The moon is a mysterious, constant, and continuously changing force that has captivated human imagination and spirits for centuries. The moon speaks to something in us that is called to mystery, light in the darkness, and the natural rhythms of change. Witches are no strangers to the call of the moon. A devotion to lunar deities and lunar magick can be a powerful door into the magickal world for newbie witches, as well as a constant connection to the divine for seasoned practitioners.
So what exactly is lunar magick?
Lunar magick is a form of sympathetic magic in which practitioners work their witchcraft and spellwork in accordance with the natural phases of the moon. Practitioners of lunar magick take the changing phases of the moon and prescribe them properties that assist different intentions or types of spells or rituals. From waxing to waning, each phase is given a magickal correspondence that informs a witch’s practice.
The correspondences stem from humanity’s great history with the moon as a calendar, navigation tool, and symbol of fertility. While many cultures throughout history have prescribed masculine traits to the moon and its phases, in the contemporary Western world, the moon is often thought of as feminine and is linked to women, fertility, and feminine cycles.
Now this all may seem historically dense and even scientifically inclined (and it can be!), but working with the moon is a “choose your own adventure”, flexible form of witchcraft. It can be as in-depth and complicated as you’d like, or it can simply be about connecting with the beauty of the rhythms of nature. You can dedicate all your magick to lunar living, or you can simply engage in a new or full moon ritual whenever it suits you. The moon is not fickle, it’s always there, so don’t be shy! Just dive in and give it a try in a way that feels right to you.
In witchcraft, many practitioners use the phases of the moon and their correspondences to give their spellwork and rituals a bit more power or to simply remind them to shift their focus to different areas throughout the month.
How you work with the moon is personal and unique to you, so while I am here to share inspiration and ideas for how to incorporate the moon into your magickal life, this post is hardly the end-all-be-all of lunar magick.
So, here are the basics. Scientifically speaking there are eight phases of the moon each month — often in witchcraft we add an additional phase before the new moon called the dark moon, but scientists would consider them to be the same. The lunar cycle starts with the dark/new moon, waxes or grows until it reaches the full moon, and then wanes or shrinks until it reaches the complete darkness of the dark moon and the cycle begins all over again.
Nine Moon Phases:
- Dark Moon
- New Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- First Quarter
- Waxing Gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning Gibbous
- Last Quarter
- Waning Crescent
- Magickal Intention Setting
- Banishment Spells
- Cleansing Baths
- Shadow Work
- Visualization Meditations
- Vision Boarding
- Manifesting
- Abundance Spells
- Gratitude Rituals
- Offerings
- Celebrations of Abundance
- Abundance Kitchen Magick
- Banishing Rituals
- Cleansing Baths
- Cleaning Magick
- Hex Breaking
- Curse Breaking
- Protection Spells
Each of these phases corresponds with intentions, spells, and rituals such as banishing, abundance, shadow work, manifesting, times of release, and times of drawing things toward you. It is believed that coordinating your magickal workings with the phases of the moon will harness the energy of those phases and support your desired outcome.
With the new moon just a few days away, this is the perfect time to try your hand at lunar magick, or dust off your old practice that has fallen by the wayside. Seen as the beginning of the lunar cycle, the new moon is typically when practitioners set intentions and what work they’d like to achieve by the full moon when gratitude and abundance are celebrated. The waxing portions of the lunar phase utilize the symbolism of the growing moon to manifest and draw more to you. During the waning portion, work is done to release and banish what is no longer serving you. And just like the wheel of the year, once the cycle ends, it all begins again.
To get you started, I have a video all about lunar magick to use as a mini crash course in moon magick, as well as some New Moon Magick inspiration.
Of course, the totality of lunar magick is much more complicated than can fit into this post or even a few videos. So if you find yourself drawn to the moon and a lunar lifestyle, I have put together a month-long Lunar Living virtual workshop where we will dive deeper into lunar magick, and learn more about lunar magick, structuring your life to moon cycles, and getting more in touch with this natural energy that feels so magickal.
