The moon is our most direct connection to natural magic. She’s honored as a source of power and life across cultures and generations. For eons her luminescent face has inspired thousands of cultural traditions, folk stories and pagan rituals.

For thousands of years she’s been a symbol of love, hope, rebirth, passion, fertility, mystery and magic. At this point she’s synonymous with witches and modern pagan practices. Even for those choosing not to identify with either of these spiritual communities, the moon is a great resource to help honor the rhythms of the natural world and develop a deeper connection with your spiritual self.

That’s why I always recommend moon magic for those interested in exploring their witchy side. It’s the most intuitive and accessible form of magic. You may already be practicing it.

When working with the moon, we’re working with the energy of the goddess. Here, she can take any form or name that fits your tradition and your comfortability.  But the presence of a feminine divine energy is pertinent to Wiccan tradition, and one of its defining characteristics.

You don’t need many supplies for this magical work. The only necessary supply would be a journal, and maybe a dated calendar. If you’re a fan of bullet journaling, the bloggers from Archer & Olive put together this awesome bullet journaling for the moon phases guide.

There are 8 phases total of the moon, each with its own specific set of magical energy for you to use. Since this is an intro, we’ll focus on the broad strokes  of the lunar phases: new, waxing, full, waning and dark.

The Phases of the Moon

New Moon

This is the beginning of our cycle. It’s where we set our goals and intentions for the upcoming cycle. It’s said your luck will be best here when starting new projects. This is our calm before the storm. We get a solid idea of what it is we want, why we want it, how it will make us feel. I like to do my divination practices (tarot and oracle readings) during this phase. Our focus for this phase can be clarity & beginnings. 

Waxing

As the moon moves from new to full, it is waxing. Now is the time where we take action. We begin to move our goals and desires from the inner realm of intentions to the outer world of actions. This is also a good time for magic that has to do with increasing: what do you want to bring more of in to your life? Our focus for this phase can be strength & action. 

Full Moon

The full moon is a witches best friend. As recognized across culture, energy is especially potent here; any and all magic is suggested. In our cycle of intention setting the full moon is a time for celebration, harvest and being thankful. Look back over the past two weeks and think about all you are grateful for and what you have created so far. Every full moon has special energy to it according to the time of year. We call these esbats in the witchy community, but that’s for another lesson. Our focus for the new moon is to harvest and celebrate.

Waning

When the moon wanes it begins its transition back to dark as the light slowly fades. And so we transition back from the external to the internal. We begin to focus on what we want to release. Cleansing and clearing magic are especially powerful here. What themes or actions showed up over this last moon phase that are not serving you? Are there things that are holding you back that you need to release? For our waning moon we learn to release and let go. 

Dark Moon

The few days of darkness right before the new moon is a time of total rest and rejuvenation. Give yourself space before you jump back in to the cycle again. Be mindful of the feelings and energy level in your body. Take whatever actions you need to physically rest and reset. 

Then the wonderful cycle starts all over again and we are connected to the infinite flow of the universe. As we transition our idea of time to this more natural, connected form we may begin to notice more about ourselves and create a deeper connection with how we live our life.

If all this seems like a lot to digest, start simple. Just try connecting with the moon on a daily basis. Take a moment to look up, notice the moon and notice how you feel. Maybe take an extra breath to close your eyes, give her a silent greeting and say a prayer of gratitude. Then you can intuitively start building your moon magic if it resonates with you.

No matter what practices you choose to take and leave, always lead with your intuition. Research and structure is nice, but the ultimate tool of the witch is their connection to their Self.

What does moon magic look like for you? Let me know in the comments

Check out some of these awesome moon calendars if you’d like some more guidance in tracking the phases of the moon.