In witchcraft there’s always a lot of focus on the full moon.
Many people experience disturbances of their sleep, perhaps shifts in their emotional states, and a general sense of irritability.
The full moon affects us on a very basic and primitive level and is the reason for many of the werewolf myths, as the 'changes' we feel on a full moon can bring out the animalistic side of all of us...!
But ALL of the phases of the moon's cycles are equally as important in magick, and can be used to really help us shine a light on our lives.
Whether spell casting or meditating, each phase of the moon can help us gain clarity on different aspects and situations that effect us.
Dark moon.
On calendars, the phase when we don’t see the moon at all is often referred to as the new moon, but in magick this isn’t the case.
We call this the dark moon, and this phase lasts for 3 days (the day before, day of, and day after).
Dark moon energy can be used to take time for yourself - to rest, relax, recuperate, restore and recover. It's all about self care, inner healing, and self preservation.
During this time spell work and practices that are beneficial to your body, mind and spirit are what’s called for, including soothing baths, good food, plenty of rest, and self healing practices.
New moon.
This is when we see a slither of a crescent moon forming.
This new moon energy is all about starting afresh - it’s a new moon, so it’s time for creating the new such as starting new projects, setting intentions, planning new businesses...
It’s a time of fresh energy, breathing new life into an idea, or learning a new skill. It’s also a time of casting for wealth, new jobs, new relationships or new ways of being, and is a time of realising abundance.
The waxing moon.
The waxing moon is the period after the new moon, and lasts up until the full moon.
This time is hugely importance for anything to do with growth, including spiritual or personal growth and development.
This phase usually lasts for about 2 weeks - the first week is the most powerful, with the second still being useful and important, but quite as potent.
This phase can be used for spells and rituals that promote wealth, increase health and prosperity, increase self esteem and confidence, for attracting success and growth in all areas of your life.
During this time, we can gain some profound knowledge about ourselves, and really develop our understanding of who we are.
The full moon.
The three days surrounding the full moon are known as 'the orb of power'.
This is the day before, the day of, and the day after a full moon.
This phase is useful for banishing negative energies from our lives, negative habits, harmful people, toxic traits or relationships we may have, or thoughts or behaviours that no longer serve us.
The full moon is also a good time for protective spells and practices too, such as protection of self, home, family, property, loved ones or pets. We can use binding spells or banishing spells to relieve us of that which holds us back or causes us pain.
The waning moon.
This is the period after the 3 days of the full moon, and lasts for about 2 weeks up until the dark moon.
Waning moon energy is all about letting go - letting go of things which don’t serve us, letting go of resentments and old wounds. It’s about freeing ourselves from the shackles that bind us and allowing ourselves to 'slim down to a crescent' by offloading and releasing our baggage.
It’s a time for forgiveness of self and others, for releasing the clutter, to sort out disputes or disagreements and for releasing any heavy emotions that are causing us harm.
It’s also a good time for divination. As the moon ebbs away to a slither of a crescent again, it’s a time for gaining clarity of things which we are unsure or unclear about.
By observing and keeping track of the lunar cycle, it enables us to gain a huge amount of clarity within our own lives. It also helps us to start to connect deeper and align ourselves with the natural cycle of nature.
When we learn to observe the natural world, the stars, the moon and the cosmos, we develop a deeper relationship with it, and as a result, with ourselves too.
By harnessing the power of the lunar phases, we are able to address any imbalances in our lives, and quickly rectify them, in order to bring about a sense of tranquility, peace and stability to ourselves and our loved ones.
So look to the moon as guidance - she will never steer you wrong.
We have a Silvercrow-branded t-shirt on the Buy page with all the lunar cycles on it to purchase here. And for more musings, why not join our Facebook group 'Beneath The Canopy'?