Moon Magick

For many Pagans and Wiccans, the cycles of the moon are important to magical workings. It’s believed in some traditions that the waxing moon, the full moon, the waning moon, and the new moon all have their own special magical properties, and so your workings should be planned accordingly. If your tradition follows these guidelines — or if you think you’d like to time your magic based upon the phase of the moon — here are some tips on what sort of magic to perform during the various lunar stages.

It’s easy to see the moon’s shifting faces as it traverses the night sky. Every month, the moon goes through eight distinct phases. Four of these are particularly important in spell-working. Because the moon changes so rapidly, you don’t have to wait long for the type of lunar energy you seek to become available.

For two weeks, from the new moon to the full moon, the moon is waxing, or increasing in size. This is a good time to cast spells that involve increase or expansion. As the moon’s light grows, so will your fortune.

For the two weeks from the full moon to the next new moon, the moon wanes, or diminishes in size. This is a good time for spells dealing with decrease or letting go. As the moon shrinks, so will the conditions you’ve targeted with your magic.

Once you begin casting spells according to the moon’s movement, you may notice subtle differences in yourself — your emotions, your body rhythms, fluctuations in your menstrual periods, your libido levels, your hormones, your dreams, the intensity of your intuition. The moon, after all, is our closest celestial neighbor. It is intimately connected to the ancient worship of the Goddess, to the feminine principle, and the collective unconscious. Developing an awareness of lunar rhythms will help strengthen your link to the Divine.

Keeping a Lunar Journal
You may find it useful to keep track of the moon’s phases for a few months. In a notebook or computer file, write a paragraph or two about how you feel during each lunar phase — describe your emotions, experiences, thoughts, and anything unusual or especially meaningful that happens. You might also wish to record your dreams and examine them in connection with the moon’s position. This practice will enable you to track your own energetic shifts, so you can operate successfully with lunar power.

NEW MOON

The new moon is the best time to plant symbolic seeds that represent whatever you’re trying to create in your life. At this time of the month, cast spells to launch a new business, begin a relationship, or start a family.

As the moon moves toward the full phase, you can watch your endeavor develop. The new moon is a good time to do divination, too. Some months contain two new moons. The second one is called a black moon. It is considered more powerful than a regular new moon, so any seeding spells you do under a black moon may manifest more quickly.

The New Moon is sometimes tricky to work with because you can’t always see it during this phase – it will appear as a very faint crescent of silver low on the horizon, if you can see it at all. For approximately 3 days during each lunar cycle, after the moon has waned, it goes dark before waxing again. In many magickal traditions, this is considered a fallow time, in which one rests and rejuvenates beginning more intense magical workings again. In other traditions, it’s a time to do magic related to:

Cleansing and purifying of the body and mind
Rituals that designate sacred space
Any magic related to inner harmony and peace

WAXING MOON

The waxing moon is the period during which the moon grows from dark to full. It takes approximately 14 days for this to happen. In many magical traditions, people use this time of the moon to perform “positive” magic – in other words, magic that draws things to you or increases things. Some examples would include:

A money spell
A working to get a new job or home
Bringing love into one’s life
Any magic related to increasing material items

FULL MOON

The full moon represents the time of harvest. Under its bright light, you observe the fruits of the seeds that you planted during the new moon. Concentrate now on the culmination of these spells. In some cases, you may see the results of your new moon spells by the subsequent full moon, but it can take several full moons for some spells to manifest. Spells for healing and empowerment are best performed during a full moon (unless the desired result involves loss or decrease, such as shrinking a tumor or lowering blood pressure). Some months contain a second full moon, known as the blue moon. This is a particularly powerful time for manifesting what you initiated at the new moon.

The full moon is the point at which we can see an entire side of the moon. For magical purposes, most Wiccans and Pagans consider the full moon to include the day before and the day after a full moon, for a total of 3 days. If your tradition requires you to follow the moon’s phases for your magical workings, this is a good time to do rituals focused on personal growth and spiritual development. Some examples would include:

Spells related to increasing your intuitive awareness
Healing Magic
Rituals that connect you closely with deity, such as Drawing Down the Moon
Any magic related to developing your magical skills
For many Wiccans and Pagans, this is also a time to celebrate with an Esbat Ritual.

WANING MOON

The waning moon is the period during which the moon goes from full to dark once again. Like the waxing moon phase, it lasts approximately 2 weeks. In many traditions of Wicca and Paganism, this time of the month is used to do “baneful” magic – that which sends away gets rid of, or destroys things you no longer wish to be burdened by. Some examples would include: