Lunar Elixir: Restorative Full Moon Infusion

 The full moon is a truly auspicious time and one to savor and make the most of. Try this restorative Lunar Elixir anytime your energy level is low to bolster mind, body, and spirit.

Gather together

• 1 teaspoon sliced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon jasmine tea leaves
• 1 teaspoon peppermint tea leaves
• 2 cups (480ml) fresh water
• a teapot and a mug

Timing: Full moon phases last two days, so make this elixir on the first night at midnight.

Just before midnight, brew and strain an infusion of these healthful and energizing herbs. Once it is cool, pour it into your favorite mug and relish the aromatic steam for a moment. Wait for the stroke of midnight. Now, step outside and drink the elixir during this enchanted hour in the glow of moonlight. You will immediately feel clearer, more centered, and more focused.

Lunar Lore: A Thirteen-Moon Guide to Rituals Throughout the Year

Thanks to the way the earth orbits the sun and the way the moon orbits the earth, our calendar year contains thirteen full moons and moon cycles. Here are some traditional correspondences from astrology and folklore:

January is known as the Cold Moon or Wolf Moon. This is the time for new beginnings, for planning for and conceiving a child, as well as making other goals for yourself, your working life, your health goals, and any other aspirations. You should look deep inside yourself and take this time during the Wolf Moon to think about and contemplate what is most important to you, and how you can have what is truly meaningful in your life. The Cold Moon is also when you should perform protection spells for yourself and your loved ones and rituals of safekeeping for your home and the people and things you really care about.

February is the time of the Wild Moon or Snow Moon, Now you can begin growing the seeds you panted in your soul during last month’s Wolf Moon. The Wild Moon is an excellent time for purification rituals and for cleansing old “bad” energy out of your life, your home, your psyche, and your office. The Wild Moon can be a time of great healing, especially after a ceremony for energy cleansing. One of the best cleansing rites you can perform is true acceptance of yourself, letting go of all self-loathing and saying goodbye to your inner critic. A ritual of self-love and recognition would be a wonderful observance of the Wild Moon of February.

March is Crow Moon or Seed Moon and is a time to balance your life energies. After the cleansing and goal-setting of the past two moons, now you can begin to activate your plans.

This March full moon is also an excellent time to concentrate on prosperity. Crow Moon is a wonderful time for an abundance ceremony.

April is the Hare Moon or Pink Moon, one of the most creative times of the year. This is the moon when you can act on what you have been dreaming of during the earlier moons. You can begin to manifest your deepest desires during both in terms of your aspirations and your amorous side, since Hare Moon is made for love spells and other rites of romance. Pursue your passions with confidence and optimism.

May is the Merry Moon, the Flower Moon, the Green Month in terms of green magic and the time of the fairies. Nature has now burst into a glorious full spring. In May, your inner wisdom is at its height. Now is the time to connect with nature and explore the beauty of our beautiful and sacred planet. Rites of spring are a wonderful way to commune with spirit.

June is the Mead or Strawberry Moon, the Lover’s Moon. Now we can taste the sweetness of life and celebrate our strength and fruitfulness. It is a time of security and protection. Assess the results of all that you have planned and seeded in the past months.

July is the Thunder Moon or Blessing Moon, a time for divining meaning and focusing on spirituality. Now we can expand our consciousness and listen to the messages of our dreams. The Thunder Moon is when we receive the blessings of the rain and feel the charged energy of the thunderstorms. The Thunder Moon is an auspicious time for a dream ritual or a divinatory rite.

August is known as the Corn Moon or Red Moon. This time of years is bursting with health, vitality, and ardor. This is an optimal time to gather friends and family together and celebrate the brightest side of life. Feasting, dancing, and delight are the order of the day.

September is the Harvest Moon and Singing Moon. Now we see completion of plans and ideas and the harvesting of our crops. Now we reap what we have sown earlier in the year— our thoughts, actions, words, and projects. The Singing Moon is a wonderful time to organize our lives and let go of anything that is no longer working. If something is worn out, broken, or simply does not suit your life anymore, including emotions, patterns, beliefs, and even people, this is the perfect time to let go. Declutter and simplify your life.

October is the Hunter’s Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Great transitions are taking place all around you now and change is also taking place within. Take time to observe and feel these transformations in your life and in the world around you. Notice how the temperature changes, how the trees shed their brightly colored leaves, how the geese and other birds fly south. The Hunter’s Moon should honor the very human need for physical nourishment, warmth, and rest. Seek inner peace now after the hurly-burly of summer. This is the season for relaxation and release. This is a karmic time during which you can seek karmic completion. You should acknowledge the changing of the seasons with ceremony.

November is the Beaver Moon or Mourning Moon. At this time you should get in touch with your spirit through introspection. Many countries observe November 1 as an Ancestors’ Day and remember the dead through ritual and feasting.

December is Winter Moon or Long Nights Moon. This is when we experience a metaphorical death and rebirth. We can also light the flame of our hearts and souls through journeys of the spirit.

The “extra” or thirteenth full moon of the year is the blue moon of the expression, “once in a blue moon,” which refers to rare and special occasions. How do we know when the blue moon occurs? It is on that rare occasion when two full moons occur in one calendar month. The blue moon is to be used wisely. Take this opportunity to look at your long-term plans and goals and to give thanks for what you have accomplished. As you take stock, be grateful for what you have and for the people in your life. Bear in mind that “what you have” should not make you think about your fat stock portfolio but rather about good health, children, a job you enjoy, good friends, a comfortable home, and opportunities.

The blue moon is also a time for prophecy. Each blue moon ritual you create should contain an aspect expressing thanks to the gods and goddesses and to Mother Nature, who gave you life. 

Phases of the Moon

Performing a spell at the optimal time in the lunar cycle will maximize your power. As you read the rites and rituals in this book, keep this elemental magic in mind: Each lunar cycle begins with a new phase, when the Moon lies between the Sun and Earth so that the illuminated side cannot be seen from Earth. The Moon gradually waxes until it has moved to the opposite side of Earth. When it has reached the far side of Earth, its lit side faces us in the full-moon phase. It then wanes until it reaches the new-moon phase again.

The entire cycle takes a month, during which the Moon orbits Earth. To determine the pattern of astrological signs governing the Moon, you will need a celestial guide or almanac. My favorite is Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. The Moon moves from sign to sign every two or three days. 

Serious Moonlight

Since prehistory, we have looked into the night sky with wonder. The moon is both magical and majestic. She rules the ocean tides, the crops in our fields and our moods and emotions. The moon is mysterious and reflective. Aside from the sun, our brightest star and the source of life, the moon is the singlemost important light in our sky. Every culture in the world, both past and present, has moon lore, myths, rites and a great respect for our favorite “night light.”

The early Babylonians called the moon “the boat of life,” while the Taoist Chinese believed the moon was a white dragon. A most unusual perspective came from the usually reasonable Plutarch, who theorized that girls grew into women as a result of a female essence that came down from the moon. The very name of our galaxy, the Milky Way, comes from the mythical white cow that jumped over the moon. It may well be that no other celestial object is as revered as the moon. A common and beloved ritual—baking, decorating, and eating a birthday cake—is descended from the Greek custom of celebrating the monthly birthday of the moon goddess Artemis with full-moon cakes.

To this day, modern Pagans “draw down the moon” in some rituals. In Asia, it is said that the moon is the mirror that reflects everything in the world. Some cultures consider the moon to be male and the sun female: for example, the Japanese honor the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother the moon god Tsukiyomi. In this book we have explored some of the myths and lore of the moon, supplying you with many approaches to ritual from the treasury of our human history. Let Luna be your guide as you design and develop your own moon ceremonies and rites of the night.