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Working with the lunar cycle

The Moon

The moon is the witch's clock. Its cycle of about twenty-nine and a half days sets the rhythm for most magical work.

The sun gives the Craft its year, and the moon gives it its month. From new to full and back again, the moon offers a pattern that anyone can follow: begin, build, celebrate, release, and rest. Following it is the easiest way to give a new practice some structure.

The moon right now

Moon phase calculator

With scripts turned on, this panel shows the current phase of the moon. The guides below explain all eight phases either way.

Show dates for the

The eight phases

The moon's cycle is divided into eight phases. Each has its own character and its own traditional uses, which are explained in full in our guide to the phases of the moon.

  1. New moonRest and set intentions
  2. Waxing crescentBegin and plant
  3. First quarterAct and decide
  4. Waxing gibbousRefine and build
  5. Full moonCulminate and celebrate
  6. Waning gibbousGive thanks and share
  7. Last quarterRelease and clear
  8. Waning crescentRest and reflect

The drawings show the moon as it is seen from the Northern Hemisphere, where the waxing moon is lit on the right. In the Southern Hemisphere the view is reversed, and the waxing moon is lit on the left.

The moon guides

Moon Phases

The meaning of each of the eight moon phases, the best kind of work for each, and a simple monthly plan.

4 min read

Full Moon Names

Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, Harvest Moon: the traditional name of each month's full moon and where the names come from.

4 min read

Esbats

What an esbat is, what happens at one, and how to hold a simple full moon ritual on your own.

4 min read

Moon Water

How to make moon water, which phase to choose, how to store it safely, and twelve ways to use it.

3 min read

Why witches follow the moon

There are three reasons, and you do not need to accept all of them.

Tradition. Farmers, sailors, and healers planned by the moon for thousands of years, and European folk magick is full of instructions to gather an herb or begin a task at a particular phase. In Wicca the moon is the chief symbol of the Goddess.

Rhythm. A cycle of four weeks is a very practical length. It is long enough to accomplish something and short enough to keep in view. Setting an intention at the new moon and reviewing it at the next one is good planning, whatever else it may be.

Attention. Looking up each night to find the moon is a small act that reconnects you to the sky. Many people find that this habit, more than any ritual, is what makes them feel like a witch.

A simple way to begin

Look for the moon tonight. Note its phase and how you feel, and do the same every night for a month. Our article on keeping a moon journal for one cycle shows how to turn that into a lasting practice.