As the dark moon approaches this Friday, November 17 2017, I’m wishing you much love, bravery and awareness as you embrace the magic of introspection and what it can reveal to you. This is a powerful time to reflect on your year, and your self, and to look within, seeking the truth of any obstacles you might be facing, and any fears you are holding, so you can determine the best way to move forward through them. Journal, scry, use some oracle cards, dream or just allow yourself the gift of solitude at this special time. During this enchanted evening, may you journey within with love and wisdom, and find the strength and courage to look into the shadows – so you can shine a light on them in preparation for dreaming a new lunar cycle into being when the new moon rises on the 18th. Bright blessings, and the most magical month ahead to you, filled with love, inspiration, creativity, passion and joy…
Find out the exact timings for your area at Sunrise Sunset.
The moon is a thing of mystery, enchantment and wonder, linked to intuition, inner power and imagination. To the Celts, its phases reflected the phases of a human life – birth, adolescence, adulthood, death and rebirth – and were associated with the Triple Goddess who included the aspects of maiden, mother and crone, represented by Rhiannon, maiden goddess of inspiration and the waxing moon, Arianrhod, mother goddess of fertility and the full moon, and Ceridwen, crone goddess of death, rebirth and the waning moon. In countless other cultures the moon was also seen as a goddess, who not only marked the passing of time, but increased fertility, deepened psychic powers and improved wellbeing.
Harnessing the energy of the phases of the moon can help bring a goal to fruition. These phases are determined by the moon’s position in relation to the earth and the sun, as it orbits our planet every 29.5 days. The moon has no light of its own – it’s illuminated by the light of the sun reflecting off its surface, and its phases are created by the amount of the illuminated side we can see from earth.
Lunar phases are printed in newspapers, moon diaries and websites like NASA’s and www.sunrisesunset.com, and you can also determine the phase of the moon by its shape, as well as by the time it rises, which occurs about fifty minutes later each day. It can be remembered by the old adage: “The new moon rises at sunrise, and the first quarter at noon. The full moon rises at sunset, and the last quarter at midnight.”
As the moon progresses from dark to full it’s the waxing or growing period, a time of new beginnings and increasing energy. As it goes from full back to dark it’s the waning period, a time of lowering energy and introspection. Magical practitioners use the cycles of the moon to increase the power of spellworking, harnessing the energies inherent in each phase. So do fishermen, who understand the incredible pull the moon has on the tides of the ocean and its creatures.
Gardening also operates to the rhythms of the moon, as the lunar phase can enhance or hinder plant growth. To boost it, sow crops that produce above the ground between new moon and full, as the light and energy increases, and crops that produce below ground, such as root vegetables and bulbs, between full moon and dark.
Surfers understand its power too. The full moon magnifies weather patterns, so a winter full moon will bring stormier swells and bigger waves. The tides are more extreme at both the full moon and the dark moon – high tides are higher, and low tides lower. These two phases have an intense influence on the ocean, heightening conditions and drawing huge swells – or, if the ocean is flat, making it even flatter. Surfers going to Indonesia for a wave-riding safari book around a full moon, so they’ll have optimum conditions and even bigger waves.
The Magic of the Dark Moon
The dark moon rises at dawn, with the sun, hence why we can’t see it, and sets at sunset. It is between the earth and the sun the whole time, making it invisible to us. While some people take the dark moon as a day off from magic, others use it to go within, using the introspective energies to examine their feelings and thoughts and delve deep within their psyche.
While the moon is hidden it’s also a powerful time to scry and perform any kind of divination that will uncover your hidden truths, and for getting in touch with your inner wisdom and approaching the Mysteries. This energy helps you explore the darkest recesses of your mind and your heart, and acknowledge your passions, your fears and your anger so you can release them to the approaching light.
This is a time to rest and renew your strength, and also to evaluate your life and your progress. The powerful, deep and transforming energy of the dark moon is an internalised vibration, so be aware of your thoughts, avoiding focusing on negativity or self-loathing in case you manifest the fears you’re supposed to banish. The dark moon celebrates the crone, so invoke the energies of Ceridwen, Kali, the Cailleach, Hekate, Baba Yaga or Nephthys – or your own inner priestess – to help you descend to your metaphorical underworld and examine the layers of your subconscious…
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