Lunar Lore

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Lunar cycles are very important to Wicca and Witchcraft. We believe that the moon has a very tangible effect on all of us, and as it travels the sky, going from new to full and back to new, it represents the Wheel turning, the circle of life continuing on from birth, through life, unto death, and finally rebirth.

Many Witches hold Rituals, called esbats, on the full and sometimes new moon, using the power of the Goddess as represented by the moon to bring about change for the better in their personal life, the lives of their Coven, or for their community, local or global.

Witches use the differing phases of the Moon for different work, depending on what energies they wish to raise and what they would like to manifest. 

The energy of the Full Moon is used for protection, healing, and divination.  The best full moon energy is said to be during the three days prior to and three days after the Full Moon, as well as on the night of the full moon itself. 

The time between the Full Moon and the New Moon is called Waning. This is a time for banishing and rejecting the unwanted things in our lives, things we no longer want to carry with us, such as bad habits or negative emotions.  The New Moon itself is sometimes considered a time of rest, where no magic is performed, but it is also the time of Goddess Hecate, and if her magic is required then the New Moon is the time to weave it. 

The period between the New Moon and Full Moon is called Waxing and is a good time for beginning new things and for attraction magic.

There are 13 Full Moons in a year, and each have a traditional name in the Celtic Calendar, each correesponding to a tree the Celts held sacred or special.  These are known as the thirteen Celtic Tree Months, and each corresponds to a particular full moon. These month names are included in the lunar calendar, below, for easy reference.