'Round the Cauldron

Many witches are drawn to the Moon, and sometimes for good reason! In my beliefs, the Moon holds a particular type of energy that can be used to help fuel my spellwork. This energy waxes and wanes, just like the phases of the Moon herself, and the associations of each phase are different. A Full Moon, though, has the most potent, all-encompassing energy of all the phases.

What is a Full Moon?

Scientifically speaking, the Full Moon is a point in time when the sun shines directly on the moon as it faces the Earth from a certain angle. In this case, we get a Full Moon when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun. So, it looks something like the image below.

While it is most likely more complicated than that, this is the basic explanation of what a Full Moon is. This is also why the time for the Full Moon will depend on your location! It doesn’t usually vary by much more than a few hours, but the time of the Full Moon is entirely dependent on what part of the world you live in and where the Sun is shining that day.

Full Moons in Witchcraft

The first thing I need to say here is that no two witches are going to agree on what the Full Moon means. Not exactly, anyway. So, everything written here — the meaning of the Full Moon, the Moon phases, and the ideas for celebration — they all come from my personal beliefs and practices.

The Full Moon contains the most potent energy for getting anything done because the Moon is fully illuminated. During a Full Moon, you can do spellwork for just about anything. I generally save my Full Moon spellwork for times when I need a big boost in energy or a lot of support.

Basic Full Moon Correspondences

🌕 manifestation
🌕 releasing
🌕 charging objects
🌕 calling in abundance
🌕 casting protection spells
🌕 healing magic
🌕 joy and happiness

Celebrating a Full Moon

Many witches choose to honor the Full Moon in a religious way as the Moon tends to be a big part of our practices. If you’re Wiccan, the Moon is a physical representation of The Goddess — even more reason to celebrate, right? For me, I honor the Moon in smaller ways as she isn’t a central religious part of my practice anymore (or right now? I don’t know, things are always changing!). So, how can you celebrate the Full Moon? Here are a few ideas!

Hold a Full Moon Ritual

Many magical people like to use the power of the Full Moon in their spells and rituals. Depending on your beliefs, the Full Moon is a time of immense magical power and energy. You can hold a ritual for the Full Moon to harness that energy and use it for spellwork. This is also a time when many people like to charge their crystals, cleanse their tarot decks, and connect with a divine feminine figure.

Give Offerings to Moon Deities

There is a deity associated with the Moon in most cultures around the world. If you work with a deity associated with the Moon, this is a wonderful time to give offerings to that deity. For example, Selene is a Greek deity usually associated with the Moon. Artemis is also associated with the Moon.

Some deities, however, are associated with a different phase of the Moon — Hekate, for example, has a holy day on the New Moon rather than the Full Moon. If you don’t work with Moon Deities, you can give an offering to the Spirit of the Moon in general. Most common offerings are water, incense smoke, prayers, and burning herbs.

Bake Moon Cookies

If you have a knack for kitchen witchcraft, baking Moon cookies is a great Full Moon activity! There are many recipes online for Moon cookies so a quick Google search can help you there. You can take it a step further and add different spices and ingredients for different intentions. For example, a bit of rosemary for protection, a bit of cinnamon for luck, or a bit of clove for prosperity.

Cleanse Yourself and Your Space

Many witches such as myself choose to use the Full Moon as a time marker for regular home cleanses. Every Full Moon, take some time to cleanse yourself, your home, and your sacred spaces. Choose a cleansing herb of your choice, light a bundle or an incense stick, and walk around your home. You can say a prayer, a chant, or an incantation. If you prefer not to use smoke, you may want to opt for one of these smoke-free methods of cleansing instead.

Make Moon Water

Ahh, the age-old practice of making Moon Water…yes, some people love it and some people hate it. Myself? I prefer to make Moon Water with a purpose (and I’ll use any phase of the Moon!). Set out a jar, bottle, or bowl full of water in a place where the Moon can see it. In doing so, you are inviting the energy of the Moon to charge the water. This water can then be used in your magical practice, spells, and more! I like to include Moon Water in my coffee every now and then for a boost of energy.

Do What Works

While not everyone celebrates or honors the Full Moon, it is a great way to get in touch with the cycles of the natural world. The Moon phases are easy to track with apps and websites such as Moon Giant. This makes things easy to plan! Some nights, just a simple prayer is enough to feel celebratory toward the Moon.

So, what do you do? How do you celebrate or honor the Full Moon? Let me know in the comments below!

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