Moon Magic

Since the beginning of time man has looked to the Moon for guidance and has sought to harness Her power. Moon Mysteries are as old as mankind itself. The Sun has always been constant, taking a full year to traverse its path across the sky, bringing its heat to warm the land and lengthen the days, to ripen crops and to herald the change of the seasons. Man could measure their year by the journey of the Sun. The Moon, however, was different, constantly changing through the lunar month, growing into fullness and diminishing into dark in a short matter of time. Because of this the Moon was ideal to use as a measure of small portions of time. It may have been ancient woman who made the connections with their own bodies ebb and flow, noting how their menstrual cycle coincided with the 28 day cycle of the Moon that invented the first calendars, thus enabling groups to plan clan gatherings and religious ceremonies.

Many of today's neo-pagans believe that it was at this time that the Moon was associated with the female and the Moon as Goddess was born. However it is important to note that there were many ancient cultures amongst which are the Mesopotamians, Aztecs, Egyptians and some early Germanic tribes to name but a few, who had many male lunar deities and attributed the Solar energies to the female. Many Pagans today believe that an ancient Mother Goddess culture was active during prehistoric times, but historical evidence has, as yet, not uncovered any substantial proof of this and the first real solid evidence of female lunar deities emerged with the familiar classical cultures of Rome and Greece .

However, the female connections to the Moon cannot be denied and for centuries women were probably the calendar keepers, healers and priestesses and advisors of their people, because of their ability to communicate with the powers of the Moon Goddess whose very tides they could feel within their own bodies. Men, too, learnt how to read the passage of the Moon and to harness it to their advantage. Through learning the phases of the Moon they knew the best times to hunt, plant and harvest.

Everybody knew and understood that all human life was affected by the Moon, and indeed, modern science has proved this. Police see a sharp rise in crime at the Full Moon and interestingly also at the New, although this is not as severe. Mental patients are also affected at these phases and it appears that almost twice as many earthquakes happen at the New and Full Moon. If the Moon can affect the tides, earthquakes and even the weather, then mankind, who is made up largely of water is also affected. This power was readily accepted and used by ancient cultures, until many of the modern religions took over and banned or ridiculed these practices, superimposing their beliefs over those of our ancestors. However the very fact of the Moons powers prevailed in many other cultures around the world, bound in a collective truth, and that knowledge of how to harness the Moons energy has begun to flourish once more. Pagans, Witches, Magicians etc, today, still use and develop this unique energy in their rituals, great and small and have a new understanding of how to harness its power.

There are 13 lunar months in a year and as Witches we "Moon Watch" so as to learn each phase of the Moon and how it "feels" and also how to use its different phases to enhance our daily and magical lives. Each phase of the Moon is used for different magical workings. As a general rule, when the Moon is waxing the growing energy is used to bring in what is needed and when the Moon is waning then the diminishing energy is used to banish what you wish to be free of. We also use the phases in between. For instance, the New Moon is a time for starting new projects and plans, beginnings, and for making personal changes. It is a time for self examination and for spirituality, a time of introversion. The Full Moon, some would say the most powerful phase, is a time for extroversion, high energy tasks, working with people, a time of fulfilment. It is good to look at the phase of the Moon before making any major decisions and understand the effect the Moon has on you before making them, sometimes it may be a fortuitous Moon sometimes not!

These are some ways each phase can be harnessed magically:

Waxing Moon: Money, Creativity, Pregnancy, Learning, Infertility, Friendship, Love, New Relationships, Healing, Menarche.

Full Moon: Childbirth, Fertility, Scrying, Psychic ability, Clairvoyance, Wishes, Love, Pregnancy.

Waning Moon: Removing negativity, Letting go, Ending Relationships, Cleansing, Healing, Menopause.

Some things here may overlap, for instance healing may be performed at both the Waxing and Waning phase of the Moon. Healing performed at the Waxing is harnessing the Moon growing power therefore when you work to heal someone you bring in wellness, and if you work at the Waning you are working to banish disease - always a Witch works with the Moons energy to aid her work and not against it.

Modern Pagans/Witches still see the Moon as a Goddess archetype and within Her phases we see much symbolism. The three phases of the Moon are seen as the three phases of womanhood or of the Goddess herself, that of the Maiden, Mother and the Crone, Witchcrafts' Holy Trinity. One of the most popular Moon Goddesses for the Witch is Hecate.

She is considered to be an ancient Goddess, older than the Olympian Gods themselves and venerated by Zeus. Her power was said to be able to grant or withhold from mortals that which their hearts most desired. She is triple Goddess within herself and has many aspects. Her threefold power is in heaven, upon the Earth and in the Underworld and another of her trinities is that of Goddess of fertility, goddess of the Moon and Queen of the night and spirits. She also mirrors the three phases of the Moon, but she is more closely associated with the Dark of the Moon, the phase directly after the waning Moon, when the Moons face is no longer visible to the Earth. (This is a controversial Moon phase for some Pagans and as such some do not work at this phase. Personally I find it a wonderful time to work! ) In ancient times Hecate's statue stood at crossroads, or ways where three roads met. This statue was three headed, demonstrating her ability to look three ways at once, again illustrating her powerful connection with trinities and the Moon phases.

People wishing to invoke Hecate would gather at crossroads by night and later Witches were reputed to gather at crossroads to perform their sacred rites. In times past, as the new religions become prevalent, Hecate was seen as a frightful Goddess, with a necklace of testicles around her neck, snake haired like Medusa, enemy of the daylight and demanding blood sacrifice. Hounds are still said to follow her and dogs barking at the Moon are still supposed to suggest that the Dark Goddess is near. But with the renewed interest in magic and the power of the Moon, modern Pagans/Witches accept her as an aspect of the Moon Goddess and the Lunar Trinity. She rules over the waning and the dark Moon, a period of about 2 weeks, but particularly the 3 days over the Dark Moon itself.

Dark Moon Magic: Banishing, Releasing, Planning, Introspection, Scrying, The Psyche, Women's Mysteries, Underworld, Deep Meditation, Cursing and Hexing (caution!), Sterility, Justice.

It is traditional for witches to meet up at the Full Moon to get together and work their Magic Rites. We call these Full Moon meetings Esbats. These nights are when the magical practitioner can work with the Gods and ask their assistance and often the Goddess of the Moon is invoked. This is called Drawing Down the Moon and is a sacred and holy Rite to all Witches and is achieved with a ritual performed by a Priest drawing down and directing the Moons energy into a Priestess and then the Priestess is acknowledged as a part of the Goddess herself. Each Esbat is often accompanied by a reading of "The Charge of The Goddess". The most popular reading of The Charge is this one by Doreen Valiente whom many Witches call the Mother of Modern Witchcraft:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called amongst men Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride and by many other names.

At my altars, the youth of most distant ages gave love, and made due sacrifice. Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall you gather in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me, who am Queen of all Witches.

There shall you assemble ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be really free you shall be naked in your rites. And you shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love all in my praise; for mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on Earth, for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside, for mine is the secret door which opens upon the door of youth. And mine is the cup of the wine of life and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.

I am the gracious Goddess who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man, upon Earth I give knowledge of the Spirit eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those who have gone before; nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess. She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircles the universe. I who am beauty of the green Earth and the white Moon amongst the stars. And the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise and come unto me, for I am the souls of Nature who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return. And before my face, beloved of Gods and men, thine inmost divine self shall be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.

So, the Moon plays an important role for the Witch/Pagan. Within the Moon we have our Goddess and our feminine archetype and our connection to it courses through our bodies. The phases of the Moon direct our magical workings and we harness Her energy to aid our Spellcraft. We have learnt, as Witches, how to connect with the Moon in ways that enhance our magical lives. As Witch/Pagan or ordinary folk, the Moon still has a great influence on us all, affecting us as she travels across the sky whether we choose to recognise this fact or not. It affects our planet in a myriad of ways and its energy and pull influences us too. It is always a good idea to acknowledge Her even if it is just to note Her phase and your mood and see how the Moon affects you as an individual. After a while you will begin too see which phases affect you negatively and which positively and then you can harness this knowledge to have a greater personal understanding and use it to make decisions etc. If this is not for you, then just to gaze upon Her and acknowledge Her beauty when she is full and shining upon the Earth is satisfying enough.