Wicca Moon Magic The Complete Guide To Learn About The Mysterious Power of The Moon and Harness The Energy and The Lunar Cycle To Create A Fantastic - Nodrm [PDF]

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Wicca Moon Magic The Complete Guide to Learn About the Mysterious Power of the Moon and Harness the Energy and the Lunar Cycle to Create a Fantastic and Rich Life Author: Crystal Moon

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Tables of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1: The Importance of The Moon Chapter 2: The Wiccan Moon Chapter 3: Rhythms of the Moon Chapter 4: Transform your Life with the Phases of The Moon Chapter 5: Moon Spells Conclusion

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing and downloading this book! Wicca Moon Magic: The Complete Guide to Learn About the Mysterious Power of the Moon and Harness the Energy and the Lunar Cycle to Create a Fantastic and Rich Life is designed to be a good starting point for people who are new to magic practices or to Wicca in general. Wicca is a relatively new pagan religious movement that was initially developed during the early- to mid- 20th century and introduced to the public in the mid-20th century. Wicca draws from a large number of different pagan themes and practices, especially with regards to its theology and structure as a religion. However, Wicca has changed and evolved over time in order to take a large number of different forms and shapes. Because of the ways that Wicca has changed over time, there is no real official set of rules about the specifics of the practice of Wicca or the ways that those who practice are supposed to think or view their experiences

or life. Wicca can be an incredibly varied and an equally subjective practice, because of the uncertain history that it carries with it. Still, though, there are some particular elements of the wicca have stayed mostly consistent throughout the years, and this book will outline a nu,ber of those elements in order to help you learn about and how to practice effective and practical moon magic, as well as how to use it responsibly. The concepts and practices of magic do not belong to any specific religious or spiritual tradition. There are many different cultures that have developed their own magical practices throughout the world. Magic can be practiced by any person of any religious background or set of beliefs. Wiccan practices and traditions, specifically, most magical practices are based on the practices of the folk healers from Europe, as well as the ancient Hermetic philosophies that were rediscovered during the Renaissance. But while there are a number of different spells and methods that have been passed down over the generations, the magic practices in Wicca is not typically considered to be a static art. There are new and different spells and approaches to those spells to help manifest the magical energies that are being developed and realized constantly. People who are willing to experiment with their magical practices are always finding new ways of doing so, and of using the various natural energies that make up the world and the various elements that exist within it. This book will serve as an introduction to wiccan practices, especially with regards to how that topic relates to the moon. You can learn about the different purposes and applications of wiccan moon magic, as well as the theory and the concepts behind it. This book explains a number of different concepts like the god and the goddess of wiccan tradition, the wheel of time and the Sabbats which split that wheel and divide the year into its seasons and different parts of those seasons, and the Esbats, or the phases of the moon, which will be incredibly helpful when learning about wiccan moon

magic. And how to perform lunar spells. The later chapters of this book will cover the different Esbats and their associations, and even a number of different spells that you can perform to help you to learn and grow with lunar magic.

Chapter 1: The Importance of the Moon

The Benefits of Connecting With the Moon The moon and the sun are strong sources of influence for the feminine and masculine aspects of each person. The orbits of the moon and the sun are considered and used by people every day when we wake and sleep at specific times of the day and night. The seasons affect the different kinds of crops that we keep. The stages of our lives are connected to the different phases of the moon and as we age, the different phases of our lives change to mirror the different cases of the moon and the three stages of the triple goddess of the moon, which are refe9rred to as the the three aspects of the moon. The first of these phases is referred to as the maiden and it represents our childhood, or the developmental stages of life. The second of these phases is referred to as the mother, which represents the adulthood and child bearing ages. The final stage is referred to as the crone, and represents the final part of our lives, when we grow old and devote our lives to teaching the new generation and making room for new life to exist. Women especially are very tuned in to the moons rhythms and are very connected to the moon’s various phases and the cycle that it follows. Men will typically be more connected to the sun, which is commonly given a more masculine set of traits. However, all men and woman have a connection to both entities. For example, while the maiden, mother, and crone, the three parts of the triple goddess, are represented in feminine forms, these three stages will generally apply to both men and women, as every living person will possess aspects that are both masculine and the feminine. For this reason, women will usually have a slightly stronger connection to the moon and its cycles than a lot of men will. A woman’s body will usually renew itself through a cycle of cleansing which we will usually refer to as the menstrual cycle, or the period. In a lot of different cultures, these periods of rejuvenation and cleansing were commonly performed together with other

women at the start of the new moon. A large number of women would often come together an order to offer support to each other through this period of rejuvenation and renewal. Most women were usually encouraged to try to look within for wisdom during this time and to practice introspection or to refrain from any particularly strenuous activity during this time. This would be the best time to look to the moon for wisdom and to use its energy in order to cleanse their own energies and refresh their bodies and minds in order to “start fresh” with the new moon. A lot of people also thought that the energy f the moon, as well as the energy of women during this period when the moon seemed to go away was at its weakest, and that this was the reason for the menstruation what women experience once per month. For this reason, many women were also encouraged to avoid heavy activity during this time and to engage in more quiet contemplation and other kinds of simple, easy activities. On the other hand, women and the energies that they possessed were thought to be at their strongest point, however, when the moon is full. During the full moon, many women would be encouraged encouraged to be a little bit more active. This would be the time to socialize and to finish projects that have been left unfinished. In this way, the energies and their waxing and waning throughout the month can serve to illustrate the connections that women have with the moon. Women and their energies will mirror the phases of the moon throughout the month, waxing and waning along with it and becoming strongest during the full moon, and then growing weaker after the full moon until they reach their lowest point during the new moon phase. A lot of different kinds of traditions and systems of beliefs that a woman’s strength is usually contained within the womb. The health and the strength that a woman possessed, as well as all aspects of her life and health, will be impacted heavily by her womb. In these kinds of systems of belie, women

were also usually considered to be sacred. They would be respected and protected similarly to the actual moon because of the inherent connection to the moon that women have. The Indian practice of Ayurveda, for example, teaches the concept that women are emotional beings at their core because of their connections to the moon and to the goddess, and that this connection is simply a part f their biology. Because of this deep, inherent connection, most women will not be able to help but to be primarily emotional beings, and they will be much more heavily emotionally and mentally impacted by external stimuli as a result. This increased emotional range can be very straining if the woman is particularly chaotic and does not take care to maintain a strong relationship with the moon. However, this susceptibility to increased emotional responses is not necessarily a bad thing. It is simply a part of how women perceive the world, and can be directed in a more constructive or helpful way if a healthy lifestyle is maintained, as with all other kinds of traits. These emotions are a part of what make women the way that they are, and they help to strengthen the connection with the moon and with nature that women have, as well as the empathy that women feel for all living things, just as the goddess does. The new moon is often thought to be the “most optimal” time for women to begin their cycle of menstruation, as they will be able to synchronize their menstrual cycles with the cycle of the moon. During this time, women are also encouraged to allow their bodies to be refreshed and renewed as they allow themselves to relax and rest, taking time to look inward and gain insight about themselves and the world around them and taking time to flush or their bodies and start the month refreshed and open. The fast pace and the struggles of modern life have forced people, and especially women, to abandon this kind of ritualistic gathering. Most modern women neglect the importance of maintaining a regular schedule for the cycle of menstruation, and don’t particularly care to mind the cycle of the moon

with regards to their menstrual cycles either. A lot of women have also generally begun to neglect their connection to the moon and to the goddess, and even possibly to feel a sense of shame or disgust about the menstruation process. Others will also tend to view it as an inconvenience, and as something that they have to accommodate once per month. However, this process allows women to be able to wash away the toxins and other kinds of negative energies that they might have received throughout the previous month and can allow them to be able to start fresh with the new moon, if she has aligned her menstrual cycle with that of the moon. Aligning the menstrual cycle with the moon can also provide a number of other smaller advantages as well. The moon can serve us as a guide and encourages us to perform different kinds of tasks and activities throughout the month in order to allow ourselves to flourish and grow, maintaining a much higher state of health than we would otherwise be able to if we neglect these advantages and risk falling into a chaotic and in even kind of cycle. The new moon encourages women to practice introspection and look within themselves for insight, as well as outward to the moon to help to guide them, but the other phases of the moon can also be helpful for a number of other kinds of purposes. As the moon progresses throughout its cycle and reaches its apex during the full moon, it is considered to also be at the peak of its potential, possessing all of the energy and power that it has access to. The period of the full moon is representative of the “mother” stage of the triple goddess’ life cycle, and all of the qualities that she symbolized, such as the middle stages of human lives, when we are at our most productive and have the most potential. During the time of the full moon, women are also considered to be at their strongest, and are encouraged to start new projects or complete ones that have been left unfinished, and to release any of the negative energies that may have been realized or left over from the earlier

parts of the month.

Lunar Birth Control It should be no surprise to you that the moon and its orbit around the earth have an effect on the tides of the oceans with its gravitational pull. Because of the high amount of water that is inside the human body, we are also affected by the moon as well in a very similar way. Women are especially strongly impacted by this cycle that the moon follows, because of their inherent connection to it and to the goddess. Most women who are not currently on hormonal birth control, or who have recently been on hormonal birth control will follow a normal schedule, beginning to menstruate during the new moon and ovulating during the full moon. A lot of women will have inverted schedules, instead ovulating during the new moon as opposed to the full moon, and beginning their cycles during the full moon, instead of during the new moon. A lot of women will even have slightly different or chaotic schedules, and will begin their cycles at some other point throughout the month. More often than not, these kinds of schedules will be a result of some sort of transition between the “typical” and “inverted” cycle schedules, or because of some sort of stressful event that has caused the woman’s connection with the moon to weaken significantly. Because of the importance of the moon’s influence, it can be a very effective metric for regulating your cycle and maintaining a healthy schedule. It is very strongly recommended to try to use the cycle of the moon in this way in order to transition more effectively and maintain a healthy lifestyle if you are currently coming off of a long term period of use of hormonal birth control like the pill. It might also be very helpful to use the natural cycle of the moon in this way if you have been having very irregular or especially chaotic schedules in your periods as well. There are a few simple ways to make use of the moon and its ability to help

you to regulate your menstrual and get a better handle on both your physical health as well as your mental health by using a few very simple tricks, which will be listed below: The first place to start is with the pill. If you are on the pill and you are also thinking about coming off of it, you will want to make sure that you can regulate your cycles as quickly and as effectively as you can. If you are planning on coming off of the pill in the near future, this is very easy. You simply need to stop taking them. You will be able to give up the use of this kind of hormonal birth control during any time throughout the month regardless of the location of the moon and you should be relatively okay. However, in order to be able to synchronize your menstrual cycles with the moon more quickly and easily, then you will probably want to stop using them starting at about one or two days before the end of the lunar cycle, right before the new moon, in order to allow your withdrawal bleed coming off of the pill to occur at the same time as the new moon, coinciding with the new lunar cycle. However, you might be experiencing irregular cycles even if you are not on the pill or some other kind of hormonal contraceptive. If this is the case, then there are a few other methods that you can use that can help you to regulate your cycles more effectively and find a healthy balance. For example, you might want to try making sure that your environment is dark when you sleep (and also to keep a consistent sleeping pattern!) for at least the first week or two after the new lunar cycle begins, starting with the new moon. This leads to the second method of regulating your cycles. One of the most important and helpful things to during this process is to monitor and limit the amount of exposure you receive to light sources. Of course, exposure to light from our phones or computers can cause our bodies to become “confused”, thinking that the sun is up because of the blue light that our electronic devices

produce. Studies have shown that a woman’s natural menstrual cycle can even be influenced and disturbed by short periods of exposure to light during the night time, and can cause it to fall out of balance. Because of this, you should try to be in a dark environment devoid of light when you sleep, if you are able to do so. A lot of people will use things like eye masks in order to artificially limit the amount of exposure they receive from bright sources of light, and to allow them to get a much better rest. You do not need to wear this mask every day, however. During the full moon, you should try to sleep without the mask, or you might even try to use a night light in order to simulate the light that you would receive from the moon. Of course, you can also open a window if it faces the moon, and receive this light from that but you will not be able to see it throughout the night if you are inside, so this can be a little bit less reliable than simply using a small light in your bedroom. You should try to have some sort of mild light source present while you sleep for at least three days during the full moon. Of course, you should use this trick during the night of the full moon, as well as the night before and after, as those are the three days during which the moon’s light is the strongest. While on the topic of light, it is also very important to note that blue light can be especially harmful to this kind of schedule, and will be mor disruptive than other kinds of light. Electronic screens like those that are on mobile phones, computer screens, and television screens, all produce blue light. Because of this, it can be important to avoid these devices as much as you can before you go to sleep, in order to prevent your body from being “tricked” into thinking that it is the day and the sun is out, which can throw your rhythm off as well. Many people will take measures to prevent this from happening, such as turning on a blue light filter on their phones, or using nighttime mode, which can slightly decrease the amount of blue light that they are receiving. Some people will even physically install differently

colored red light bulbs that they can use later in the night, a because the red light that these kinds of bulbs produce will allow you to be able to see what is around you without disrupting your rhythms very much, which can end up triggering the period of ovulation earlier than it is intended to be. These red lightbulbs can be incredibly helpful if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break or a glass of water, or in case, you simply happen to wake up for some reason. Keeping track of the amount and the kind of exposure that you receive from different kinds of light sources, limiting the amount of light that you receive throughout the month and increasing it during the full moon can also be very helpful in allowing you to further regulate your cycle, making it a little bit more consistent. This trick can also be helpful in simply allowing you to get better sleep as well, which is always nice. Even doing little things like taking a step outside at night to look at the moon can be somewhat helpful and will help you in being able to connect with the moon and more easily tune in with its energies. It can also be nice to simply look at the moon every so often, and many people will even find the experience to be therapeutic. During the new moon, you should be trying to get a little bit more rest than usual, taking time to let your body heal and refresh itself. During the full moon, you should be a little bit more active and energetic, being more open to new things or resolving any projects that have been left unfinished and to allow yourself to release any residual energies left over from earlier points in this cycle. There are also other kinds of activities that you will find yourself much more eager or able to perform during the different phases of the lunar cycle, as well. For example, you might find that you are much more inclined to accept or begin working on new projects, and you might find that you are more open to social situations like networking or working with other people

on collaborative projects as well. During the full moon and the period that comes after it, however, you will probably be a little bit more energetic and active. You will likely be a little bit more focused and you will be directing your energy toward completing tasks and finishing objectives. You can also use the cycle of the moon to help to manage other aspects of your health, like exercise and your diet. You can use the first section of the cycle of the moon to focus on cleansing your body, taking the first two weeks, or the period after the new moon leading up to the full moon. In contrast, you should also use the period after the full moon and before the new moon as a more “nourishing” time, making an effort to eat a lot of organic foods, vegetables, and just generally eating healthier and filling meals. In a similar way, you can change up the kind of exercise that you perform as well, with the phases of the moon. In the time after the new moon, you might want to engage in low impact activities such as yoga or light cardio, whereas the period after the full moon might be the time to be a little bit more active and practice exercise that is more strenuous. It will probably take a little bit of time for you to be able to completely synchronize your menstrual cycles with the cycle of the moon, but once you do you can use it to help you to gain a much healthier lifestyle and to gain a closer connection to the moon as well as the natural rhythms of your body.

The Moon and Astrology In relation to the earth, the moon is by far the fastest and the closest celestial body to the earth; it has arguably the most direct impact on the life on the earth. This is why the moon is often connected with the element of earth and the life that grows from it. This is also, why many eastern systems of astrological beliefs consider the moon to be one of the most important celestial bodies; the moon represents the human soul and the center of our emotions. The moon represents a source of love and support and giveds us the ability to connect with other people and creatures. The proximity that the moon has with the earth, as its only natural satellite, allows its energies to be able to reach the earth’s surface (as well as the things that live on the earth’s surface, such as animals and people) much more easily than any other body in space. Because of this, the moon is usually the source of a lot of the energy that we devote to empathy and healing work that we perform. One very important thing to consider concerning the moon is the topic of astrology. The moon is often thought to be representative of the subconscious mind and other things that are associated with it, such as the soul or the heart and emotion. The moon represents the feminine aspects of the world, as opposed to the masculine aspects, which are usually represented by the sun. In this relationship between the moon and the sun, the sun’s masculine, active energy provides the light that creates the life on earth, and the moon receives that light and uses its energy to sustain that life. It is often thought that if the moon is damaged or otherwise negatively impacted, then the life that exists on the earth would also suffer, both literally and emotionally, causing the ways that you receive and react to external stimuli might begin to become especially inappropriate for the situation that caused them. If the moon were

to go away, then our emotions- our souls and spirits- might also begin to vanish. This would be a very unfortunate fate, and could end up causing a lot of imbalance throughout the world in a very similar way that we might experience if the sun were to burn out. This would cause us to become closed off, and we might begin to experience a lot of difficulty experiencing or understanding our emotions or with the ability to cope with our surroundings and the events that occur within our lives. Not only does this apply in a literal sense, but also a figurative one as well. If we, as beings made up of both feminine traits as well as masculine ones, we need to embrace and care for both sides of ourselves. If we begin to neglect one aspect of ourselves, then that might cause some of the problems in our lives and within us. In the case of the sun, we might become unable to act effectively, or we might become overly anxious or sensitive to emotional input as the feminine aspects of ourselves run wild to fill the empty space that the masculine traits have left. If we begin to neglect the feminine aspects of ourselves, however, we will begin to become desensitized to the external stimuli around us and we will become more incapable of expressing our emotions effectively. This will very likely manifest as something like depression, or we might become so focused on the masculine traits that have filled the space of the abandoned feminine aspects of ourselves that we will begin to neglect our emotions completely.

Chapter 2: The Wiccan Moon

The moon has been a source of inspiration to human kind, and it has always had a very impactful position in the lore of the world throughout a number of different cultures across the world and throughout our history. The moon, as well as the sun, have both served very important purposes to us, and have seemingly always had very strong connections to the gods and goddesses that we have revered throughout human history. Similarly, to the sun, the moon is often associated with a large number of gods throughout the world from a number of different cultures. It is most commonly associated with a lot of the concepts and ideas that humans are commonly concerned with or about. Some of the most common and most significant of these associations are the spirit, soul, heart, fertility, passion,

and love as well as death, the afterlife, and rebirth and a large number of different mysteries to humanity. Of course, the moon is still a very significant part of regular life even today, and is still present in modern belief systems like Wicca and other forms of paganism and modern witchcraft. Many wiccans will typically gather during the full moon in order to perform certain rituals that honor the wiccan goddess during each of the different Esbats. Of course, the sun and the moon are not the only bodies that possess their own energy. The earth also acts as an independent source of energy, as well as receiving energy from the sun and the moon. However, it does still receive some energy from the moon and the sun, which allow for the creation and the ability to sustain the life on the earth. The energy that is produced by the moon is often thought to be “magnetic”, in a sense, due to its size and proximity to the earth causing its gravitational pull to have a very strong impact on the life that exists on the earth. This is often the origin of the “pull” that some people will feel toward the moon on a clear night. Some people, if they are particularly sensitive to these kinds of forces, might even feel a literal tugging sensation within their bodies during the new or full moon, but most people will simply notice a slightly stronger kind of connection with the moon during these moments. The energy of the moon and the sun have shaped our development throughout our history, as well. Humans, as well as all other forms of life on earth, all maintain a strong connection to the energies of our celestial bodies, especially with the moon, which is the origin of a lot of the sensations and feelings that we will often refer to as our “intuition”, which is why many people will consider women to be more naturally intuitive than men; they have a much stronger connection to the feminine energies that the moon emits, resulting in their higher level of intuitive talent compared to men. This sensitivity to the energies of the sun and the moon are often referred to as our

“sixth sense”, and is arguably one of the most significant tools that we have access to when practicing any form of magic but this applies especially to moon magic. When we are practicing moon magic, one of the most common ways to begin is to “appeal” to the moon and form a connection to it for the duration of the spell, but this connection that is formed is somewhat false; what is really happening is that the connection that we already possess with the moon is strengthened as we open ourselves up to the moon’s energy and allow the pathway formed by this energy to be increased in size. When this is done in the presence of the moon, and especially during the periods of the full moon and the new moon, when its power is strongest, this connection will allow us to greatly strengthen the spells and other kinds of magical work that we perform. It is important to understand, however, that the different phases of the moon will produce slightly different energies that will be useful for different kinds of purposes or for different kinds of spells. Each of the different phases of the moon carries a different kind of energy, which can be useful for different kinds of magic, and to accomplish different kinds of goals. Our relationship with the moon about the magic that we perform with the energy that it provides us with seems to wax and wane with the different phases of the moon itself. As the moon is waxing, its energy moves toward its peak and it will be able to much more effectively serve magic that is meant to increase potential or energy, while the magic that is performed during the later half of the lunar cycle is best used for magic that is meant to decrease the strength of energies or potential, such as banishing or cleansing unwanted energies. The middle point during the cycle of the moon is commonly referred to as the harvest, and is the time to celebrate for the accomplishments that have been

made and the spoils that have been reaped from the first part of the lunar cycle, similarly to the harvest that it is named for. The second half of the lunar cycle is then dedicated to cleaning up after the fact and releasing the energies and the things that are not needed any more. During the new moon, new intentions are set for the new cycle which will be manifested in the same way and ultimately dismissed as we move on to the cycle after that. The lunar cycle ultimately represents a progression through time following a healthy course of events that allow for the creation of new things that will eventually be removed in order to allow more new things to be made in an endless cycle of renewal. There are also a few basic tips for how to further empower the magical work that you perform at different points throughout the different stages of the cycle of the moon. For example, the first stage of the lunar cycle is the new moon. During the new moon, the energy that we receive from the moon will be particularly well suited for setting intentions for the rest of the month or for thinking about the things that you might want to build. Starting new tasks or projects will be much more effective during this phase of the moon’s cycle, and any magical work that you perform involving the attraction of specific energies will be very effective during this period. The second phase, when the moon will be rising to its highest point when it is full, is referred to as the waxing moon. This is the best phase of the lunar cycle for utilizing the energies that we receive from the moon in order to help us in moving forward toward the goals that we have set. This is the next logical step after starting up new projects, to move forward and to take action in order to begin to accomplish those goals. The energy that you receive during this phase will be especially helpful for allowing us to reach the goals that we may have set, and can be very effective if it is applied to spell work that is related to the increase of various different kinds of energies. Some

common examples are strengthening or building bonds between or among different people, or improving the physical or mental health. The stage opposite to the waxing moon is the waning moon. This phase comes immediately after the full moon and before the new moon. The energy that you will receive during the full moon will be best for purposes opposite to the energy of the waxing moon. The spellwork that you perform with the energy of the waning moon will be best used for things like releasing energies in order to overcome obstacles in your path or for cleansing yourself of negative energies. The phase of the lunar cycle that is often considered the one that contains the most powerful energy is the full moon. Many people will believe the full moon to be the most magically significant day of the lunar cycle, and will take the opportunity to use the energy of the full moon for spells that are especially important. This is the reason for legends of werewolves or vampires, or a number of other kinds of supernatural or magical beings and events occurring on the night of the full moon. This is when the moon and its power are at their highest points, and will be much more universally effective than during the other phases of the moon’s cycle.

The Triple Goddess Wicca draws from a large number of different pagan themes and practices, especially concerning its theology and structure as a religion. However, Wicca has changed and evolved over time in order to take a large number of different forms and shapes. Because of the ways that Wicca has changed over time, there is no real official set of rules about the specifics of the practice of Wicca or the ways that those who practice are supposed to think or view their experiences or life. Wicca can be an incredibly varied and an equally subjective practice, because of the uncertain history that it carries with it. Still, though, there are some particular elements of the Wicca have stayed mostly consistent in all or at least almost all of the different versions and iterations of the wiccan beliefs and practices. One of these elements that have been able to stay relatively consistent within the wiccan belief system is the deities that Wicca and the people who practice Wicca revere. Typically, these deities have taken consistent, or at least similar, roles and forms. These forms are the God and the Goddess. This pairing of the god and the goddess is one of the most iconic and easy to understand aspects of Wicca, especially when it is compared to a large number of other religions that have become popular over the years. The equal sense of emphasis on the masculine and feminine aspects of the world is a very important aspect of the wiccan belief system and wiccan practices. This dichotomy between these two genders and the ways that they can affect and can also be affected by the world both make up two equally important aspects of Wicca. A lot of different groups or circles, or even individual people who practice Wicca might have different names that they use to refer to these two deities, but the deities’ names are usually somewhat hidden or

regarded as secret, so they will typically be referred to as simple “the God” and “the Goddess”, when they are being discussed. The God and the Goddess are each a male and a female representation of the essences of the forces of life and creation that are responsible for all of the beings and objects in the world, and the laws that they follow, even including the cycles of life and death that all beings and entities on the earth must follow. As the supreme central deities of Wicca, the God and the Goddess are typically appealed to during spells and rituals, or other kind of magical work that wiccan practitioners perform, and even during the magical work that they perform as well. A large number of ancient cultures worshipped entities like these ones, representing both masculine and feminine aspects of the world, such as life and death or the earth and the sky. These deities typically represented opposing but equal and balanced forces that exist within the world, in some form or another. Modern wiccan practice try to emulate and adopt these beliefs of opposing, yet equal and balanced forces to some degree, which can clearly be seen in the prime deities of the Wiccan belief system, which are the God and the Goddess. And just as with other deities of these types, and belief systems that are built upon them, Wiccan beliefs also maintain that these deities form two “halves” of our world and their union is the event that created and sustains all of the life and creation in our world. The pair of the God and the Goddess represents the different and opposing masculine and feminine energies that exist within the world. These energies or forces can be compared to a number of different concepts from various different cultures like the earth and the sea or sky, light and dark, life and death, or yin and yang, among a number of other kinds of forces, and can manifest in a number of different kinds of forms, like as humanoids, elements, or even simply as the forces of nature that they represent within nature. The god and the Goddess, to some people, might be viewed as

manifestations and representations of the relationship that Wicca shares with the pagan religions that existed in Western Europe before its adoption of Christianity and the Judeo-Christian beliefs that are much more common today. The person who is commonly considered to have been the founder of the modern wiccan belief system based his own “coven” around the idea and worship of a “Horned God” and the “Mother Goddess”, which were his own representations of two archetypes that were very common in the pantheons that could be found in ancient European cultures, particularly the Celtic, Greek, and Norse cultures, and Egyptian civilizations. Two fairly well-known examples of these archetypes are a God that was called “Cernuous”, who was a Celtic god of fertility, life, and wealth, and who was commonly depicted to have had horns and the Greek Goddess of the Earth, who was a representation of the concept of motherhood. As two primary, universal deities, the masculine and female gods that are commonly accepted as part of the Wiccan belief system, the God and Goddess, are commonly understood to encompass each of these common individual aspects, in order to allow for the Wiccan belief system to be compatible with the deities that were common in these ancient civilizations, and those deities can still be recognized and worshipped by modern wiccans as well. Most wiccans, especially a lot of the more old fashioned ones, typically tend to view the specific masculine and feminine deities of these pantheons as “lesser” aspects or representations of the wiccan God and Goddess, who maintain their status of Wicca’s “Supreme” or “primary” deities. However, there are still some more eclectic practitioners of Wicca who do not recognize a strict hierarchy, and may even be a little bit more polytheistic in their beliefs, which means that for these people, the individual deities still maintain their own original positions in their pantheons, in addition to the Wiccan

concepts of the God and Goddess. People who believe in this polytheistic structure will typically believe in another pantheon of deities, while also holding the Wiccan God and Goddess as their own deities separate from that pantheon or pantheons, or even as representations of various concepts or entities within those pantheons. Whatever an individual person’s belief system may be, or their relationship with any ancient deities or religions, most wiccans typically share a number of core beliefs, concepts, and traditions centered around the Wiccan God and Goddess. The first of these primary, central deities that exist within most of the belief systems that wiccan practitioners typically carry is the “God”. As the more masculine part of the pair, the God makes up half of the all-encompassing force of life that exists within common wiccan beliefs, and the God is normally represented as being connected to and associated with aspects of or as a direct manifestation of the sun or as the “horned animals of the forest”. The Wiccan God will sometimes take the role of the “God of the Hunt”. When the God assumes this guise, he is commonly depicted as a man who wear a large headdress which is usually adorned with things like antlers or horns. Sometimes he might even literally have the head of a stag or a goat, instead of the headdress. In this role, he performs two duties that go hand-inhand, in assisting humans in finding sustenance in order to maintain their survival, as well as simultaneously protecting the animals and various creatures of the wild, maintaining a careful balance between the two in order to ensure that balance is kept among the life that exists within the world. In some of the earliest forms of the Wiccan religion, the “Horned God” also had string connections to the concept of fertility, which can still be observed in some traditions that exist within modern circles of Wiccans. In addition to the Celtic god cernuous, the Horned god can also be connected to the Greek god called pan, who also performed a similar role, as well as welsh god “Bran”,

and an English figure named “Herne”, as well as many others, including a figure called the “Green Man”, who represents a very old, ancient archetype that can be found in stories from around the world, and who is most commonly depicted as simply a green man with a face that is either made of or surrounded by vines, leaves, or other kinds of plant life. The other source of inspiration that the Wiccan God seems to be connected to is the Sun. A common trope that exists in many religious belief systems and pantheons is the masculine sun god being opposed and matched with the feminine moon goddess. The strong, warm light of the sun is commonly considered to be an aspect of male energy, and a very significant source of life and the growth and development of all different forms of life. As was briefly mentioned before, there are a large number of different ancient cultures that worshipped a “Sky Father”, a god who maintained a connection with the sky or with the sun in one form or another, which is emulated and replicated to a certain degree by common modern wiccan practices. The concept of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year also revolves around the cyclical relationship that is maintained by the God, being connected to the sun, and the Goddess, representing the earth. In this model, the God will continually die off each year during the autumn season, staying dormant during the colder winter seasons, and will then also be “revived” or reborn in the spring, reaching his peak during the summer, when the warmth of the sun can be felt the most, or is at its strongest point, only to grow weak and “die” again in the fall. This cycle serves to parallel the cycle of the seasons and the cycles of growth that most plant life follows. A few common deities that will typically be representative of the “Sun God” are the Celtic god Lugh, the Egyptian God Ra, and the Greek God Apollo. Within some particular wiccan traditions, the wheel of the year and its connection to the God is separated into two halves, as well. Instead of the

Sun God simply dying off in the fall and winter, the wheel of the year dictates periods of time during which the God will take different forms to change with the seasons. These forms are typically referred to as the “Oak King” and the “Holly King”. These different forms are representative of the axing and waning nature of the sun and its position to us throughout the year and as the seasons change. The Oak King and the Holly King will take turns ruling over life throughout the year as the other becomes weaker or “dies off” during its “off seasons”. The Oak King will become stronger and will take up his reign furring the “light half” of the year, which takes place during the spring and summer seasons, while the “dark half” of the year, which takes place during the autumn and the winter seasons, will give rise to the “Holly King”, who will then “die off” during the spring and the summer. The Oak King is, of course, named for the Oak tree, with its bright and decorative leaves, which symbolize the warmth and brightness of the seasons that he rules over. The Holly king, on the other hand, as the ruler of the “dark half” of the year, is named for the Holly tree, a cheery evergreen tree with its deep green leaves and bright red berries, which symbolize the much colder and harsher fall and winter seasons in the same way that the Oak symbolizes the spring and summer. Both of these trees are typically considered to be “sacred” to many wiccans, witches, and other pagan practitioners, and both have also been treasured for the magical properties that they carry. The Oak and Holly Kings are generally considered to be brothers and rivals, battling each other throughout the year and conquering each other as the seasons shift and they grow stronger and weaker at an inversed and opposite pace, with the seasons. The dates that these battles are each won will depend on the tradition that is followed within specific circles, but usually will fall on the Solstices, with the Oak King taking control at the Winter Solstice, and the Holly king taking over and coming up on the Summer Solstice, since these

dates (or Sabbaths) are the official markers to signify the waxing and waning of the sun in relation to the earth. However, there are many other traditions, which consider this change to take place during the Equinoxes of Spring and Autumn, which will have the Holly King reach the height of his power during the Winter Solstice, when the “dark season” reaches its peak, and the Oak king reaching his peak during the Summer Solstice, when the Light is the strongest. Many people believe that this alternative version makes a little bit more sense in terms of the ways that the seasons are generally experiences. However, both of these interpretations of the wheel of the year and the nature of the oak king and the holly king serve to highlight the nature of the wheel of the year in similar ways. The primary theme of this concept and the ways that the oak and holly kings work, and the passage and transitions of the seasons as well as the simple passage of time. Some wiccans in certain circles even tend to see the oak king and the holly king as twinned aspects, and halves of the whole that makes up the Wiccan concept of the God, in a constant and eternal battle with each other to gain the love and the attention of their Goddess. Many people don’t see the two kings in the same way, but instead consider this legend of the two kings as simply another layer of the larger concept of the wheel of the year. The true origin of the story of the Oak King and the Holly king are mostly unknown, so it is difficult to guess at the original intent of the story of the two kings, but regardless, they have become a very important aspect of the lore that is involved in many different variations of pagan and wiccan traditions. Although the concept of the Oak and Holly kings is not exclusive to wiccan practices, they do very clearly fit in with the lore and the beliefs that are carried by many wiccan practitioners, especially with their focus on opposing forces like light and dark, and various cycles of life and death, in a number of different forms. These concepts and the combination of the cycle of life and

death with the opposing forces that are present in wiccan traditions are very likely the origin of a lot of the stories and lore that exist within those traditions, and help to explain that balance is necessary in all aspects of life. There can be no light without the dark, and the two forces have to find a balance in order to coexist properly. The other deity that exists within most wiccan traditions is the Goddess. The goddess commonly represents the earth and the moon. The wiccan goddess, as she is associated with the moon, is the ruler of the night. She controls the oceans as well as its waves and tides, and she governs the reproductive cycles of all women and the emotions and intuition that we experience. A lot of different wiccan traditions will recognize the goddess in a number of different ways. In these traditions, the goddess will usually take three different forms, which make up three parts of what is commonly referred to as the “triple goddess”. The three aspects of this form are typically referred to as the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Each of these three different forms that the goddess will take align themselves with the different pass of the cycle of the moon. These are the Waxing, waning, and full moons, and each represents a different stage of life. If the Sun god represents the cycle of life and death, the moon goddess is representative of everything that happens between the points of birth and death. The Goddess is also very commonly associated with the concepts of emotion, intuition, and wisdom, particularly as it relates to the experience that we gain throughout life. The goddess is also connected to the earth, as well. As the earth, the goddess is representative of the physical energy that can allow life to bind itself to, allowing that life to grow and develop. The goddess is very commonly connected to concepts like the crops and filets, as well as the animals that have been domesticated and the growth and development that they experience throughout their life cycles. She plays the roles of the mother to

all of the beings and entities that exist within and on the earth, as well as the partner of the god, and their individual cycles make up the forces that allow for the existence of all life on earth and the rules that they follow regarding their birth, life, and death as time progresses and the seasons change. Their cycles of life and death allow the wheel of the year to continue to turn and clear away old things in order to allow for the new to take over, in an eternal cycle of life and death. As the feminine aspect of the pair that makes up all of the forces of life and creation that exist in the world, and as has been mentioned before, the goddess is commonly connected to the element of the earth as well as the physical moon and the things tht it represents. As the representation of the earth, the goddess represents the grounded physical energy that tethers all life on earth to herself and allows that life to grow and develop. Her energy is typically seen as more nurturing and tender, and is flexible and pliable, keeping in line with the fact that she essentially represents growth and change. As the partner to the God, the Goddess symbolizes the cycles of growth and change, and those forces combine with the God’s more rigid nature and his cycles of life and death in order to maintain the “turning” of the wheel of the year, which allow for the passage of time and the clearing away of the old in exchange for the introduction of new things. The Wiccan Goddess, as connected to the earth, is commonly associated with the Greek Goddess Gaia, as well as the Celtic goddess Brigid and the Egyptian Goddess Isis. The Goddess is also commonly associated with the moon, and in this context, is connected to the reproductive cycles of women as well as the human psyche. In this connection with the moon, she also has a control over the oceans and the tides, as well as the concepts of emotion and intuition. If the Wiccan God and his orientation toward direct action can be compared to the

concept of “yang” energy, then the Goddess would represent his other half, and be compared to the concept of “yin”, combining to make up the push and pull of the yin and yang. The Goddess, in this context of her connection with the moon, also draws some parallels to other deities from other cultures, such as Artemis, the Greek Goddess, ad well as the Celtic Goddess Cerridwen and the Roman goddess Diana. The Wiccan Goddess is connected with the moon in a slightly different way to the way that the god is connected with the sun, however, because of the slightly different relationship that the moon has with the earth. The moon is much closer to the earth than the sun is, of course, and it has its own unique cycle that moves at a slightly quicker pace than the suns. This is the origin of the concept of the “triple goddess” that was mentioned earlier, as well. The goddess, in this divided sense, is a deity with three distinct forms, each with their own individual and unique aspects that are all connected to different phases of the moon. These three forms are referred to as the maiden, the mother, and the crone, and each of these forms representing a phase in the lunar cycle, as well as different stages in the lives of women before, during, and after their body is able to produce life. However, the triple goddess is a little bit more complicated than that. While women will generally progress in a linear fashion through these three phases of the goddess’ forms in a literal sense over the course of her life, All three of the different phases of the triple goddess and her life are also related to various qualities that can relate to every person at various times in their lives, whether they are male or female, and regardless of the current stage of life that they are in. The triple goddess is also thought to be a reflection of the complex nature of the human psyche, and is also representative of the inherent cycles of life and death that all living beings that exist on the earth experience, even within the literal span of their lifetimes, in the sense that life evolves and changes as time goes on.

Over time, people or animals will shed their skin, shells, or fur, they will grow and experience new things that change how they react to certain events, and they will develop relationships with other people or animals who also have natures just as complex as their own. The concept of the triple goddess reflects those aspects of life very effectively, and can be applied to everything and everyone, regardless of sex or gender, or their current age. The actual idea of the triple goddess split into three different phases of human life can be thought to originate with the Celtic goddess brig hid, who was thought to rule over three skills that were very separate, but also equally important to Celtic society, which were poetry, healing, and smitchcraft. Another example of this type of deity is the Greek goddess Hera, who also had three separate roles, which were very similar to the three phases of the wiccan triple goddess; Girl, woman, and widow. However, instead of being a single entity that takes three separate forms, like with the case of Hera and Brigid, the Wiccan Triple Goddess is usually represented as being three separate entities, each making up their own aspect of the concept of the Wiccan goddess as a whole, in a similar way to how the Oak king and the Holly kind ach represent two parts of the whole wiccan god. All of the triple goddess’ three aspects is also related to their own concepts, such as particular seasons, natural phenomena, and even human characteristics and aspects of life that exists on earth. These different associations can be used to call on the aspect of the goddess that is the most appropriate during things like magical work, worship, rituals, or prayers. The God and the Goddess are typically represented on the altar by a lot of wiccan magic practitioners in a number of different ways that will vary based on their tradition or personal preferences. Some of the most common representations are candles. The god will usually be represented by candles with red, orange, yellow, or gold colors, whereas the Goddess will be

represented by green, white, silver, or black ones. A lot of people will also use symbols to represent the appropriate deity. Common objects for the God are projective symbols like arrows, horns, spears, swords, and wands, whereas the Goddess will be represented by more receptive symbols like cauldrons or chalices, as well as representations of abundance, such as flowers or other kinds of plants. These can also be good ways to strengthen your connection with a particular deity or element during your spell work for people who feel that they do not have a strong enough connection to those deities or elements.

The Maiden The first aspect that will be discussed here is the Maiden. The maiden is associated with the phases of the lunar cycle referred to as the crescent and waxing phases. She is representative of the period in a woman’s life before she is able to bear children and produce life, as well as simply youth in general. This aspect most strongly represents the concept of growth and development, and is commonly symbolized by the moon’s waxing phases, as it approaches its “full” stage, where it reaches its “peak” of potential, which can be connected to the middle stage of life when people are at their own highest points of potential, or the stage when a woman is able to give birth to new life, continuing the cycle of life. In these natural cycles of life, the maiden is very commonly connected to the dawn, or the sunrise, and the season of spring, when life begins to flourish and grow. The maiden can also be used, in this context, to represent beauty of the creation of new life. She can also be associated with youth, and this connected to the ideas of innocence, growth, self-confidence, intelligence, learning, and gaining independence, as well as activities that are related to these concepts, such as creativity, discovery, exploration, and expression, as these are all things that normally happen during th early stages of ones life. Wiccans commonly worship the maiden form of the goddess as other goddesses that symbolize similar concepts, such as the Greek goddesses Artemis and Persephone, as well as Freya, a Norse goddess, and a Celtic goddess who was named Rhiannon.

The Mother The next aspect in this cycle is the mother. The mother is associated with the full moon, when the moon reaches its highest point, or its peak, and the fullest point in its cycle. This is, again, similar to the middle stage of life when people generally reach the height of their potential and will begin to realize that potential. This is also the time when women will generally be able to give birth and create new life, as well, which fits in with the name of this form, the mother. This aspect of the wiccan goddess is also associated with midday, and with the season of summer, when the day and the life that is created in the spring, respectively, reach their peak before beginning to descend to give way to new life, in the form of a new day or a new year. Summer is the most lush and vibrant season, during which the energies of life can be felt the most, with the fields and forests at their highest points, and hosting animals in similar stages of their lives, growing to maturity and becoming the most active. In human people, the mother is commonly seen as a representation of the adulthood stage of human life, when we mature and begin to realize our potential. As the stage at the “peak” of potential, both for the full moon, and the life that it represents, the mother is very commonly considered within many different circles of wiccans to be the most powerful of the three aspects of the goddess, and who most strongly represents the concept of the wiccan goddess as a whole. Many wiccans will commonly worship the mother in the form of various goddesses that typically symbolize similar, related concepts to the mother, such as the Greek goddesses Demeter and Selene, as well as the Celtic goddesses Danu and Bad and the Roman goddess cares.

The Crone Finally, the last form that the goddess takes is the crone. The crone is representative of the waning period of the lunar cycle. The crone was also referred to as the hag at one point, and however this was changed to the crone later on in order to fit the concepts and ideas that the crone embodies more clearly. The triple goddess’ final stage is also representative of the final stages of human life, when a lot of people will generally slow down and begin to fade away in order to make room for new life to flourish, and of course, the part of a woman’s life after which she has been able to give birth and has already created new life within the world. The crone is also commonly associated with the seasons of the winter and fall, when most animals and plants will begin to hibernate until the spring, as well as sunset and the night, when the day begins to “die down” in order to allow for that day to come to an end, bringing the new day in its wake. The crone is often considered to be the oldest and wisest stage of the triple goddess’ life cycle, and she is usually seen as a representation of things that happen during these stages such as endings or conclusions, death, and in some contexts, even things like rebirth, past lives, transformations, guidance, prophecy, and vision of the future. Although this stage of life has been feared for millennia, and is still approached with apprehension and fear by a lot of people, the crone can serve as a reminder that death is not necessarily something that people should be fearful of, and that it is simply a part of the natural cycle of the progression of life, just as the moon’s waning period of the dark half of the year are necessary in order to allow for the new moon or spring and summer to take hold and create new life. If the crone does not play her very important role, then the maiden will not be able to begin to accept hers. The crone is most often represented by and worshipped in the form of various goddesses that are associated with death or the underworld, such as the Greek goddess

Hecate, the roman Goddess Trivia, The Russian entity Baba Yage, or the Celtic entities of the Cailleach or Morrigan.

Chapter 3: Rhythms of the Moon

As you might have learned by this point in this book, the moon follows a natural cycle and has its own rhythms and patterns. As the moon waxed to reach its full strength and then wanes after the full moon to settle down as its lowest point during the new moon, it also progresses through the three different stages of the goddess’ forms, the maiden, mother, and crone. There are also a number of other kinds of patterns that the moon will keep, which will be consistent throughout the month in the same way that the tides will repeat themselves, and the sun will allow people to tell the time of day by its position in the sky. For example, the position of the moon in the sky can vary throughout the month. Closer to and immediately after the period of the new moon, you will be able to see the moon in the sky during the morning and sometimes even closer to the middle of the day. On other days during the later half of the moon’s cycle, such as the time around the full moon, you might notice that the moon will set and rise at the same time as the sun. The patterns that the moon follows are not as directly obvious as the patterns of

the sun, but if you are able to understand them and learn them, you will be able to have a much easier time aligning yourself with those patterns and using them as a guide to help you in your life from day to day. The different astrological signs are each associated with a different stage along the path of the sun, and the moon is the same way. The various astrological signs are each connected to their own period of time throughout the year, corresponding with the different phases of the solar cycle. These are usually referred to as the sun signs, and are the primary measure of time that is used to refer to the astrological signs. The moon signs are very similar, as they divide up the cycle of the moon in the same way. These are usually referred to as the moon signs. The moon, during its monthly cycle, will spend a period of around two and a half days in the position of each of the different astrological signs. Once the moon has concluded its short period of time in one sign, it will move on toward the other, progressing around the astrological when in a counter-clock wise pattern, just like the sun does. If the moon is currently in the position of the Aries sign, it will move on toward Taurus, and then to Gemini, and on toward the rest of the cycle, starting over when it reaches the end. This cycle will split up the 29 day cycle that the moon follows into 12 distinct sections, meaning that each of the astrological signs will only claim about two and one half days during the moon’s cycle instead of a period of about 30 days like the sun signs. One very interesting thing to note is that the moon sign that occurs during the new moon, because of the slightly varied rates of orbit that the moon and the sun have relative to the earth, will always be the astrological sign that the sun happens to be in, whereas the astrological sign that the full moon falls under will be the one on the opposite side of the astrological wheel to the current sun sign. This is the reason for the different signs that a lot of people will refer to. The sun sign is a little bit more general, whereas the moon sign that you fall under

will be a little bit more specific, as it only happens for about two days, and splits up the sun signs into additional sections. Each of the different moon signs have different meanings and symbols, just as the sun signs do, and they will both govern the different qualities that an individual person will likely adopt, based on the signs that they might fall under. You might also find that for a few days every month, when the moon moves into the appropriate sign, you might begin to feel especially empowered or you might notice a slightly stronger kind of connection with the moon, when it moves into the moon sign that you were also born under. however, the moon sign that the moon is currently under will usually have some kind of impact on the energy that you receive from the moon, regardless of the sign that you were born under. The moon’s cycle is also split up based on its position relative to the sun and the earth. This positioning is why the moon will appear slightly different throughout the month as it moves between and around the earth and sun, making it appear as what wre usually refer to as the new moon, the waxing and waning moons, and the full moon. These are also commonly referred to as the quarters, which you might have heard about before. The period during and after the new moon is when the moon will be positioned between the sun and the earth. The reason for the moon appearing as dark, or absent, in the night sky during this time is because the light of the sun appears on the side of the moon that we are not able to see, causing the side that we do see to appear a little bit darker. The first quarter of the moon’s cycle will also be during the time when the moon will begin to wax, up until the point when it reaches the first half moon phase. This is when the moon forms a right angle with the earth and the sun, with the earth at the corner. During this phase, we will be able to see about half of the light from the sun that reaches the moon, which is what causes the half moon appearance. Of course, the second quarter is when the moon will be coming up on its full

phase. During the full moon, the light from the sun will reach the full face of the moon because of its position on the opposite side of the earth from the sun. We will be able to see the full face of the moon because of the light that reaches it during this phase. This is the most light that we will be able to view from any position relative to the moon, which is why this phase is typically viewed as the most powerful or strongest phase of te cycle of the moon. Of course, the time after the full moon is when it will also begin to wane and decrease in power. This third quarter will be very similar to the second quarter, only operating in reverse, as it leaves the full position and begins to move toward the second half moon phase just as it did during the first quarter. The end of this quarter will be another time when the moon Is forming an angle around the earth and the sun, and we will see half of the face that I being presented to the sun. After this, the moon will enter its final quarter and move on toward the new moon, when it will begin its cycle again. The pattern of rising and setting that the moon will follow can also be varied and can shift throughout the month. As the moon progresses through its cycle, the times that it will rise and set. During and immediately after the new moon, the moon will usually rise and set much later than during other points throughout the month. The moon will even rise and set at the same pace as the sun itself, as they carry the same position in the sky and their energy is almost combined as their energies are coming from similar positions. After the new moon passes, the moon will begin to be delayed more and more in its cycles of rising and setting. During these stages of the lunar cycle, you might notice it lingering in the sky during the morning up until the end of the first quarter, when the moon will be shifting its schedule of rising and setting so that it rises around midday and sets somewhere near midnight. Of course, the moon will carry the opposite schedule during the later portion of its cycle, as it wanes and moves back toward the new moon. The moon will hand high in

the sky during the full night time period during the full moon’s phase as well, and will continue this pattern reliably during every cycle, shifting its schedule slightly as its position around the earth shifts as well.

Months And Seasons This section of this chapter will be about the different ways that are commonly used to measure the months and the different event that take place throughout the year based on the orbits of the sun and the moon. Of course, the seasons each have their on associations to the moon and the sun as well as the god and the goddess, but there are also a number of other events that are vaseful for marking the passage of time and for the use in moon magic as well. Some of these events are the different “moons”, which are all named for the month that they appear in and some common associations that they carry. The days of the full moons are often referred to as the Esbats, but there are also eight days spread throughout the year, separating the wheel into eight parts, which are called Sabbats. The ese Sabbats are like “solar holidays”, which split the year up into distinct sections. The winter solstice and the summer solstice make up the first two of these Sabbats, and the spring equinox and the fall equinox make up the third and fourth ones, dividing the year in half twice, for four quarters, similarly to the quarters that the moon’s cycle follows. There are also four additional Sabbats, as well. The first four Sabbats are commonly referred to as “solar” holidays, whereas the second group are referred to as “earth” holidays. These occur at the halfway points between each of the solar Sabbats, splitting up the year even further to create eight equal portions. These days will land in February, May, August, and October, and they are often referred to as “cross quarter days”. These Sabbats also have names as well, which are commonly referred to as. Imbolc is the first of these lesser Sabbats, and will usually happen at the middle point between the day of the winter solstice and the day of the spring equinox. The second one is referred to as Beltane, and will usually fall on the middle point

between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The third, which falls between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox, is usually referred to as Lammas, the the final one is called Samhain. These Sabbats are very heavily inspired by old traditional festivals that were held in Europe prior to the rise of Christianity. A lot of those festivals had different names, however, because of the different languages and the different traditions that they were inspired by. For example, the Sabbat which is casually referred to as Lammas used to be called by the name of Lughnasa in ancient Celtic traditions. Additionally, the different groups of Sabbats will also be referred to with different names. The first four Sabbats, which fall on the equinoxes and the solstices, are usually referred to as the “lesser Sabbats”, while the cross quarter days that fall between them will often be called “greater Sabbats”. These names refer to the amount of energy that these days usually represent, however, and are not usually an indication of the level of importance of the holidays themselves.

The Sabbats Yule In a lot of different wiccan traditions, the first Sabbat will be yule, and this will be the one that represents the beginning of the new year. You might be familiar with the term Yule, as many people will use it in a context that is related to the winter holidays like Christmas. The Sabbat of Yule is representative of the winter solstice, and is usually celebrated toward the chronological end of the typical calendar year, on the 21st of December. However, the actual date of the winter solstice varies from year to year, so most people will not actually be celebrating this Sabbat on the actual date if they stick to the 21st of December, because of the different times that the Sabbat will fall on depending on the time zone where you live and the imprecise nature of the Gregorian calendar, which does not keep track of the earth’s exact position in relation to the sun. A lot of people will consider this Sabbat to be some time between the 20th and the 23rd of December, for this reason. This Sabbat is a celebration of the light that helps to sustain us during the winter months when the days are shorter and the sun’s energy is not felt as strongly. Yule is often referred to as a “fire festival” because of its association with this fire. The yule festival is meant to be an invitation to the light of the sun that will begin to become stronger after the festival as we move along the wheel of time into the spring and summer seasons. The days will begin to become a little bit longer and the weather will be warmer after yule as well. In terms of the cycle of the moon, the yule festival is representative of the final quarter, or the period of time that comes immediately before the new moon, when the cycle will begin fresh and then will begin to wax again and move toward the full moon (or the summer),

inviting the warmth and heat of the sun just as the moon does during its waxing stages. The yule festival is usually help on the date of the winter solstice, or at least serves as a way to recognize the occurrence of the winter solstice. The winter solstice has been recognized and celebrated for several thousand years, with an origin almost as old as the human concept of the seasons themselves. Many different cultures, such as the Greeks and romans, celebrated the yule festivals as well, usually as a celebration for the births of new gods or goddesses. Christians also celebrate the yule holiday as a way to recognize the birth of Jesus Christ, as well. Many people will comment that Jesus was not actually “born on Christmas”, and this is the reason. His actual birthday would have been a little bit earlier in the year, but the Christians felt that the yule festival would have been a very appropriate time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who was a very holy figure and had a very strong connection to the God as well. The yule festival is thought to have come from old Norse festivals and celebrations, and is much older than Christianity, but has become very commonly associated with Christianity because of the perception that it is the day of the birth of Christ. However, there are some systems of beliefs that consider the yule festival, or the winter solstice, actually does mark the birth of a god. For example, in wiccan traditions, the yule is the day when the god is rebirthed after having been passed away during the Sabbat of Samhain which occurs in the month of October. This is often thought to be the reason for the lack of sunlight that accompanies the winter season, as well, since the god has died off in the period before yule and is being born and coming up during the period after the yule festival. The festival of yule is, before all else, a celebration of new life. However, it is

typically a very mild and calm holiday, symbolizing the frail state that the god will be in during this Sabbat. It is a very mild holiday that is usually celebrated inside the home, as it is also very cold during the winter seasons, and many people will gather their families within the home to celebrate this renewal of life. A lot of wiccans, as well as other people, will usually decorate their homes and their altars with branches of pine, spruce, or even hemlock as well as other kinds of plants such as holly or mistletoe, and other kinds of winter plants. This is the reason for the name of the aspect of the wiccan god of the winter, the “holly king”. Candles are a very important part of this Sabbat, of course, as it is often considered to be a festival of fire due to its strong connection with the birth of the god. Candles that are especially common during this Sabbat are colors like red, green, white, or gold. People who have a fireplace in their homes might also engage in the practice of burning a yule log during the festival, but a lot of people do not have fireplaces available to them. In these cases, the candles hat were mentioned previously will also be helpful, and many people will use them instead of the yule log in this case. Imbolc The next Sabbat, in the chronological order after the yule festival is referred to as embolic. Imbolc is commonly considered to be representative of the end of the Winter season. This is the first Sabbat that occurs during the typical Gregorian calendar year, as well. This Sabbat is representative of the beginning of the season of spring. This will be the time during the end of the winter season, as the wiccan god is rising up to take his throne, and the beginning of the spring symbolized his growing strength leading up to the season of summer when he will be at his strongest point. This is one of the greater Sabbats, or one of the cross quarter Sabbats that separates the year

into its eighths. The Sabbat of embolic is usually in the middle point between the welter solstice of yule and the spring equinox, and serves as a metric for the turning of the wheel of time. Imbolc is also sometimes referred to as “Brigid’s day”, or by a number of other names that you might even have heard of before. Other names for this Sabbat are Candlemas and the feast of torches, as well as “groundhog’s day”. Groundhog’s day is probably the name that you will probably be the most familiar with, and might give you a clue as to what specific day this Sabbat is celebrated on. Wiccans will usually use this time to take the opportunity to be thankful for the changing of the seasons as we move on into the warmer part of the year. During this Sabbat, the warmth of the sun will begin to allow new life to grow as trees and plants will begin to sprout. A lot of people who are particularly sensitive to these kinds of energies will probably be able to feel the warmth and the air of growth that can be experiences during this season, and especially during this Sabbat. The Sabbat of embolic is usually a celebration of beginnings. It is the first Sabbat of the typical calendar year and it represents the season of spring, as a sign of its approach. This is the time when the winter will begin to let up and people, as well as animals and plants hat have gone into hibernation, will begin to step out and become am little bit more active as the weather warms up after the harsh winter season. This is very commonly viewed as a period of growth and renewal, and of cleansing as well, related to the ability that the sun has to cleanse the earth and the things that live on the earth of negative energies. Similarly to the yule festival, a lot of people will perform rituals related to fire or light candles during this Sabbat in order to help the sun to begin to cleanse the world and allow the seeds of growth and change begin to

take root. A lot of witches will even take time to cleanse the tools that they use for their rituals by placing them under the sunlight in order to allow the sun to naturally wash away the residual energies of those objects. Just as the yule Sabbat has several colors that it is associated with and that will often be lit during its practices, embolic also has specific colors of candles that people will often use for their rituals that correspond to different meanings and intentions. The most common colors for candles that people will use during this season are whites, and warm colors like reds, yellows, and oranges. A lot of people will replace the winter plants like holly and mistletoe that they decorated their homes with during this time with newer spring flowers or with figurines of young animals. The name of the holiday of embolic comes from an old Irish word which refers to the birth of young lambs that usually happens during this season. A lot of people even translate the word of “embolic” to mean something like “ewe’s milk”, as well. For this reason, a lot of witches and wiccans will usually eat a little bit more dairy during this Sabbat, consuming foods that contain a little bit more milk, butter, cream, or cheese as an act of acknowledgement for this Sabbat. Some specific cultures or traditions will also include other kinds of spicier foods to represent the sun and its energy during this season as well. Ostara The second of the three Sabbats that come during the spring season, and the second Sabbat that comes during the typical Gregorian calendar year, is most commonly referred to as Ostara. This is the Sabbat that comes immediately after the Sabbat of embolic. It will usually fall on the spring equinox, similarly to the yule festival which occurs around the time of the winter solstice. This Sabbat is the official date that marks the beginning od the

spring season, as it falls on the day of the spring equinox. The most common date for this Sabbat is the 20th of march, which is around the time of the spring equinox. The actual date of the equinox can vary in the same way that the date of the winter equinox will vary because of the inconsistencies between the orbit of the sun and the earth and the typical Gregorian calendar that most people recognize. The equinox will also happen at a different time based on where you live on the earth, due to the differences in time zones. As such, the Sabbats that fall on the equinoxes and solstices will usually fall on a specific day each year instead of the three days that these equinoxes and solstices usually fall on. In many wiccan traditions, this Sabbat will symbolize the growth of the god and the potential that the god will be building at this point. Where the winter solstice represents the rebirth of the wiccan god, the spring equinox is representative of the god’s progression into adolescence and then on to reaching maturity and adulthood. This is also seen in the earth, as well, as it will usually become warmer during this time and new life will be springing up from the ground and growing stronger as the wheel of time moves forward and we move on into the spring and toward the season of summer, when the god will reach hos highest point of power. A lot of people will celebrate this Sabbat in a similar way to the other Sabbats, by decorating their homes and their altars in specific ways. During this Sabbat, most people will use things like fresh flowers or other kinds of green plants. Some people will use specific things like the petals from sprouting flowers to sprinkle across their altars or fresh spring water to symbolize the nourishing energy that will help the god to grow as much as he can and gain more power during this season. Many people will also use imagery of animals and other things that come u during the spring, like

rabbits or hares, or eggs. Pastel colors are also very common during this Sabbat and during the season in general. A lot of people will recognize these kinds of symbols as things that they associate with easter, which is a very similar holiday to this Sabbat of Ostara. Most of the magical spell work that people perform during this Sabbat and around the time of it will be focused on things like balance or growth. Beltane The next Sabbat that will be discussed is most commonly referred to as Beltane. This Sabbat falls between the Sabbats that occur during the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It represents the transition from the season of spring to the summer, and is connected very strongly to the god’s growth in power. During this stage of the god’s life cycle, he will be approaching the peak of his power, which will come during the summer solstice. This Sabbat is commonly associated with things like passion or fertility, and this is when the god will be rising in power more quickly than during any other time of the year. Beltane is a time that a lot of people will celebrate sexual energy, as this Sabbat is commonly seen as a time when the god and the goddess will come together, both having come to adulthood after their period of growth that occurs during the earlier stages in their life cycles. They will take this time to begin to create new life, allowing for progress as the wheel of time continues to spin and the seasons move forward along it throughout the year. During this time, the goddess will also be moving forward into her role as the mother as well, as part of this process of producing new life to continue to push the wheel of time forward. This Sabbat is known by a number of different names around the world and has held a number of different names at various points in time as well. For

example, some of these holidays are ones such as the roman Florala and “may day”. May day is a holiday that a lot of people will likely be familiar with, and is the origin of one of the most common methods of celebration that will be performed during this Sabbat, which is the dance around the may pole. The may pole is a very tall pole made of wood which is erected in order to represent male virility during this period when the god and the goddess are gathering in order to create new life. People will traditionally gather around the may pole and decorate it with a lot of very bright ribbons, which a lot of wiccans will still incorporate into their practices during this Sabbat as well. Beltane is also usually associated with the element of fire, as well, in a similar way to the other Sabbats. Many people will have “fire festivals” during this Sabbat as a way to honor the god and his connection to the sun. The name of this Sabbat, Beltane, actually comes from ancient Irish culture, and is the name of another holiday with similar purposes and meanings, when a lot of people would light fires that will allow them to purify their crops and livestock, protecting them from diseases and other kinds of negative energies. Some people will even jump over these bonfires as a way to ensure good luck during this time. The word Beltane literally translates from Celtic to mean “bright fire”, which makes it especially appropriate that fire is often used in the celebrations of this day. However, a lot of people do not have the means to build a large bonfire, as is traditional for this Sabbat. If this is the case for you, you might try to instead decorate your home and altar with imagery and with objects that are connected to the element of fire, instead. Litha The next Sabbat that will be discussed is most often referred to as “litha”. Light is typically celebrated on the day of the summer solstice. The summer solstice represents the beginning of the summer season, and as the day when

the earth will be furthest from the sun during its orbit, it is also the longest day of the year, and the shortest night. This is the day when the wiccan god, who represents the sun, will be at his strongest point, in a similar way to the goddess, who is at her strongest during the full moon. Also similar to the moon and the orbit that it follows, the fun will begin to decrease in power as the year goes on after this point, and it will seem to be waning as well. The days will begin to get shorter as we approach the fall and winter seasons, and the sun is beginning to set a little bit earlier up until the opposite date of the winter solstice when the god will be reborn again to begin his cycle through the new year. Much like the other Sabbats, the exit day of the summer solstice can be a little bit varied, so Litha will usually be celebrated on a specific day that is close enough to the date of the summer solstice in most years. June twenty first is the most common day for Litha to be celebrated, because it is in between the twentieth and the twenty first, which is the typical range that the summer solstice will happen during. However, if you wish to celebrate this Sabbat during thee exact time of the summer solstice, then you should try to find out when it will be for you because depending on where you live and the time zone that you are in, it will come at different times during the day, meaning that it might even be on a different day than your calendar might tell you. The goddess will also be directing her own energy during this time to allow the new life that has been growing during the earlier part of the year to reach their highest point of strength, which you might be able to notice in the animals and the crops that are growing and reaching maturity during this time of the year, mirroring the life cycle of the god as well. In a short amount of time, the god will be dying off to be reborn later in the year during the winter solstice, which will be represented by the harvest season, when a lot of crops

will be arrested and cleared in order to make room for new crops to be planted when the god is reborn again. As with many of the Sabbats, the element of fire is a very big part of the celebration of Litha because of its association with the god and the sun. A lot of people from ancient cultures used to celebrate the summer solstice with parades wherein they utilized fire from torches and lit large bonfires to represent the strength of the god, and his associations with the sun and the element of fire, which are both things that are also commonly associated with the season of summer as well. Some people also held traditions that were centered on the concept of balance between the elements of fire and air, which are commonly associated with the sun, and the elements of water and earth, which are most often associated with the moon and te goddess. These include things like building giant wheels out of wood to light on fire and roll downhill into a large body of water to represent this balance as well as the turning of the wheel of time. This tradition was also thought to act as a way to honor these elements and protect the lands from droughts during the hot summer season. Another very common tradition that a lot of people held was to use the summer solstice as an opportunity to gather herbs and fruit that grew in the wild, as a lot of them would be reaching maturity and becoming ripe during this time, and could be most effectively used for magic rituals and medicinal benefits, which led to a welsh name for this holiday, which is “gathering day”. Just as the yule Sabbat has several colors that it is associated with and that will often be lit during its practices, Litha also has specific colors of candles that people will often use for their rituals that correspond to different meanings and intentions. The most common colors for candles that people will use during this season are colors that are commonly associated with the season of summer, like yellows, greens, and blues. These will be helpful for

you to remember, as a lot of people will usually keep at least one flame lit throughout the day as a way to celebrate the sun and the warmth that it provides. Many people will also decorate their homes and their altars with fruit and herbs that grow during the summer as well, or have picnics outside with a lot of fresh fruit or vegetables that grow during the summer season, as well. And, of course, because of its connection with the god and the sun, the Sabbat of Litha can be a particularly good time to perform magical rituals or spell work that are related to the element of fire or masculine energies or qualities. Lammas The next of the “greater Sabbats”, which occur during the mid-points between the Sabbats that come during the solstices and equinoxes which will be discussed is referred to most commonly as Lammas. This Sabbat is one of the more important days on the wheel of the year to most wiccan traditions, as well, as it falls between the summer solstice Sabbat of Litha and the fall equinox’s Sabbat, which is referred to as mason. Because of this timing, Lammas is often thought to represent the start of the autumn harvest. The Sabbat of Lammas is somewhat unique, as it will usually be the hottest day in the season of summer, while also coming at the end of the season, and will be the first time when a lot of the signs that accompany the season of autumn will show themselves as well. This will be the time when fruit will begin to fall from the trees that they grow on, and when crops will usually begin to be ready for harvesting. This is also the time when the days will begin to be noticeably shorter than during the previous Sabbat, as the sun and the god begin to wane in strength. A lot of wiccans from certain traditions also believe that the god will channel his strength into the crops that will be harvested during this time, and will send the last bits of his essence and strength into the crops before he passes away at the end of his life to be

reborn again during the winter solstice. The wheat from the first crop harvest will also be used as an ingredient for the “first bread” of the autumn harvest as well. In the past, this bread would also typically be brought to a church so that it could be blessed on an altar as a sign of respect for the god. This tradition is actually the origin of the name for this Sabbat, too. The name of Lammas originally came from a phrase which meant “loaf mass”. A majority of the different kinds of celebrations and rituals that are performed during this Sabbat have to do with the harvest that typically begins during the Lammas, such as the baking of the first bread, or other traditions that are commonly practiced on this Sabbat. For example, a lot of people will also make a “corn doll”, which is just a simple doll that is made from corn husks and straw, and is meant to be used to assist with magical rituals and spell work. It is very common for wiccans to place these dolls on their altar, as well as candles and other things that are colored with warm colors that are commonly associated with the season of autumn, such as yellows, oranges, browns, and reds, and other kinds of symbols that are used to represent this season, like scythes, which are very common symbols of the harvest, or baskets to hold the bread that they have baked from the wheat of the first harvest. A lot of people will usually have a “Lammas feast” as well, which will usually involve that bread, and other vegetables and fruit that are commonly associated with the end of the summer, like corn and other kinds of grains. Lammas is also sometimes referred to by the name of Lughnasa, which was an old festival that the Celtic people celebrated on the same days as the Lammas Sabbat which was meant to honor their sun god named Lugh, which can be translated to mean “shining one”. The sun god laugh was also associated with a lot of other skills that had to do with creation as well, such as poetry, magic, smiting, and building. A legend that came from the Celtic

people also claims that laugh himself started the festival of Lammas, which was originally a competition of athletes and sportsmen that was meant to honor laugh’s mother, Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion after having cleared out the fields of Ireland to make way for the crops that would be planted in those fields. Lugh was also thought to be a very skilled warrior as well, which is another reason why a lot of people will celebrate the Lammas by competing in games and sports, as a way to honor him as well as Tailtiu. Regardless of the specific methods of giving thanks and recognizing or honoring the achievements of the god, the intention of giving thanks will typically remain the same regardless of the particular tradition in question. Mabon The next Sabbat that will be discussed is most commonly referred to as Mabon. Mabon is the Sabbat that is celebrated on or near the time of the autumn equinox, and it is a celebration of the harvest, similarly to Lammas. Mabon, as well as the Sabbats of Lammas, which comes before Mabon, and Samhain, which comes after Mabon, make up the three harvest festivals that honor the god in his death before he is reborn again at the yule. Mabon is also very similar to the Sabbat that occupies the space on the opposite side of it on the wheel of the year, which is Ostara, which falls on the other equinox during the spring. During both of these Sabbats, the sun and the earth will be between their closest and furthest points of orbit, which means that the days and the nights will each take the same amount of time to complete. Just like the other Sabbats, the exact date and time that this Sabbat will fall on can vary because of the differences between the actual orbits of the earth and the sun, which means that this Sabbat is usually celebrated on s specific day that falls within the typical range during which the autumn equinox will

occur. The twenty second of September is the most common day that people will typically celebrate this Sabbat, but the actual range that the equinox will fall on is between the twenty first and the twenty fourth of September. These dates are also significant because the date that the harvest moon falls on is based on these dates as well; whichever Esbat comes on the date that is closest to the autumn equinox will typically claim the name of “harvest moon”. Mabon also signifies the official end of the summer season as well, and this is the point when the days will begin to be shorter than the nights and the sky will begin to darken earlier. The weather will usually begin to be a little bit colder around this time, and trees will begin to shed their leaves before the winter. This Sabbat typically marks the time when the wiccan god will be preparing for his death, and he will be growing weaker in strength until that day. Mabon is also similar to the Sabbat of Ostara because of its emphasis on balance. Traditionally, this Sabbat would serve as a reminder that everything is temporary and that nature needs to balance itself out in order for the wheel of time to be able to move forward as it needs to do. While the god reached his peak in the summer, he will need to fall during the season of autumn and pass away so that he can be reborn for the new year. All Sabbats are occasions to express gratitude to the God and Goddess for the blessings in our lives, but Mabon is particularly so, coming at the height of the harvest season. Traditionally, this was a very busy and physically exhausting time. This holiday provided a brief rest from toiling in the fields — a day to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the labor thus far. In these modern times, most of us are not involved in agriculture, but we can still take a moment to rest from our labor and relax, appreciating all that we have. It is a time to recognize the need for balance between work and play. But how should you celebrate Mabon? For starters, Mabon rituals can include

decorating your altar with acorns, pine cones, seasonal fruits and nuts, and/or a few of the first colored leaves that drop from the trees. As with Lamas, harvest imagery like scythes and baskets can be used. Candles and altar cloths in autumn colors like rusty red, orange, brown, and gold are appropriate. If you have a feast, whether solo or with others, include seasonal vegetables like onions, potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables. Spell work related to protection and security is appropriate now, as are workings for selfconfidence, prosperity, harmony and balance. If you are one who struggles with seasonal depression during the fall and winter months, use this time to set an intention for inner peace and strength. You might make and charge a talisman for this purpose, to accompany you through the next two seasons. Other names for this day include Harvest Tide, Harvest Home, Second Harvest and Wine Harvest. Some Pagans simply refer to it as the Autumn (or Fall) Equinox. The name “Mabon” is a rather recent name for the Sabbat, coming into usage in the late 20th century. Mabon was a Welsh mythological figure whose origins are connected to a divine “mother and son” pair, echoing the dual nature of the relationship between the Goddess and the God. Whichever name you choose, enjoy your celebration and give thanks for the bounty of the Earth. Samhain The third and final harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year is Samhain, observed on October 31. This Sabbat marks the end of the growing season and the beginning of Winter, which must be prepared for now in earnest. Herbs are dried for winter storage, fruits and vegetables are canned and preserved, and root vegetables are dug up and stored so they may nourish us through the cold months. The word “Samhain” comes from the old Irish and is thought by many to translate as “Summer’s end.”

While the cycles of life and death are implicitly recognized at every Sabbat, Samhain is when the necessary role of death is formally honored. The nights grow noticeably longer with each day. The God retreats now into the shadows of the dark season, symbolically dying back to the Earth before being reborn again at Yule. Many Wiccans and other Pagans consider this to be the most important day on the Wheel, a time when the veil between the spirit world and the mundane world is at its thinnest. Our ancestors and loved ones on the Other Side are said to be more easily able to visit with us and make their presence known at this time. Samhain is arguably the most visible Sabbat in the mainstream world, thanks to the parallel holiday of Halloween. Many of the Halloween traditions celebrated in contemporary cultures today have grown out of customs dating back to pagan times. As far back as ancient Greece, people were leaving offerings of food to their ancestors, which is echoed in the modern tradition of trick-or-treating. The practice of leaving root vegetables, hollowed out with lighted candles inside, to guide spirits visiting on Earth ultimately led to today’s jack-o-lanterns. Witches, of course, have always been part of mainstream Halloween lore. And although they have almost always been presented as “evil” caricatures with no resemblance to the real thing, there’s still a lingering association between the spirit of Halloween and the real power of a Witch. Samhain rituals will honor the God’s passing and give thanks to both God and Goddess for the abundance and well-being experienced over the past year. Feasts featuring the foods of the final harvest are a wonderful way to celebrate. We also honor our ancestors and invite them to visit with us. You might decorate your altar with pictures of your deceased loved ones in addition to fall foliage, apples and nuts, dried herbs and even jack-o-lanterns. Many people will leave a plate of food and drink out for any spirits who

happen to wander by. Often called the Feast of Hecate, this is one of the most popular Samhain traditions, and it stems from the worship of this goddess of the underworld in ancient Greece. Samhain is one of the most powerful nights of the year for spell work and divination. Magical workings related to just about anything will receive an extra boost, but waning-moon work will have the most potent effect. Banishing’s, protection spells, clearing of obstacles and astral projection are particularly favored. Scribing, tarot reading, rune casting and any other form of divination you practice will bring you very clear results, as well as possibly a visit from an ancestor or spirit guide. Be open to doing inner work as well—reflecting on what you’d like to let go of and what you’d like to improve in yourself over the coming year. For the ancient Celts, Samhain was the end of the old year and the start of the new. Rather than having four distinct seasons marked by the quarter points of the solar year, the Celtic year was divided into a dark half and a light half. The year began with the first day of the dark half, which is November 1st, but because the Celtic day began at night, Samhain falls on October 31st. Many, if not most Wiccans begin their Wheel of the Year on this day as well.

The Esbats Once every four weeks, or 29.5 days, the moon completes another cycle along its path. During this time, there will be a full moon. This is often referred to as an “Esbat”. Of course, as there are either 12 or 13 full moons throughout a full calendar year, there are also 12 or 13 Esbats, with the same number that there are full moons. These Esbats are often considered to be the spokes of a secondary wheel of the year, very similarly to the “real one”, which follows the sun’s orbit relative to the earth. They split up the year by the cycles of the moon in the same way that the Sabbats split up the year based on the different sections or stages of the god’s life cycle. The Esbats are the lunar equivalent to the Sabbats, and provide a similar function to the Sabbats as well. During these full moons and their corresponding Esbats, the moon is at the most powerful stage that it will reach throughout that cycle just as the god will be at his most powerful during the summer solstice. A lot of wiccans will use the energy that is produced by the moon during the full moons in order to perform particularly important or urgent spell work, and to generally strengthen their connection with the moon. A lot of people will observe the full moons on their own as well, allowing their own energies to merge with those of other people who might be connecting with the moon during that same time as well, which can be very helpful for individual practitioner who do not belong to a large coven that they can gather with during this time. The Esbats are also very similar to the Sabbats because the ways that they are celebrated might change from person to person and depending on the specific culture or tradition that you might belong to. However, they are always centric on the moon and on the goddess, and the Esbats will be used as an opportunity to connect with the moon and strengthen your connections with

the moon and the goddess through your spell work and by performing certain kinds of rituals. Many wiccans will assign specific kinds of intentions and goals with each of the Esbats, as well. This is the reason that a lot of people will refer to the full moons by specific names, like the harvest moon or a blue moon. Some people will even call on a specific goddess from another culture or tradition during the Esbats who is particularly well suited or aligned with the purpose of the spell work that they are performing or with the intentions that they have set during this moon and its cycle. Greek and roman goddesses will be especially common, but different people will have different goddesses that they respect and might call on during these times. A very significant part of the Esbats are the rituals and spell work that is performed during them. They might not always be the primary focus of the Esbats, but a lot of covens might tend to perform spell work that is meant to benefit or help one of the members of that coven or the coven as a collective, or they might even work to help their community or the world as a whole. Every coven will be different and will have different practices depending on the specific coven in question. Individual people who practice these kinds of rituals and spell work, however, might seek more personal things like the betterment of themselves or for people who they are close with. This is not always the case, and an individual witch might also tend to perform spell work that is intended to help other larger groups of people, but again that will vary depending on the specific person and their own goals and intentions. The kind of magic that can be performed during the full moon is much broader and can be applied to a number of different kinds of purposes, but usually it will be used for the invitation of positive energies or general well being. As has been mentioned briefly earlier in this chapter, the Esbats align with the full moons, meaning that there will usually be 12 Esbats within one year.

However, every so often there will also be an event which is referred to as the blue moon, which is the 13th full moon that comes within a single calendar year, because of the pace that the mon keeps in relation to the earth and the sun. There will typically be a blue moon about every two and one half years. Since the moon has a cycle that lasts about 29 and one half days, and each month is typically 30 to 31 days, of which there are only 12, this means that the 13th full moon will usually be the second one to occur within one month, instead of simply being the last full moon to come within the calendar year. Of course, February can never have a blue moon because of its duration of 28 (or 29 days during the leap year) days, which means that there is not enough time for two lunar cycles to pass within the month of February. However, all of the other months can have a blue moon. If there are two moons within one month, the first full moon will typically be considered to be that month’s moon, and will receive its normal name as usual. The second one will then be the blue moon. Blue moons are often considered to have a very unusual and rare kind of energy, as they are themselves unusual and rare, and can even sometimes be considered to be more powerful than the ordinary full moons. A lot of wiccans and magical practitioners will perform special rituals during the blue moon, with unique purposes when compared to the kinds of rituals and magical work that is performed during the other full moons. However, the other full moons are each named for specific kinds of energies that they possess, and the associations that they carry. Aside from the blue moon, the Esbats and their corresponding moons will be listed here for reference: The first full moon of the year, of course, belongs to the month of January, and it is referred to as the wolf moon. This Esbat is commonly associated

with the wolf, which comes from the Anglo Saxon calendar of the moon. The wolf moon also has a few other common names, as well, such as the ice moon or the snow moon, as well as the old moon and the moon after yule. While the wolf moon has sometimes been referred to as the snow moon, the full moon that belongs to February more accurately fits this name, as January has a different kind of energy. As such, the Esbat that belongs to February is referred to as the snow moon, after the snow that falls during this month. However, it has also been known by other names such as the hunger moon, due to the dwindling resources that have accompanied the end of the winter, during which resources have been scarce. The full moon that belongs to the month of march is also the last one of the season of winter. Because of the ending of the winter season, the earth will be warming up, and worms will be emerging from the earth, coming out of a hibernation during this time. For this reason, the full moon for this month has been named the worm moon. However, there are a few other names that have been given to this moon, such as the crust moon, the sap moon, and the sugar moon, all for similar reasons, as well as the crow moon and the chaste moon. April’s full moon is often called by the name of the pink moon, as a reference to the pink flowers that will usually be blooming during this month, as the beginning of the spring season. This moon has also been given several other titles, such as the egg moon, the hare moon, the fish moon, and the sprouting grass moon. The full moon that belongs to the month of may is normally called by the name of the flower moon, for similar reasons as the name of the “pink moon” in april. Some of the other titles that have been given to the moon for this month are the milk moon and the corn planting moon. The full moon that belongs to the month of June has been given the name of

the strawberry moon. This is the time when strawberries will be beginning to ripen. Other names that have been given to the full moon of this month are the mead moon, the hot moon, and the rose moon. July’s full moon has been given the title of the buck moon, as a way to recognize the bucks that will be growing their antlers during this time of the year. Some of the other names that have been given to this moon are the word moon, the hay moon, and the thunder moon. The full moon that belongs to the month of august is most commonly referred to as the sturgeon moon, as there are a large number of these fish in the lakes that were frequently used for fishing by the Algonquin tribes. Some other names that have been given to the sturgeon moon are the barley moon, the grain moon, the fruit moon, the corn moon, and the green moon. The full moon that belongs to the month of September is most commonly referred to by a name that a lot of people will probably be familiar with; the harvest moon. Some other names that have been given to this moon are the corn moon and the barley moon. However, the harvest moon is technically the moon that is closest to the date of the 22nd of September. This means that every so often, the harvest moon will actually happen in the month of October instead of September. The harvest moon is the only one that is given its name based on the date when it happens, instead of the month that it belongs to. This is the reason for the shared names between the august and September full moons, like barley and corn. The full moon that belongs to the month of October is most commonly referred to as the hunter’s moon. Of course, every so often this moon will also be called the harvest moon, depending on the date that it falls on. These names come from the preparations that need to be made during this month for the winter. Some of the other names that have been given to this moon are the

blood moon, the sanguine moon, and the dying grass moon. Of course, the name “blood moon” is also given to a total lunar eclipse, which can make it somewhat confusing to hear that name, and this is part of the reason for the change in name that has been given to October’s full moon. The full moon that belongs to the month of November is often referred to as the beaver moon, for the animal which becomes much more active during this month as it makes its preparations for the winter. Some of the other names that have been given to this month are the frosty moon and the oak moon, which it shares with the month of December. Some people will also call the November full moon by the name of the mourning moon, as it is usually the last full moon before the winter solstice. The full moon that belongs to the month of December is most commonly referred to as the cold moon, as it will usually come during the peak of the winter season. Sometimes, it will also be referred to as the oak moon, a name which it shares with the moon from the month of November, as well as other names like the moon before yule, or the wolf moon, which it shares with the month of January.

Chapter 4: Transform your Life with the Phases of The Moon

When a lot of people imagine a witch, they will usually picture a shadowed figure who is performing magical rituals under the light of the full moon. This image is false in a lot of ways, but in other ways, it can also be somewhat accurate. As you might have learned while reading this book, a lot of witches will actually gather under the fool moon, because of the strength of the energy that the moon provides during this time, taking advantage of this energy in order to strengthen their own energies and their spell work. The reason that a lot of witches will be attracted by the moon is because of the power that the moon possesses and that it can give to us, especially during the full moon. The moon is a very powerful body, and has a very strong impact on all areas of life on earth. It controls the ebbs and the flows of the tides of

the oceans, the emotions and feelings of humans and other living beings, and even the menstrual cycles of human women. The moon can also affect the magic that we perform, as well. A lot of witches will tend to ignore the phases of the moon, and will form their own habits which are centered on themselves and their own energies, as opposed to the energies of the moon and the sun. A lot of people will even center their magic primarily around the sun, instead, focusing on the power of the god to empower their magic. Every individual person will be different, and not everyone will consider the same things to be as important as others and as other people do;. The techniques that will work for one person might not necessarily work for other people. However, the people who do align their schedules and their magic with the phases of the moon will probably find that their magic is empowered during the full moon, or during the phase of the moon that is best aligned with the intentions that they have and the kind of magic that they perform, or that they are performing. This can be thought of as similar to swimming with the tide in the ocean or the flow of a river, as opposed to trying to swim against it. One way, you will find yourself moving forward much more quickly and much more easily, whereas if you try to move in the opposite direction, you might find it much harder to move forward, or you might even continue to move backward instead, if the water is pushing you back at a faster pace than you are able to push yourself forward. A lot of people who practice moon magic still might perform magic rituals or spell work to achieve the same or similar effects regardless of the particular time of the month, however. This is possible because of the different kinds of energies that the moon will produce throughout its cycle and the different ways that we are able to use those energies. For example, if you are trying to lose weight or become healthier, then there are a lot of different ways that you can do that, and there are a lot of different kinds of spells that you can

perform in order to achieve that effect based on the phase of the moon. This is very similar to the kind of thinking tat you might need to perform if you are making wishes that will be granted by a genie. You will need to phrase your requests very careful, in order to achieve the best effects. If you want to perform a magical ritual to help you to be healthier during the waxing phases of the cycle of the moon, then you might go into it with the intentions of increasing your will power or strength, and helping you to overcome your cravings or temptations toward certain kinds of unhealthy foods. However, if you want to do this during the later half of the cycle of the moon when the moon will be waning, you will want to cast a spell to help you to dismiss those cravings or release negative energies that might be indirectly causing you to be more likely to succumb to those cravings or temptations. In the same way, certain kinds of goals that you might be trying to reach will be better for different kinds of energies and different phases, which means that you can change the purpose of your spells instead of the specifics of the spell work that you perform, in order to create the strongest effects in your magical rituals. With any kind of spell work, it will be very important to consider your intentions and the reasons for the spells that you are performing, and plan your magical work around those intentions and the kind of energies that will be best suited toward the kind of intentions that you have during that time. The more specific you are with your intentions and the time that you keep with the moon or other sources of strength that you utilize, the more effective your spells will usually be. A lot of people will keep a much more meticulous kind of schedule with the moon, even doing things like visiting planetary or by calculating the specific positions of the moon and the sun, to help them with their magical spell work. Some people will simply experiment and see what works for them based on trial and error, and will use the results of their spells and the ways that the energy that they produce from

the moon and the sun in order to fine tune the times that work best for them and the kinds of spells that they perform during those times. This can be very helpful, if you want to be more exact in the timing that you use for your moon spells. However, it is also very important to remember that magic, by definition, is not an exact science. In order to achieve the best results, you should try to use these positions in a general sense, while allowing for some variation with the specific timings and energies that you will be using. In this way, moon magic is a lot like cooking or other kinds of art forms. A lot of the things that you will do with regards to your moon magic will be based on feelings, and you can usually intuit the specific kinds of energies that you will be able to use more effectively. Sometimes these energies might not be what you might have calculated on paper, which can actually make it more difficult to achieve the desired effects with your magic if you rely too much on those kinds of calculations and expectations. You should try to experiment as often as you can, playing around with different timings for your spells in order to find out what will usually work best for you and picking out any patterns that you notice based on that experimentation. The moon has always been seen as a source of power and strength, and humans have always seemed to be inspired by it, using it for a number of different purposes. The word “moon” even comes for a Greek word, which meant “measure” as it was often used to count the days and the months because of its consistent cycled. A lot of different holidays around the world are based on specific dates that are significant because of or to the moon, or come from celebrations that were started as celebrations of certain lunar events. The reason for the duration of the 2 months of the typical Gregorian calendar is the duration of the cycle of the moon as well, and this structure for calculating the days and months of the year by the moon has been used

for many centuries, and possibly even millennia. Of course, the time that the moon will take to perform a full orbit around the earth is a little bit shorter than the duration of a month, but this is simply because the schedule that we keep for the year has been shaped by a combination of the moon and the sun’s orbits relative to the earth. Because of this, calendars tend to “split the difference’ which is why February still has 28 (or 29) days, while the other months have been given varying numbers of days, which are either 30 or 31 depending on the month. The Egyptians were some of the first people to develop a calendar based on the cycles of the moon. Of course, a lot of merchants and farmers would use the moon to help them to know when they should plant their crops and when to harvest them, but everyone needed to remember the schedules of the moon in order to be able to remember when the Nile river would usually flood, so that they could avoid it. In this way, the metric that the moon provided for the passage of time was very helpful in allowing the Egyptians to be able to grow and o flourish. This is also a very significant contributor to the modern concept that people have of time and the way that it works, as well as the structures of the calendars and the different months. While later cversions of the modern calendar would be based more closely around the sun than on the moon, one of the first calendars that was developed by the Egyptian people was centered entirely around the moon because of the more short term time that it would keep of 29.5 days, instead of one full year, which was initially a little bit more difficult to measure out. Some people, such as wiccans and other people who practice other kinds of moon centric magical rituals, will still use the moon in this way today. Even a lot of animals will use the light of the moon in order to help them to remember when they should do certain things; Sea turtles will lay their eggs on the beach to hatch, and the newly hatched turtles will follow the light of the moon toward the ocean where they will begin to grow. A lot of fish and

other kinds of aquatic creatures will use the different phases of the moon to do things like mating and spawning as well, depending on the particular phase that the moon is in. A lot of animals, both in the oceans and on land, will simply be more active during specific phases of the lunar cycle, as well. A lot of ancient cultures used to use the moon to help the to predict things like the weather based on the patterns of the moon and how they correspond to different kinds of weather, a practice which was also sometimes referred to as magic in the past because of the lack of understanding that a lot of people had of these kinds of effects and the gravitational fields that were produced and how they were related to the moon and the sun, which were though to orbit around the earth. Seven things like natural disasters will usually come during times when the moon and its influence on us are particularly weak, like tornadoes and hurricanes, which are usually recognized to be a little bit more common during the new moon and the full moon. There is also usually a slightly higher chance of rain during these times, as well, because of the varying distance that the moon will have to the earth and the ways that the gravitational pull that comes from the moon can affect the water in the clouds, causing them to be a little bit more likely to fall as rain in some cases. A lot of people will even perform specific chores or tasks during certain parts of the month as well. Some people will deliberately wait until the final to quarters of the lunar cycle to perform tasks like building fences, because it was often said that a fence would last much longer if the posts and their foundations were set during the waning stages of the lunar cycle. Some people will also set their fishing lures during the waxing stages of the lunar cycle as well, and will do their fishing during the waning stages as well. Some people have even scheduled their weddings so that they are within about two days of the full moon in order to assure that their marriages are

healthy and happy. The different phases of the moon and the specific kinds of effects that most people will find that they are able to achieve the greatest effects with will be listed here: New Moon: This is, of course, the first phase of the lunar cycle. This is often considered to be a time of renewal, when spell work that is meant to help with the beginnings of new relationships or endeavors will be especially strong. Other kinds of spells that have a similar purpose will also be especially helpful. The new moon is a time of change and new beginnings, and you will find it a lot easier to find and embrace new opportunities as well. Waxing Moon: When the moon is beginning to wax, it is growing in power as it literally appears to grow in size. As it moves forward from the new seeds that have been planted during the new moon, spell work that is aimed toward an increase in power or strength will also be especially helpful. This stage of the lunar cycle is a time for growth, and you will find that you have a much easier time learning new things or gaining new knowledge during this time. The waxing moon can also symbolize fertility, and will be a very beneficial and healthy time for pregnant women. However, the emotional states of a lot of people will also be amplified, and they will be especially sensitive during this time. Because of this, communication is very important in both the personal and professional lives. Magical work that helps with these things will be much more effective than it otherwise would be during the waxing moon. Waning Moon: When the moon is beginning to wane, it will begin to appear to decrease in size. As it does, it will also begin to decrease in power as well as it moves past the full moon, when it is at its strongest point. This is the time to perform spell work that is aimed toward letting go of certain kinds of energies or negativity. If you are wishing to change something within your

life, this will be the perfect time to try to do it. If certain things that you have been doing have not been working particularly well, then the waning stages of the moon will be the best time to let go of those things. Full Moon: This phase is when the moon is at its strongest, and produces the strongest energies. The full moon enhances our perceptions and our awareness, and gives us more insight than we would normally have. The full moon is very helpful for introspection, as well as for emotional awareness. You will also be able to use this time to begin to accomplish your goals and to finish projects that have been left unfinished.

Days A lot of people will also believe that the ten days that come immediately after the full moon, or sometimes the new moon, will also be significant in their own ways. People who are aware of the specific energies that these days have will also be able to use these energies for the benefit of themselves or for other people. The first day can be very similar to the new moon. It will be very useful for things like beginning new projects. A lot of people will say that these are ery lucky days for new babies to be born on, as they represent renewal and beginnings, as with the process of birth. However, the first day is also a very unlucky day for people who become ill during this day. Usually, if you contract some form of sickness during this first day, it will be much more difficult for you to recover from that illness, and it will usually take much longer to do so as well. The second day can be compared to the waxing phases of the lunar cycle, similarly to the way the new moon can be associated with the first day. During the second day, rising or growing energies will be particularly strong. This is a good time to encourage growth and progress. The third day is often associated with more negative things, and is commonly considered to be a day wherein a lot more theft will occur than usual. However, thievery that happens on the third day will also result in negative consequences, as well. A lot of thieves who act during this day will be caught very quickly as well. The fourth day is very commonly associated with structure. Building t or constructing things will be very successful on the fourth day. Children who are born on the fourth day are also often thought to be attracted to things like

politics or law as future career paths due to their rigid stances on those kinds of topics and stable senses of morality. The fifth day is often thought to be another very lucky day for new life, in a similar way to the first day. However, the fifth day is more commonly associated with conception. A lot of people will believe that the weather on the fifth day will also be a good indication of the way that the weather will be for the remainder of the month. This is also a very good time for coming up with new ideas or concepts for future endeavors. The sixth day is a very good day for doing things like introspection and meditation. A lot of people will often consider the sixth day to be very good for indulgence or for rewarding yourself for your accomplishments. This day is also commonly considered to be a good day to begin a holiday or vacation, as well a s a very good day to begin an adventure or to explore new things. The seventh day is often considered to be a very lucky day, as with its association with a number that is very commonly considered to be lucky itself. This is a very good day to find luck or to have faith in yourself or in the world around you. The eighth day is commonly considered to be a very calm and mild day, which possesses a very low and weak kind of energy. Similarly to the first day, if you get sick during the eighth day it might be particularly difficult for you to return to good health. It can be very easy to become sick on the eighth day, if you have been neglecting your physical health. If you do become sick, you will want to take time to allow yourself to relax and recover. You might also notice that you are very sensitive during this day, as well, both physically and mentally. The ninth day is often considered to be a somewhat unusual in comparison to the other days on this list. A lot of people will tend to advise you to try to

avoid looking toward the moon during the ninth day, because the energy that is produced on this day will be somewhat unsettling and uncomfortable. Some people will even say that looking toward the moon on this day can be bad for your skin as well. The tenth day is also considered to be somewhat unusual and have a little bit of a slightly different energy similarly to the ninth day’s full moons. The energy that is produced during the tenth day is also often considered to make people feel uncomfortable or on edge. A lot of people will become anxious or experience a lot of stress during this day. Children will be especially erratic and energetic during the tenth day. Because of this kind of wild energy that is often produced during this day, it is often very important to be patient and to avoid rushing the things that you do. You will want to take time and make sure that you are doing things right on the tenth day. When you are casting spells or performing magical rituals, as well as other kind of magical acts, it will also be very important to take note of the days of the week, as they will also have their own kind of energy that is specific to that day and which can either help or harm the spell work that you perform depending on the day and the spells. Monday, for example, is very similar to the new moon or to the first day, as it is often considered to be the first day of the typical work week. The energy that is produced on these days can be very helpful for building inspiration or allowing yourself to be much more aware or awake. You will find it much easier to come up with new ideas and to be creative on Mondays, as well as starting new projects. Tuesday is a very stable day, and is often considered to be helpful in building confidence or strength, both physical and mental. Tuesdays are also often associated with healing energies.

Wednesday is often considered to be a very planning heavy day, and possesses a very careful energy. This is usually thought to be a very good day to schedule a job interview or to handle matters related to work or to the future. Research and other similar tasks will usually go especially well on Wednesdays, and if you are planning a vacation then it is usually best to do it on a Wednesday. Thursdays are often considered to be very helpful to taking care of spiritual matters. They are also often considered to be good for things related to psychic energies or the occult. A lot of people will tend to be much more mentally keen on Thursdays than on Fridays, which makes it a very good day to take care of things like finances or mental tasks. Fridays are often considered to be very good days for things like recreating things or reimagining things that already exist. These are very good days to do things like redecorating your house or rearranging furniture, because of the energy that is produced on these days and their ability to help change. Fridays can also be very good days for new beginnings in your romantic life. If you are trying to find a good chance to take a leap with a person who you are interested in romantically, Fridays are great days on which to do so. Saturdays are commonly considered to be good days for planning, especially if you are planning things related to your home or personal life. Saturdays are very good days for things like making plans for the next week or for doing things for yourself. Things like abandoning habits or patterns that might not be very beneficial to you or forming new healthy habits can be very successful on Saturdays. This is also a very good day for change for similar reasons, so if you are planning on kicking a bad habit, then Saturday is a very good day to start on. Sundays are usually thought to be very spiritual days. This is the day that

Christians will go to church for worship, and is often referred to as the lord’s day. Christians will usually take Sundays to relax and practice quiet introspection on Sundays, and will visit their church for the weekly sermon. This is because the energy that is produced on Sundays is very closely related to the spirit and the mind. A lot of people will find that they have a much easier time making difficult decisions on Sundays and that they will be much more insightful on these days than they might normally be. Sundays can be very good days to find answers to issues that are troubling you because of this, as well as recognizing your relationships with other people and acknowledging them and your bonds. If you are struggling with a personal issue that you can not seem to understand, then Sunday will be a very good day to try to figure it out.

Chapter 5: Moon Spells

There are a few things that you will want to remember, that have not been discussed very deeply in this book so far, when you are performing your spells, that can affect the ways that they function and their effectiveness. These will be listed here: The first thing that you will need to keep in mind is to trust that your spell will do its work and have faith in that. Your magical intention is the basis of every spell that you will perform, and if you don’t have faith in the spell that you perform and that it will work, then it simply won’t. If you get too focused on worrying about whether your spell will work or how it will work, it can affect the way that the spell works in a negative way. Just have faith and let the spell work its magic.

While it is important to be faithful in that your spell will work, it is also important that you have realistic explanations. Your love spell isn’t likely to inexplicably and randomly cause a mail order bride to mistakenly wind up at your door, in the same way that a wealth spell won’t cause an ATM to fly through your window and fly open tomorrow morning. If you focus a love spell onto a specific person, you should already have a strong connection with that person in order for the spell to work, as well as a number of ethical reasons that should stop you from trying to give your childhood crush a love potion, like you’re a cartoon character with no regard for the consequences of their actions. You should try to manage your expectations, in order to avoid disappointment when unrealistic things don’t happen for no reason. You should try not to be vague. If you are not clear about your intentions, the universe will not be able to “understand” them very well, and your spell might work in odd ways or even not at all. Your spells are simply your own energy being channels through specific means, so to the universe, your spell will be given a sort of “telephone” effects, where if you aren’t very clear about your intentions, then they will be “misunderstood”, and this is bad for a number of different reasons. Try to be as specific as you can about your intentions when you cast your spells. Another important thing to do will be to make sure that you are staying present throughout the process of executing your spell. If you get distracted and stop focusing on your intentions while you are performing your spell, you might end up altering the way that the spell works, or even cause it to not work at all. Additionally, you will be channeling your own energy and intentions through your spells, so you might feel the vibrations of those energies. You might notice those kinds of tingling sensations, and you might also be more aware of things around you, like sounds, temperatures, or other kinds of changes in the environment. However, you should not be surprised

or disappointed if this state of high energy or your awareness of your surroundings fades when you finish casting your spell. You won’t be actively channeling that energy anymore, so you won’t be as aware of those kinds of things once you’re finished. You should also keep in mind that the times that it will take for spells to be realized can vary depending on a number of different factors. You might notice that some spells require a little bit more time. With these ones especially, it can be very important for you to continue to be aware and continue to look out for the effects of the spell. You should be watching for consistent patterns or events that you encounter after your spell has been cast, or any shifts in your current situation with regards to the intention of your spell, especially ones that are especially unusual. Remember, also, that you will need to avoid becoming too focused on the ways that your spell will manifest. You should be trying to find a good balance between being aware and open, looking for the effects of your spell while also avoiding becoming too focused on looking for something too specific or unrealistic. Finally, the rule of three will also be incredibly important to remember. When you cast a spell and release your energies or intentions into the world, whether those are positive or negative, they will also be sent back to you. The rule of three states that they will come back to you three times, either multiplied in intensity or frequency. This is similar to the concept of “karma”. When you cast a spell or perform any kind of action, even non magical ones, you should remember that your actions will eventually come back to you in some form Having the right intentions is a very important part of Wicca, and should be remembered at all times in order to help keep balance and make the world a better, healthier place for everyone.

Moon Spells To Help You Get Started New Moon Spells You don’t have to believe in magic to believe in or perform a new moon ritual. When you perform a spell or ritual, you take the time to stop and think clearly about what you want in life and focus for an extended period of time on that intention. Simply getting clear about what you want makes it more likely that you will achieve that outcome, but the extended nature of some spells (like leaving a crystal grid out) serves as a daily reminder of your intention. This can help you stay focused on your goals. A new moon ritual to attract a job opportunity: Light a green candle and take a sheet of paper and write down a list of things you want in a job. Be specific. Write down the title of the job you want, the company you want to work for, what you want the office to look or feel like — anything that’s important to you. On the other side of the paper write down at least 10 things you would bring to the job (I am a good communicator, any company would be lucky to have my design skills, I am eager to learn, etc). When you are done, seal the paper in a green envelope and leave both the envelope and the candle somewhere you will see them every day. On the next full moon, light the candle again and burn the envelope and paper inside. This doesn’t mean it will take a full lunar cycle to manifest your new job opportunity (it may take more or less), it’s just completing the cycle of setting your intentions for your new job on the two most powerful days of the lunar cycle. A new moon ritual to attract a new romantic relationship: Light three red candles empty a container of seeds into a small pot, fill with

dirt. Place a piece of rose quartz in the dirt (or if it’s too large, next to the pot). On a piece of paper write a list of things you want in your new romantic partner. Be specific about the way you want them to make you feel, attributes they should have, even their name. On the other side, make a list of qualities you will bless this new person with (I will make them feel listened to, I use my culinary gifts to make them happy, I’ll share my love of movies with them). When you’re done, seal this paper in a red envelope. Sleep with the red envelope under your pillow until whatever you planted is large enough to replant outside. Burn the envelope and bury the ashes with the plant. Each time you pass by your plant, or make sure the envelope is tucked under your pillow, remind yourself about what you hope to both give and gain in your new romantic relationship. A new moon ritual to attract healthy habits: Decide what your habit will be ahead of time. For your ritual, you need to be able to do a version of your habit, even if it’s symbolic. For instance, if the habit you want to adopt is to eat healthier dinners, lovingly prepare a healthy soup for yourself by candle light and eat it slowly, savoring the flavor of the soup and how it feels to eat something after lovingly preparing it for yourself so that you can feel good. If your new habit is to exercise every day, plan a night time stroll in the moonlight. Make sure you are not distracted during the walk by a pet or another person so that you can focus on how good your body feels while you are walking. Focus on how your body craves exercise and movement, and how alive and relaxed you feel in that moment. A new moon ritual to move on from someone who has broken your heart: Find a photo of the person you would like a “new beginning” from. Take a match and burn the bottom of the photograph and set it on a fireproof plate or

dish so that it will burn. While you watch the photo burn, visualize the ending of your relationship and how the strong emotions you feel now will transform like the photo is turning to ash. When the photo is done burning and the ash is cool enough to touch, go outside and bury it into the earth so that your old relationship can be part of something that grows into something new. Additionally, you can try using specific kinds of oils to enhance the effects of a lot of the different kinds of spells that you perform. There is a simple recipe that you can use with different kinds of essential oils that can help you to add to the strength and the effectiveness of the spells that you perform. All you will need are three different kinds of essential oils. The first is lavender essential oil, of which you will need about six drops. The second one wil be basil essential oil. You will need half as much of this one as the lavender oil, so if you use six drops of that, then three drops will work well for the basil. The last kind that you will need is pine essential oil. You will need to use one third as much of the pine oil as you are using of the lavender oil. If you use six drops of th lavender, then you should be using two drops of the pine. A lot of people will burn these oils by themselves, but they can also be added to things like base oils, if you might wish to use them in different ways, that way they will be a little bit more accessible and easy to use. Of course, you should only use oils in ways that are safe with that particular kind of oil. You can usually find out from the distributor or the party that makes those oils whether they are safe to be inhaled, applied to the skin, or any other questionable consumption method. Some kinds of oils, even some brands, can be very different from each other, so it is important to always take care to make sure that you are being safe. You can try using white, red, silver, or pastel colored candles during your spells and rituals in order to enhance their effects as well.

Full Moon Spells The full moon is arguably the most powerful time of the lunar cycle. It’s certainly a sight to behold as it hangs in the sky and shines down on you like a big spotlight. The full moon can give witches an “all-purpose” kind of energy you can use to boost the effectiveness of any spell you wish to perform. To take advantage of this energy, you don’t have to throw a huge full moon ceremony with a group of other witches whenever the full moon comes around. You can create your own personal way of tapping into this special energy. These spells are designed to work with full moon energy, but you can also use the concepts presented here to use full moon energy in your other, more general spells. If you’re looking for several more unique ways to get started using the full moon in your witchcraft, here are some full moon spells to try: Pentacle Prosperity Spell Use this spell to manifest a growing income and long-term wealth. This spell is designed to bring more money into your life and to use that money to make wise investments. This is a fantastic spell to do when you’re saving for the down payment on a house, making a plan to provide for your family or partner, selling a home, or starting a new business. This spell is for protecting and blessing those BIG milestone investments we make throughout our lives. What You’ll Need: Ten of Pentacles tarot card - this card holds the energy of abundance that flows through multiple generations. This card isn’t necessarily about quick cash; this card can be used to call in long-term prosperity so you can leave behind a legacy. A coin

Blanket (optional) On the night of the full moon lay down on your back on the ground. You can spread the blanket out underneath you if that makes you more comfortable. It’s best to do this outside under the moon, but as long as you’re clear with your intention, you can perform this spell anywhere. Place the Ten of Pentacles tarot card on the place in your body where you “sense” that you make financial decisions from. This could be anywhere on your body—your head, your heart, your stomach (gut), or even your pelvis. If you’re not sure, spend a minute or two pondering your next big financial decision and notice where you feel any kind of sensation. This could feel like a fluttering in your stomach, a wrinkled forehead, or a tingle of energy in your chest. Wherever you feel that, position the tarot card there so that the front of the card (with the pentacles) is facing up towards the moon. Set the coin on top of the card. Spread your legs on the ground and extend your arms out like you’re about to make a snow angel. You’re essentially making your body into the points of a pentagram—your head at the top, and your two hands and feet as the other four points. If you’re new to witchcraft, some witches associate the pentagram with protection and power. That power and protection will be used in this spell to bring you the power to call in wealth and protect your investments. To activate your spell, think or speak your intention aloud, energetically sending it up to the moon. The full moon appears to you as a perfect circle. The moon’s circle and your body’s pentagram shape create the shape of a pentacle. “I call on the power of the prosperous full moon to merge with the energy of

the protective pentagram. Tonight, our shapes merge to create a pentacle. Together, the moon and I manifest a lifetime of golden coins.” The card and the coin are symbolic of your intention to co-create with the moon’s energy. Your energy is underneath the card and coin, while the moon’s energy shines down from above. The two energies will meet and mix where the card and coin are. The card and the coin represent long-term wealth, which is the desired result of your spell. Gaze up at the moon as you visualize what your life will look like once your spell has manifested. Notice any sensations or feelings you experience, particularly where you’ve placed the card and coin. You may end the spell whenever feels natural. You can put your tarot card back in the deck and keep the coin in your pocket as a “money magnet” of sorts.

Reveal What Is Hidden Cherry Spell: The full moon is a perfect time for practicing divination because the light of the full moon is known to reveal information that has been hidden from you. Some witches believe cherries and cherry juice hold divination power. Pairing cherry magic with a full moon can add a little bit of fun and health, as well as a subtle kind of connection between the fruit and the moon that can even serve to enhance the effects of your spells, because both are round and both are “hiding” something. the moon hides its “dark side” and a cherry hides its pit. What You’ll Need: A bowl of cherries with the pits

Sit outside or by a window with your bowl of cherries. Speak this incantation with the intention to receive secret information using the energy of the full moon. “If there is something I can’t see, Moon, send your wisdom down to me. Inside the fruit, there hides a pit, The darkest truths will now be lit.” Eat your cherries and keep your mind open to any thoughts or feelings that come to you as you do this. Drop each pit back into the bowl. When you’ve eaten all the cherries, hold the bowl of cherry pits in your right hand and use your index finger in your left hand to give the cherry pits a stir. Pour the cherry pits out of the bowl and discard them. Gaze into the bowl and read the remaining cherry juice as you would tea leaves in a teacup. Look for shapes, images, or symbols and journal about any thoughts or messages you receive. When you’re finished, thank the moon for sharing its wisdom. Losing Lottery Ticket Banishing Spell If you feel you’ve had a run of bad luck, either by chance or because of a curse, this simple full moon spell is designed to restore your good fortune. What You’ll Need: A losing lottery ticket Smoky quartz crystal A fireproof container Lighter or matches Go outside under the moon and set your lottery ticket on the ground. Hold the

smoky quartz crystal in both hands. This crystal is known to banish any unwanted energy, which makes it perfect for this spell. State your intention (aloud or in your head). “My good fortune is renewed in the cleansing light of the full moon.” Step both of your feet on the lottery ticket and allow the energy of the full moon to shine down on you. Visualize the cleansing light of the full moon moving through you, chasing any curses or bad luck out of your energy field. Visualize the energy being absorbed into the lottery ticket like a powerful vacuum. When you feel like the spell has run its course, step off the lottery ticket and either throw it out in a public trash can or burn it in a fireproof container. Keep the smoky quartz crystal with you as you do this to ensure the unwanted energy stays in the lottery ticket and doesn’t find it’s way back to you. Spotlight Moon Spell This is a spell to do if you feel like you’re being taken for granted (or you’d just like more attention) in your personal or professional life. What You’ll Need: A mirror A wet erase marker (or any marker you’ll be able to wipe off your mirror afterward) Tape or sticky tack A picture of yourself A handful of flower petals (fresh or dried) Position a mirror so it is reflecting the full moon. Adhere your picture to the center of the mirror. Write your intention on the mirror with the marker.

Write the sentence so that the words are going in a circle around your picture. For example: “I write a blog post that goes viral and I receive lots of positive feedback.” or “My partner thanks me for all the work I do around the house.” Sit near the mirror and close your eyes. Visualize your intention manifesting, focusing on the positive emotions that come up. Think of the bright light of the full moon as a spotlight shining right on you. That’s the moon acknowledging how special and valued you are. When you feel full of pleasant emotions, gather the flower petals in your hands and throw them up in the air. Let them rain down on you and the mirror, like confetti. You are celebrating yourself, and soon others will celebrate you, too! Leave the mirror out overnight so the moon can continue to shine on your picture. The full moon brings lots of creative energy along with it, so take advantage of that by creating your own versions of these spells. For example, the cherry divination spell can be made into a love spell if you ask the full moon to deliver messages about your future lover. If you get good results performing these spells on yourself, you can try performing them with others in mind (if you’re comfortable doing that). For example, the spotlight spell can be used to bring nationwide attention to a special cause or send appreciation to a loved one such as your mom on mother’s day. Personalize these spells to better fit your needs. Happy full moon, witches!

Conclusion

Congratulations! Once you have finished reading through all of the chapters in this book and gained a complete understanding of all of the concepts and ideas that have been discussed within the book, you should have all of the tools that you need in order to understand wiccan practices and the different aspects of the moon and lunar magic practices, as well a show to get started practicing lunar magic. You should have all of the tools and information that you need to begin practicing moon magic in your normal every day life. Learning about Wicca and beginning to learn about magic can be intimidating at first, but once you have finished this book, you should have

all of the building blocks to help you move on to anything that you want to do, at least with regards to Wicca and wiccan magic. The spells that have been explained in the last few chapters of this book can all be repurposed in ways that you find appropriate, based on the purposes and intentions that you might have at a particular time. The other parts of this book can be applied to other aspects of Wicca or magical practice as well. This book is meant to be read as an introductory guide to moon magic for complete beginners, and even newcomers to Wicca in general. You will not need to already have a deep level of understanding of wiccan practices or the symbolism of the god and goddess or the elements in order to be able to understand the concepts and ideas that are contained within this book. All of the ideas here are related and attempted to be communicated as simply as possible, so that you will not have needed any insider knowledge in order to have understood it, and any terminology that is used that might not be easily understood for the “uninitiated” will also be explained as they come up. This book is also focused on core fundamentals, and once you’ve finished reading it, you should have all of the tools necessary- aside from the actual tools that you will be using, of course- in order to be able to understand and master the art of moon magic and even be able to perform any spell or ritual that you might need to, by using the information here as a starting point for more complicated spells. If you would like to know more about wiccan practices and magical traditions, then you should try some of these books listed below:

- Wicca for beginners. A Beginners Guide to Real Wiccan Rituals, Beliefs, Magic and Witchcraft. For Future Solitary Practitioners who want to understand Wiccan Philosophy,

Spells and Religion - Wicca Herbal Magic. The Complete Guide to Herbs and Plants for Wiccan Rituals and Herbal Spells. With Magical Oils, Teas, Bath Blends and Simple Basic Spells for Beginners - Wicca Book of Spells. A Complete Guide to Magical Spells and Rituals for Solitary Practitioner. How to create Special Spells to Attract Abundance, Wealth, Health, Love and Happiness. - Wicca Candles. Learn the Secrets Properties and Uses of Candles to Create Powerful and Magic Spells. Unleash the Magical Energy of Fire and Colors to Manifest and Realize your Desires. - Wicca Book of Shadows. A Complete guide to Creating your Book of Shadows, the Fundamental Element for a Witch's Journey and Growth, where to Gather all your Wiccan Experiences and Knowledge - Wicca Magic and Witchcraft. All you need for your Witch's Journey. Wicca for Beginners, Herbal Magic, Book of Spells, Candles, Moon Magic and Book of Shadows