Dancing in the Moonlight

Hengist Journey #4

The fourth Nature’s Tribe book considers the “13 Esbats of the Moon.” As the culmination of storylines set up in the previous three books, it was a massive undertaking. Not one to make things easy for myself, I had 14 different women (plus a couple of guys) each telling their part of the story. It was a challenge to deal with their closely-woven sub-plots, but I hope it made for interesting reading as each woman brought her own experiences (and problems) to this quasi-Neanderthal, dystopian situation. Like exactly how did people boil water with no metal containers? That one took a while.

In addition to the 13 moons in the year (each of which is linked to a zodiac sign and has its own energy and purpose), there’s a chapter for each moon phase.

Every phase (new, crescent, gibbous, waxing/waning etc) lends itself to particular type of spell casting and is attached to a different Moon Goddess.
Here's a little more detail - if you have a particular Moon Goddess you link to, I'd love to hear.

New moon: The Maiden phase of the moon is good for spells to do with growth, cleansing and purifying, new projects, job hunting. Ideal for setting intentions and taking those initial steps towards manifesting your desires. Call on Phersphone or Juno for help.

Crescent moon: Between new and half, with the powerful energy of momentum and manifestation. It is all about going within and ‘pulling’ out what you want more of before you start thinking and envisioning what you want to bring forth from the external world. Good for bringing things into your life, particularly self-love, compassion, a positive attitude and courage. Artemis or Diana will help with this.

Triple Goddess Symbol

Waxing Gibbous moon: Between half and full, a powerful time, particularly for spiritual development. A good time for money, love and protection spells, also prosperity, health, success, courage, luck. If you are struggling with lack of motivation to finish a project or stick to a routine, make use of these energies to give you a push and help you overcome temptations and resistance, especially if you ask Rhiannon or Zirna for assistance.

Full moon: A time of completion and abundance, the Mother aspect lends her strength and power, making it most conducive to addressing major issues or challenges you may be facing. Focus your spells and rituals on things that are of the utmost importance to your life. Also good for healing, divination, love, knowledge, money, dreams. For spells requiring extra “oomph,” try calling on Selene, Demeter or Epona.

Waning moon: A time for reflection. Meditation can give a spark of transformation. The Crone aspect is good for banishing spells, also ridding yourself of illness and magic related to reducing things. A wonderful time for introspection and gaining clarity on what is no longer in alignment with your goals. This could be a dead-end project/job , a hobby/class you’ve taken up, or a toxic relationship/friendship. Focus your spells and rituals on dropping anything which no longer works for you/brings you joy. Try calling on the wisdom of Hecate or Cerridwen to help cut the ties that bind.