The Lunar Cycle as a Structure For Your Magic
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learn how to follow the lunar cycle for magical and mundane activities
be in on the changes coming to Mumbles Academy in 2021
have a better understanding of what magic to perform when
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This episode is all about the moon and I want to start by talking about the different ways to divide the lunar cycle in order to create structure in your witchcraft practice.
Waxing / Waning
The first, and probably the simplest way to follow the lunar cycle is to pay attention to when the moon is waxing, or getting bigger or growing, and when the moon is waning, or shrinking or getting smaller.
In that, all you need to know is the two turning points:
the new moon where the moon changes from shrinking to growing
the full moon where the moon shrink changes from growing or shrinking
WAXING MOON
While the moon is growing larger, think about your magic in terms of growth, attraction and increase. Ask yourself what you want to draw more of into your life. Think about what you want to nurture in your personality to encourage it to become stronger.
The waxing half of the cycle begins as a barely-detectable sliver at the New Moon.
Over the next few days, the sliver grows during the Crescent Moon phase.
The mid-point, when we see a half moon is called the first quarter or waxing half, when the illuminated half is on the right and the shadowed half on the left.
The Gibbous phase is named for the bulging appearance of the moon as it continues to grow full.
WANING MOON
During the waning half think about magic in terms of decline, banishing and releasing. What things are holding you back, that you can let go of. What in your life is causing you pain or challenging you. What sort of obstacles do you need to remove.
When the circle of the moon is fully illuminated we call it a Full Moon.
The next phase is a waning gibbous moon and then at the waning half moon or third quarter moon, the light half is on the left, with the shadowed half on the right.
More and more of the Moon is covered in shadow as it wanes back to the Crescent, and then completely disappears.
THE DARK MOON
This window of time before the moon is visible again is the Dark Moon. Once the sliver of moon returns, the cycle begins again.
Four Week-Long Quarters
You can also look at the lunar cycle in terms of quarters and each quarter is about a week long. The cycle begins the same way, with the New Moon.
THE FIRST QUARTER
There is still the waxing and waning halves but the first week of waxing is the first quarter. This is the time between the New and waxing half moon. This first week is for intention setting.
Anytime that you have a chance—because we are busy modern witches and we have to find time for witchcraft practice—during that first quarter of the lunar cycle you would do your intention setting.
THE SECOND QUARTER
Then the second quarter would be the next week when there is the first quarter moon or the waxing half moon is another name for it. In that week you would take action and you'd push past any obstacles that are coming up. Take action toward the intention that you set at the new moon and push past anything that is standing in your way.
THE THIRD QUARTER
Then the first week of the waning half, or the third week of the entire cycle, is the third quarter. This week contains the Full Moon. This is when you celebrate and harvest the blessings to store up for later.
THE FOURTH QUARTER
Finally, the fourth quarter is the fourth week and the waning half moon occurs in that week. Here you can do fourth quarter activities, such as releasing and banishing those obstacles that you pushed past so that they don't come up for you again in a future cycle.
CAVIATS
Now, the lunar cycle last 29.5 days, but four weeks is 28 days, so there is this lag time, which we call the dark days or the Dark Moon. This is a rest period where you can reflect on what you learned during that cycle and you can make plans for what you're going to do in the next lunar cycle.
It's not perfect. Sometimes the new moon and the first quarter moon occur in the same week to kind of have to pay attention to when these things happen and adjust and be flexible but for the most part you'll see that this is a pattern that for in the over the course of four weeks one of these major transition phases occurs.
Best Practice
I think if you're just getting started with working with lunar energy the most important things to pay attention to is when the new moon is and when the full moon is because these are transition points between growth and decline or attraction and banishment.
Start by paying attention to when those events happen that will be really helpful as you're getting acquainted with lunar energy.
Moon Magic eCourse
If you've been following Mumbles & Things for some time, you probably know that Mumbles Academy is structured around the Zodiac seasons and the solar cycle. Basically, we follow the Sun as it travels through each of the zodiac signs according to the tropical astrology system. At the time of this publication, the sun just entered Virgo and that is one reason that I chose to talk to you about the moon.
Virgo energy is all about structure and routine, and health and wellness. Followig the lunar cycle is one way that I have been able to not only structure my witchcraft practice, but also structure my mundane life.
The latest addition to Mumbles Academy is the Moon Magic eCourse. During Virgo season, we are going to be learning about using the phases of the moon to provide structure for your magic and mundane life.
Join Mumbles Academy to access the Moon Magic eCourse.
Changes for 2021
If you've been following Mumbles & Things for some time, you may also know that for the last two years I've led a year-long moon course with an accompanying planner. Each year, around this time, I start talking about it to get feedback about what people want to see for the following year, to get people ready to enroll, and help me get an idea of how many students I will have. This year is no different.
This is an announcement that I will be continuing the Moon Circle program in 2021. I also want to share some of the changes you can expect based on what I've learned from the previous years.
The biggest change for the 2021 Moon Circle is that it will be merging into the Mumbles Academy membership at Yule. Therefore, the monthly/quarterly/yearly cost for Mumbles Academy will also be increasing in the new year.
If you're already a Mumbles Academy member (or if you join in the next few months), you'll keep your same price for as long as they remain a member. If you have been thinking about joining us in Mumbles Academy, then this is a really good opportunity.
If you're currently a Moon Circle student only (and not a member of Mumbles Academy) you will have access to your lessons, meditations, and any additional resources from the year that you took the course for life, as promised. So, don't worry about losing access that if you're not a member. However, if you’ve enjoyed the planner and the new moon chats, and want to continue with those, I hope you’ll join Mumbles Academy.
I want to share some more about what the Moon Circle is, and how this structure is going to influence Mumbles Academy. To do this, let's talk a little bit more about the moon.
We've looked at these two different ways to structure you magic according to lunar energy:
Waxing / Waning Halves
Week-Long Quarters
A third way to look at the lunar cycle is actually to divide it into eighths and look at each of the eight phases of the lunar cycle.
The lunar cycle lasts about 30 days, and many scientists and psychologists agree that you can create a new habit if you do something consistently for 30 days in a row.
So, you can think about the lunar cycle as a cosmic time teller. From New Moon to New Moon, you have an opportunity to create any reality you desire. Or, almost any reality, some desires may take multiple moon cycles, but each one can be a stepping stone to the ultimate goal.
As I mentioned, you can find the Moon Magic eCourse in Mumbles Academy. The first two chapters are in depth explorations into these eight phases, including what kind of magic to do at each of these phases, spell options and ideas for rituals, and how this energy fluctuates throughout the lunar cycle. I’ll give you a brief overview here.
Chapter 1 - The Waxing Half
Lesson 1 - New Moon
It’s pretty universal to begin with the New Moon because the energy of this time is all about newness. The moon is literally renewing itself at the new moon, emerging again from the darkness. This is when most witches set intentions. Set intentions that align with what you want to see in your life.
Related: How to Set a Magical Intention
As a member of Mumbles Academy starting in 2021, you will be invited you join me and other members in a live chat at the New Moon so that we can all set our intentions together. Having a community of people to share your intention with helps you hold yourself accountable to your dreams and reminds you to set your intentions in the first place.
Energy: Spark
Lesson 2 - Waxing Crescent
The energy surrounding the Waxing Crescent is about taking those first steps toward your intention. During the New Moon ritual, you will be invited to brainstorm some small actions you can take toward the intention you set. Taking action, even something small, gets the ball rolling.
Energy: Exponential Increase
Lesson 3 - First Quarter
When you take action, this often brings up some challenges and obstacles, whether they are external or internal. Let’s look at an example, your intention is to increase your monthly income, and an action you took is to apply for a new job. An external obstacle might be that your time frame depends on someone else’s schedule. An internal obstacle might be the belief that you don’t actually deserve more money.
At the First Quarter Moon, you don’t let these things slow you down. You push past them and keep up your momentum. You look for other actions you can take and remain open to additional opportunities.
You will also have the opportunity to join a chat with me and other members of Mumbles Academy at each of the Quarter Moons. It all depends on the way the solar cycle aligns with the lunar cycle, but it will either be the Masterclass or Office Hours.
Energy: Linear Increase
Lesson 4 - Waxing Gibbous
The Waxing Gibbous is a time to realign your focus. Things get messy during the First Quarter Moon because you are traveling down several avenues. As the attracting energy of the waxing half of the cycle begins to diminish, look at everything you’ve tried and refocus on what is truly aligned with your intention.
Energy: Concave Increase
Chapter 2 - The WaNing Half
Lesson 1 - Full Moon
The Full Moon marks a transition. It is the peak of the lunar energy and a wonderful time to celebrate your efforts and your blessings. It is also an opportunity to consider what you will release during the waning half of the lunar cycle.
Because the Full Moon sits in the opposite zodiac sign of the sun, there is opposition and tension as you shift from attraction to release.
Starting in 2021, members of Mumbles Academy, are invited to join the Full Moon chat. Here you can share your wins with other members and share in the celebration of others, and you can prepare for the waning half by planning what you will be releasing.
Energy: Peak
Lesson 2 - Waning Gibbous
At the Waning Gibbous the lunar energy is beginning to decline. At this point you take in and store all of that energy that you had from the Full Moon. You can save it for when you aren’t as energized. You begin to reflect on what happened during the Waxing half of the cycle and how things worked out for you.
Energy: Concave Decrease
Lesson 3 - Last Quarter
The Last Quarter Moon is when you are actually going to release those obstacles and challenges that came up during the First Quarter Moon. You pushed past them before so that you could keep your momentum up, but now you want to do the work to remove them fro your path so that they are not obstacles for you anymore.
As a reminder, you will also have the opportunity to join a chat with me and other members of Mumbles Academy at each of the Quarter Moons. It all depends on the way the solar cycle aligns with the lunar cycle, but it will either be the Masterclass or Office Hours.
Energy: Linear Decrease
Lesson 4 - Waning Crescent
The greatest decreasing energy of the cycle occurs during the Waning Crescent phase, which makes it the perfect time to do banishing spells. Banishing something is a more powerful form of release. So, if you tried to release something during the Last Quarter Moon and it is really sticky, you may need to banish it instead.
Energy: Exponential Decrease
Lesson 5 - The Dark Moon
This is the truly dark period of the lunar cycle, there is no visible moon in the night sky. This is your opportunity to take a rest and reflect on what you’ve experienced. Look for the lessons, think about what you will leave behind in the last lunar cycle, and what you will bring with you into the next one.
As a member of Mumbles Academy, we start the New Moon chat by talking about the previous cycle and it’s a chance for you to hold yourself accountable for this important step of the cycle.
Energy: Rest
Chapter 3 - Chapter 5
The remaining lessons in the Moon Magic course are about how to take what you know about the moon cycle and apply it to your magic and mundane life.
Chapter 3 - Celestial Phenomena
Scientific Understanding
Unique Lunar Events
Planets in Retrograde
Zodiac Archetypes
The Solar Cycle
Chapter 4 - Everyday Moon Magic
Creating a Moon Altar
Setting Powerful Intentions
How to Take Action
The Importance of Gratitude
Limiting and Empowering Beliefs
Chapter 5 - Using the Planner
The Planner as a Record
Mood Trackers
Getting Creative with Your Timing
Inconsistency in Witchcraft
View the 2020 Moon Circle Planner to get an idea of the planner Mumbles Academy members will have access to.
To Sum Up
In this blog post, I shared with you several ways to look at the lunar cycle to help you structure your magical practice. I also invited you to join Mumbles Academy if you would like to go deeper into building your connection with lunar energy.
If you join us before the New Year (Before December 21st, 2020), you will get access to all the benefits of being a member at the lowest price you will see!
What’s inside?
Mumbles & Things WitchPath - a map for becoming a more confident witch and the Mumbles & Things signature course Witchcraft 101.
Monthly Witchcraft Topics - a growing library of 25+ workshops, live Q&As, masterclasses, courses, and community challenges.
Library of Resources - a collection of ebooks, mini guides, worksheets, templates, journal prompts, spells, lesson transcripts, references, and more.
Community Support Forum - a place to ask your questions, get a second opinion, share your ideas and tips, and make friends with other Mumblers.
Quarterly Calendar - a document to help you keep track of community events and celestial phenomena, as well as a personal planner.
Patches - a fun way to display your interests to other members as you explore the topics and resources within Mumbles Academy.
Join us in the Talk Witchcraft Facebook group to chat about this episode with other witchy folks.
Wait, don’t go yet!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.
Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.
With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.
Now it’s your turn!
What are you most excited about learning in Mumbles Academy?
