#dark moon
Basics
The moon has been an essential part of both witchcraft and everyday life throughout history. Farmers would rely on moonlight to work during the night. Peasants would hold celebrations in favour of the moon. The moon controls the ebb and flow of our tides through gravitational pull, controls how long our days are. It keeps the balance.
Likely due to these exact factors the lunar cycle has always been an important part of various different religions and spiritualities for thousands of years. In almost every polytheistic belief system there is a moon goddess, Artemis then later Diana being the most notable of the many within Western Culture.
Today, the moon is most commonly used in ritual practices. Modern witches make use of the monthly lunar cycle to attune their energies to nature and heighten the effectiveness of their spellcraft, or connection to divinity. As the moon waxes and wanes so do we, being reborn again every month with more knowledge than before.
Quick Facts
- Most years have 13 New Moons or 13 Full moons, but never both (Occasionally a year will miss out and only have 12 of each)
- The lunar phases are caused by light reflected onto the moon from the sun, which changes depending on it’s positioning with the earth and the sun as it orbits every month
- The moon does not innately radiate any kind of light. Moonlight is actually just sunlight reflected
- The moon phase is the same no matter where you live on Earth!
- The most common time for rituals and spellwork involving the moon are the Full Moon and the New Moon
- There are significant ties between an individuals menstrual cycle and the cycle of the moon. Having your period during the full moon is believed to elevate your spiritual and magical energy to new levels
What is an Esbat?
An Esbat is a ritual held once a month by most Wiccan covens to celebrate the full moon. It’s commonly on the full moon because that is when most believe that the moon is at it’s most powerful. You don’t have to be a Wiccan to celebrate an Esbat and you don’t even need to have an Esbat to celebrate the full moon at all, I just thought I’d throw it in here for reference.The word is supposedly sourced from the Old French word s’esbattre(orébatin Modern French) which to the best of my knowledge means to frolic and celebrate. Yet again a borrowing Margaret Murray used in her attempts to build up the idea of one big witch religion existing in Europe. (Which has been disproven many times, as a side note.)
The Lunar Cycle
The Lunar Cycle is commonly broken down into four main phases, which can also be broken down into 8 or 12 subphases. For the purpose of simplicity though, I will cover the 4 main ones in this post.
New Moon / Dark Moon
New moons are a time for new beginnings of every type. It’s good in this time to take an inventory of your bad habits and make steps towards moving on and becoming a better person. Getting away from old structured ways of thinking and doing things can help you grow immensely. Cast off your old ideas about a topic and try to see it in a different light.
Planning the first stages of an exciting new project is a great thing to do at this time in the cycle. Apply for jobs, brainstorm, revisit old abandoned projects. Make a commitment to doing all of the things you have been putting off this month.
Waxing Moon
The body is more receptive to change, whether that be good or bad. Now is the time to strengthen your resolve, to keep putting energy into your projects and start to see the results of them come through. This phase is all about growth. It’s a good time to work magic for new relationships, fitness, finances, garden work and for the healing of body and mind.
Full Moon
The full moon is good for all things, especially very difficult or demanding spellwork. This is a time of great intuition. Your creativity and psychic abilities will be at an all-time high. Not especially good for decision making for those easily swayed by their emotions as this is a very emotional time, though good for individuals to learn which path in life they truly crave.
Waning Moon
Things are coming to a close. Reflect on things as the energy of the cycle drifts away divination to map the contents of your soul and examine your actions over the past cycle Attributes: This moon is the time for banishing spells, curses, breaking an addiction, correcting mistakes and making amends. Anything bad in your life must be removed. It is also a time of strong divination for the coming cycle.
Further Information
Ritual
Spells
- Moon Ward
- Harm Reflection Moon Spell
- Full Moon Spells
- First Quarter Spells
- New / Dark Moon Spells
- Last Quarter Spells
- Eclipse Spells
Activities & Misc
- DIY Lunar Calendar
- 5 Lunar Inspired Tarot Decks
- First Quarter Moon Magic: Positivity Meditation
- Moon Astrology
Food And Offerings
Post link
A dark version of an adult Princess Lady Serenity from Sailor Moon (otherwise known as Chibi Usa, Rini, and Sailor Chibi Moon). This may or may not become a series of dark versions of each of the Sailor’s princess forms…
Post link
I really enjoy drawing Professor E. Gadd and all his weirdo things, he doesn’t care at all about Luigi’s life, he’s just like “here Luigi, take this old printer, now go to that haunted mansion and survive” *He leaves. Crazy noises*
Pen and paper Luigi doodles
It’s been a long time since i drew a Luigi comic :)
Thank you so much for your suggestions, this is the first one, i’ll keep making more tomorrow :)
Today i took really important decisions, and drew this.
curses
- bad moon rising curse - a revenge for general misfortune for a month
- burn your wishes - a simple curse to destroy someone’s wishes
- red in your ledger - to return the hurt someone has done
- burst your bubble - a simple curse to destroy someone’s ego/hope
banishings
- to bind a bully spell - to keep them from harming you
- know what you have done spell - to prevent them from doing it to others
- lapis water binding spell - binds someone to a place they cannot escape
- jupiter thunder crash - spell to banish toxic and dangerous people
soul searching
- cosmic love spell - pop culture spell to lead you to your soulmate
- jar spell for clarity - for emotional/mental clarity and wisdom
- sea foam latte - a bath spell and coffee scrub for motivation and clarity
I wanted to post this drawing on October 31st, but I’ll be at Lucca Comics & Games so here it is today. A Halloween Black Lady for you!
Dark Moon: This moon phase is a good time for curses, hexes, jinxes, etc. It’s also a good time for focusing on what you want to manifest in the next couple of weeks and a powerful time to do prophetic workings.
Waxing Moon: Bring things you want toward you. You could do spells involving growth, enchantment, money, success, etc. A good time to start on projects.
Full Moon: A good time for charging crystals, tools, yourself, water, etc. Some people think the energy during the full moon is more powerful than in any other moon phase. The intentions you set in the dark moon should be manifesting themselves now. You could do workings that involve divination, legal matters, protection, heightening your psychic abilities, connecting with gods/spirits, creativity, and knowledge.
Waning Moon: A good time for letting go of people/things and doing banishment workings, You could do spells to let go of addictions, negative energy, and bad habits. It’s also a good time for cleansing and house cleaning.
The Longest Night. Done for the Hellebore Collective for the winter solstice. Will Tumblr flag this? Probably. I’m still on the fence about whether to keep posting here.
© Lauren K Cannon
::support me on PATREON
::navate.com::prints & originals store
Post link
Dark Moon
The dark moon phase is one that is seldom talked about and isn’t technically a complete phase of the lunar cycle. It is the time between the waning moon and the new moon where the moon is visible, but (you guessed it!)dark.
Cast spells for:
- Removing entities from house or property
- Banishing illness
- Divination
- Meditation and psychic visions
- Conquering anger
- Bringing about justice
The darker night is perfect for a bit of confession. Do you have thoughts weighing you down? Feelings that keep pulling you back under? How about we try a spell.
What you will need:
Black candle
Matches
A quiet place outside (can be a balcony or even an open window)Now say these words as you strike the match and light the candle.
With this there is light in the dark
With love I open my heart
With this just a simple spark
With love right at the start.After that let out all those things that are bothering you. Let them out into the candle. Let it burn away your words.
When you are done blow out the candle so that the smoke trail goes into the sky(out the window) let it take your secrets into the dark.
The Dark Moon (or what most people refer to as the New Moon) is the end/beginning of each lunar cycle. This is the time when the moon rises and sets at the same time as the sun and we cannot see it in the night sky.
In witchcraft, the Dark Moon represents endings. It is the last phase of the Moon’s cycle before beginning anew. Because of this, the Dark Moon is good for banishing magic, as well as ending any extended spells or rituals you may have been working over the course of the last few weeks.
The Dark Moon is also a time to rest. Recharge your energy for the upcoming cycle. Practice self care during this time and spend the phase being introspective about your craft, what works for you and what no longer does. Magic to release negative energies also works well during this phase.
✧
The New Moon occurs when the smallest sliver of light can be seen from the Moon. 1-2 days after the Dark Moon, the New Moon is visible in the sky.
In witchcraft, the New Moon represent beginnings. It is a time to set your intentions for the upcoming cycle. Because of this, the New Moon is good for magic that attracts or increases things.
The New Moon is also a time to open yourself up to new opportunities. Work a spell to rid yourself of negativity or do a tarot reading that help clarify goals. I personally like to do a three card, past/present/future tarot spread to see where I am, what lead me to this point and where I could be if I work hard to reach my goals.
This is also a great time to start any project you have been putting off. Set up an altar, start learning a new skill, look for a new job or just do something good for yourself.
My pumpkins this year
New Years Ritual
This is the personal ritual I’ll be doing this New Year (ie tonight for me in Australia). It’s quite calm and doesn’t use too much energy, since the moon phase is coming out of waning crescent into dark moon, where I’m trying not to use too much magic.
New Years Eve, wake to 4:10pm
Lunar phase: Waning Crescent
- Pick crystals for the night and give them energy (clear quartz, citrine, amethyst and moonstone for confidence, stress relief, harmony and new beginnings)
- Write a list of what I’m thankful for in 2021
- Cleanse myself from negativity with water, candles and incense
New Years Eve, 4:10pm–11:59pm
Lunar phase: Dark Moon
- Daily tarot card pull
- Self care face mask, rose quartz beauty roller, lavender body spray
- Spend time with close friends
New Years Day, 12:00am–4:00am?
Lunar phase: Dark Moon
- Celebrate the New Year with friends
- Meditate before sleep
