[glow=red,2,300]LUNAR MAGIC
SUGGESTED MANTRA:
MAGIC
There are many goddesses linked to the cyclical moon energy, some of which include: Artemis, Hecate, Rhiannon, Chang-O, KuanYin, Ix Chel, Ishtar, Xochiquetzal, Selene... Moon goddesses represent the powers of fertility, they rule the blood cycles in the bodies of women and the movement of life giving water. They wax and wane with the cycles of the moon, illuminating our dreams and psyche along the journey.
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SUGGESTED AFFIRMATIONS:
I am healthy and happy
I adore my womanly shape
Each moment shines on me
I stand in complete satisfaction
I feel absolutely supercharged
I have abundant energy and vitality
The most visible symbol of feminine energy in the solar system is the moon. Lunar magic is cyclical, intuitive, emotional and psychic, and women's dreams, patterns and psyche are inexorably linked with moon energy. Women wield the most powerful creative force - the ability to give birth, so it is not surprising that moon goddess qualities have manifested as "maternal instinct" and "feminine know-how." Women have a mystique, a reputation for never being exactly like they appear, much like the moon who changes size and shape in relation to the horizon nightly.
More about Lunar Magic.
Generally speaking, a year has 13 moon cycles. A "long year" occurs if and only if:
a) The year is divisible by 3, or
b) The digits of the year sum to 2, 22 or 23.
In a long year, the phenomenon where a second Full Moon falls into a single month (it varies each year), is known as a Blue Moon. When the Blue Moon occurs it is an ideal time to do something you have never done before, something that will challenge your traditional comfort zones. Do something to honour the feminine divine that moon energy empowers.
The moon is ever changing within its constant course. Each phase symbolises various aspects of the goddess. Very briefly, the cycles are as follows:
The new or crescent moon represents maiden goddess energy and is a time for meditation and setting new goals with clear intent. The herbs that may be used at the start of these rituals are jasmine, myrrh, rosemary, or vanilla, burned in a white or silver candle. Invoke Diana.
The waxing moon (first quarter) is a time of growth - good wishes and intentions planted in the new moon take root and stretch out as they start to reach a stage of fulfilment. Invoke Rhiannon.
The full moon symbolises mother goddess energy, full and round and glowing with healthy life. It is a time of ripeness, and for honouring helpers and guides with ash, gardenia, lotus, oak, palm, or rose burned in a red, or green candle for gratitude. Invoke Ceres.
The waning moon (last quarter), celebrates crone goddess energy, the wisdom and divining energies of the post-menopausal woman. It is a good time to "clean house" - tie up loose ends, relinquish bad habits, clear the way for new energy. For personal rituals use frankincense, elder flowers, or willow, burned in a black candle. Invoke Hecate. On a dark moon, invoke Oya, but be prepared for the consequences!
In witchcraft, traditionally a coven is made up of a maximum of thirteen to correspond with the thirteen lunar months. Each moon a particular goddess may be chosen as the focus for her energies relating to the season and cycle of agriculture at that time. An example of goddesses honoured each month (in alphabetical order for easy reference) might be:
Month
number Number
of days Goddess Goddess
1 29 usually Astarte Hebrew and Canaanite goddess also linked to Greek goddess of fertility, love, fire, productivity, war, astrology, victory, vengeance and sexual prowess.
2 30 Bast Egyptian goddess capable of unleashing dangerous forces in revenge. Her mother goddess energy is mostly nurturing, but like all mothers, is occasionally a disciplinarian for the greatest good of all.
3 29 Cybele Cybele is a goddess of nature and fertility who was worshiped in Rome as the Great Mother. (Known to the Greeks as Rhea, the wife of the Titan Cronus and mother of the Olympian gods.)
4 30 Diana Roman goddess of hunting and of wild animals, childbirth, nature, and of the harvest. Protector of young women.
5 29 Eris Greek goddess of chaos and discord (the Roman goddess is Discordia).
6 30 Freya Nordic goddess of love, beauty, childbirth and passion. She is the gentle goddess who ends life in order to perpetuate the circle of life with love and trust.
7 29 Gaia More than any other goddess, Gaia is identified as the divine and animate Earth Mother. She is also goddess of marriage, death, and the after-world.
8 30 Hathor Queen of Heaven to the Egyptians, goddess of fertility, love and beauty. Her energy radiates through the womb chakra - core of creativity, centre of emotion.
9 29 Isis Egyptian goddess of intuition, perception, illumination and insight. She is the embodiment of the feminine as a vessel for divine expression.
10 30 Juno Roman goddess of marriage, protector of the commitment to share one's physical, emotional and spiritual self through union with a soul mate.
11 29 Kali Great Hindu mother of all. Often depicted as a bloodthirsty harbinger of destruction, but through death we can experience the wonder of rebirth.
12 30 Lakshmi Hindu goddess, wife of Vishnu, goddess of abundance and good fortune.
13 29 always Maat Egyptian goddess of truth, closely associated with deities of the Sun and Creation.
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Cool Lun!
