad, and we want to throw a toddler-sized hissy fit!
Speaking of which, that’s another Full Moon hangover symptom: emotional outbursts. This tends to be more of a problem with the things that have already been festering and getting to us anyway (as opposed to something brand new popping up).
If anything has been shoved away, it can come bursting out with this Full Moon. We can get emotional and get so stuck in it that we don’t see anything outside of our own perspective.
We definitely need to take a step back and not give in to the desire to blow.
How to Manage a Full Moon Hangover
First, as mentioned, rest is incredibly important, so make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. Even if you’re not actually sleeping, just lay down, shut your eyes, and shut off your brain for a few minutes whenever you can squeeze it in (responsibly, of course).
Comfort and familiarity can go a long way, so you may want to stick to the people who support you best and the places that feel most comfortable. Stepping outside of your comfort zone might just add to your emotions.
If you’re unsure of the best ways to comfort yourself, look to your natal Moon, which shows what you need for emotional stability.
Check out the Ultimate Guide to Your Moon Sign to learn more about yours.
If you’re really overwhelmed by emotions, you likely need to dig deeper inside of yourself to find the root cause because it’s probably not whatever external stuff is triggering you. Get at your core and face the real problem.
Initially, facing the real problem might increase your emotional energy even more, but once you get through that initial stage, you can work through and gain understanding and finally put some of this behind you. Bigger problems may take some time, a lot longer than the few weeks you have now, but you can build on your progress throughout the next year.
Abundant emotions with your Full Moon hangover may also show you should think about doing a cleansing ritual with the Full Moon. Since Full Moons are times to release, they are excellent for clearing energetically.
Manage Full Moon hangover effects by:
- Getting lots of rest
- Sticking to your comfort zone
- Getting to the root cause of what’s making you emotional
- Doing a cleansing ritual to clear your energy
- Working on the foundation of your goals
- Thinking about how to expand your goals at the next New Moon
- Understanding what you’re feeling and why
- Connecting to your subconscious
Good Luck With Your Full Moon Hangover!
Make some notes of what you need to do during this full moon hangover period, and try not to be hard on yourself if things are wonkier than you’d like. Do as much as you’re capable of.
Related article: The Ultimate Guide to Full Moons