Seasonal Moons of the Lunar Calendar

Each full Moon of the month has its own name and its own qualities. Because Wicca draws from a number of folkloric traditions, you will probably see different names assigned to different months. Here we'll use some of the most common terms.

January: Wolf Moon
The Wolf Moon, also known as the Cold, Snow or Winter Moon, is a time of protection and strength. While it is the first full Moon of the calendar year, in terms of nature it occurs in the middle of the cold winter season, a season of death and desolation. The Wolf Moon can be seen as a time of both beginnings and endings. This is the time to start considering what you want to plan for the spring. You can do magick so that as the spring approaches your magickal goal will grow closer and closer to fruition.

February: Storm Moon
The Storm Moon, also known as the Death or Quickening Moon, is a time to do magick for fertility and strength. For most people in the Northern Hemisphere, February is a time of storms and bleak, short days. In the olden days, it was a time of true hardship.
This is a good time to do magick to help you face life's challenges. You could do a spell to help you with a particularly challenging project at school or at work. you could concentrate on the idea of weathering the storm and giving yourself the extra stamina to succeed. This is also a time of cleansing, both internally and externally. As such, it's a great time to rid of physical things you don't need and any mental or emotional baggage you might be hauling around with you, too.

March: Chaste Moon
Also known as the Seed or Worm Moon, the Chaste Moon is a time to plant mental seeds-thoughts of success and hope. This is also a time of purity and newness. It's the time to bless the magickal herbs and plants in your garden and to start preparing the soil for the seeds that you will plant. It's also the time to mentally prepare yourself for new experiences, a new job, a new class, pregnancy, taking a trip or bringing a new animal into your home.

April: Seed Moon
The Seed Moon signals a time of fertility, growth and wisdom. This Moon is also know as the Egg, Grass or Wind Moon. This is the time to sow the seeds of magick. If you are planting a magickal garden, you want to get out there now and put things into the earth. This is the time to move from the planning phase into action. If you want to get pregnant, this is a great time to go for it. Fertility is in the air. This is also the time to bring that new kitten home, if that is what you have been planning. And it's a great time to empower some seeds to do Earth magic.

May: Hare Moon
The Hare Moon, also known as the Flower or planting Moon, is a time of health, love, romance and wisdom. This is a great time to plant the seeds that you have empowered. As the seeds begin to grow, the energy you have filled them with will start to manifest in your life. It's also a great time to rekindle the romantic spark and passion in a relationship. If you've been working magick to help your career, now will probably be the time to decide which of your job offers to accept. And you might want to do some divination magick to help you make that decision.

June: Lover's Moon
Also known as the Strawberry or Rose Moon, the Lover's Moon brings with it energy for love, marriage and success. Is it any wonder that in some traditions this Moon is called Honey Moon? This is a time to nurture your garden and marvel at its beauty and abundance. If you have taken that new job, now is the time to make sure you have everything running smoothly. And you might want to keep your eyes open to see how you can move into a more desirable position.

July: Mead Moon
The Mead Moon, also known as the Blessing, Lightning or Thunder Moon, is a time of enchantment, health, rebirth, success and strength. This is the time of the first harvests, when you begin to enjoy the fruits of your labors. this is also a time of celebration and magick. Remember that mead is the nectar of the Gods. Now is the time to gather your magickal herbs and do some prosperity magick so you get that raise you've worked so hard for.

August: Wyrt Moon
The Wyrt Moon, also known as the Wort, Barley, Corn or Red Moon, is a time of abundance, agriculture, and marriage. (Wryt is the Old English word for "plant" or "herb". Our word wort -as in St. John's wort, the popular mood-enhancing herb- comes from this Old English root. So a Wyrt Moon is also a Plant or Herb Moon.) This is the time to collect your magickal herbs and store them for the winter or share them with others. Remember to give an offering back to the Goddess for her generosity. At this time of year, you might want to do magick to help someone else reap the benefits of the earth's abundance. (With that person's permission, of course!) This is also a good time to make a move at work for that higher-level position. If you have become pregnant, this is the time to concentrate your energies on having a healthy pregnancy.
*** August 17 is the Festival of Diana, the ancient Roman goddess of fertility, hunting and the Moon. Some witches celebrate this date with feasting, ritual, and magickal doings.

September: Harvest Moon
Also known as the Barley or Hunter's Moon, the Harvest Moon is a time of protection, prosperity and abundance. This is the time of year when the grains are being harvested, and it is a good time for magick involving your prosperity, abundance and the nurturing of others. If you have had a long illness, this is the time to finally come back to full health again. This is also the time to obtain that higher-paying position at work. The energy of the Harvest Moon will help along any magick that is geared to bring you or someone else abundance.

October: Blood Moon
The Blood Moon is sometimes called the Falling Leaf or Hunter's Moon. It is a Moon of new goals, protection, resolution and spirituality. The night of the Blood Moon is a great time for divination of any kind. At this time of year, all of nature is making ready for the winter. Animals that hibernate are gathering the last scraps of food. Birds are heading south. In human societies, this used to be the time when we turned from agriculture to the hunt as our means of sustenance. This is the time to reflect on what you did during the year and to evaluate your accomplishments.
You also want to check to see how you will survive the coming months. If your work is seasonal, you might want to do some magick to find other ways to support yourself. If you work outdoors, do magick to help you survive the cold. You also want to check on things that are important to your safety. How are the tires on your car? And what about that smoke alarm in the kitchen? Because the (non-Wiccan) holiday season is fast approaching, you also may want to do some work to remove stress and negative energy from your surroundings.

November: Snow Moon
The Snow moon is also known as the Beaver, Mourning or Tree Moon. This is a good time to work with abundance, prosperity and the bonds of family and friendship. This is also an excellent time to use divination to get an idea of what is up ahead. Remind yourself that although winter is coming, it will not last forever. Do what you can to reduce your stress and to strengthen your bonds with family and friends. Back before the advent of grocery stores and central heating, people really counted on those bonds, which could be the difference between making it through the winter or perishing. So know who is really there for you, and count your blessings.

December: Oak Moon
Also known as the Cold or Long Night Moon, the Oak Moon is a time for hope and healing. This time of year the Moon has reign over the earth, because there are more hours of night that day. Our thoughts turn to rebirth of the light and the longer days that are promised after the winter solstice. This is the time of year to finish something you have worked hard on and to make sure that the task is truly completed, all the details dealt with. It's also a great time to let go of old patterns or problems and start anew. Let go of the negative and let the light of longer days shine inside you. Working with children in a nurturing way can be very rewarding and healing under this Moon.


(Taken from Wicca and Witchcraft)

No comments:

Post a Comment