Bringing olden ways to modern days for Wiccans,
Witches,
Pagans,
And all who honor a nature-based path.
This is Desert Magic with Crow Moon.
Merry Meet,
And welcome once again to another episode of Desert Magic,
Coming to you from the beautiful and magical desert of southern Arizona.
My name is Crow Moon,
And I'm your host.
While not a traditional pagan observance insofar as the wheel of the year is concerned,
A contemporary or eclectic pagan celebration occurring July 12th through the 14th is the Feast of the Moon.
The observance highlights lunar energy,
And it celebrates the goddess in all her forms as she is known throughout various traditions of paganism and Wicca.
Another focus of the celebration is on lunar magic and rituals incorporating the moon's energy.
For any nature-based spiritualist,
Celebrating and honoring the moon is a regular occurrence,
But any specific time dedicated to doing just that is indeed worthy of celebration and our attention.
In North America,
The full moon in July is known as the Buck Moon,
With a focus that is upon strength and nature's vitality taking its name from when the antlers of male deer are at a time of full growth.
The moon itself is a source of great strength,
Regardless of the month,
But that strength is also paired with a very nurturing aspect.
For practitioners of magic,
The energy of the moon,
Particularly the full moon,
Is called upon for adding power to workings.
Yet,
We also regard the moon as being compassionate and comforting.
So in this episode,
I will be focusing on both the powerful and protective aspects of the moon by sharing some readings and various thoughts along with a bit of my music.
Mother Moon,
Your majesty I see,
On this night when you come to me.
Softest light,
Love and might,
I feel your presence here,
This night.
Lady of the summer night,
Beneath your glow,
We dance tonight.
Lady of the healing rain,
Shower love upon this plain.
Tonight we see your silver glow,
And raise the magic,
You will grow.
Lady of the summer night,
To our intentions,
Grant your might.
Referring to the moon as Lady of the Summer Night has special meaning here in Arizona,
Especially during the month of July,
As this is when our monsoon season begins and is often in full force.
With the heat of the day rising to almost oppressive levels,
It is natural for us to attune to the nurturing side of the goddess,
As the rains fall plentifully,
To provide both relief from the heat and water to this parched land.
While the name Buck Moon came from Native American traditions,
So too does the name Thunder Moon,
By which the July moon is also known.
Crescent one of the starry skies,
Flowered one of the fertile plain,
Flowing one of the ocean's sighs,
Blessed one of the gentle rain.
Hear my chant amidst the standing stones,
Open me to your mystic light,
Waken me to your silver tones,
Be with me in my sacred rite.
Gracious goddess,
You who are the queen of the gods,
The lamp of the night,
The creator of all that's wild and free,
Mother of woman and man,
Lover of the horned god and protectress of all the Wicca,
Descend,
We pray,
With your lunar ray of power upon our circle here.
That was Welcoming the Moon by yours truly.
One of the ways in which we,
The Wicca,
Harness the moon's power for various workings is through the practice of collecting moon water.
This is a somewhat common and regular practice across many spiritualities.
It is done quite simply by placing a container of water,
Preferably outside,
Under the glow of the full moon in order for the water to take on the moon's power.
This is something that is widely practiced during the time of the full moon,
But it is not limited to that,
As each lunar phase carries with it a distinct power or energy.
Once prepared,
Moon water can be used for purposes such as cleansing one's altar,
Performing blessings,
And so forth.
Many practitioners will also choose to cleanse their crystals by placing them beneath the full moon's glow.
Pale glow of moonlight fixed,
Spells of magic now betwixt,
Helping hands and knowing eyes,
Incense burns,
And smoke doth rise.
Plume upon the mountain's crest,
Powers do we now invest,
To learn and teach and reap and sow,
And tread where only wise ones go.
By all seasons,
Night and day,
From the old ways do not stray,
Through spirit eyes the truth is shown,
By light of moon all is known.
In some Celtic traditions,
The full moon in July is also known as the calming moon,
Or the herb moon.
One herb that is strongly associated with the moon is lavender,
And lavender speaks to both aspects of the moon we celebrate now.
Lavender is known for its ability to promote peace and calmness,
And also sleep.
On the other hand,
It is an herb that is called upon for cleansing and protection,
Particularly with warding off negative energies.
As such,
Dried lavender can be hung above doorways,
Or added to protective sachets carried on one's person.
Many use lavender in the establishment of sacred space,
As it is known to banish negative and unwanted energies.
Here at last,
Our circle is cast,
With light upon the ground,
Under the sacred glow of the moon,
Hand to hand we can be found.
Silver goddess,
To you we sing,
Throughout the night our voices ring.
One and all we honor you,
With spirits strong and intentions true.
On this your night,
And at this hour,
We honor your beauty and your power.
Upon us now your blessings bestow,
As above,
So below.
That was Through the Mist,
Also by me.
I heard a saying many years ago that has stayed with me,
Because it provides both comfort and hope.
And that saying is,
Each time you look at the full moon,
Remember that you are never alone,
Because someone,
Somewhere,
Is,
At the same time,
Looking at it too.
And while the moon has deep spiritual meaning to Wiccans,
I would say that the same thing holds true for everyone,
Including those who do not necessarily identify as being spiritual in any context.
The moon inspires people to take walks in the evening,
And to pause while taking those walks,
To,
In silence,
Stand in awe of the beauty above them.
Perhaps this is the truest beauty and magic of the moon,
As it,
At least for certain moments in time,
Provides comfort and tranquility.
It breaks down barriers,
Erases divisions,
It minimizes worry and fear,
It is that favorite blanket we wrap around ourselves for a moment of peaceful seclusion.
In this regard,
The moon is the true embodiment of the goddess,
And,
With her arms outstretched,
She welcomes all of us.
As I look to the moon,
I see a light that commands stillness,
And in that stillness is harmony,
Nourishment,
And peace.
I hear perfect silence,
And in that silence all is grounded and guided.
Under the moon,
All forms of life bow their heads,
While opening and lifting their hearts.
Emotions and creativity are stirred.
A shallow breath becomes as mighty as the wings of a raven.
Hope strengthens,
As worry is laid to rest.
Mysteries are revealed,
Ideas are forged.
Peace is a reality.
As I look to the moon,
My eyes cannot go elsewhere,
For they are following my soul,
And it carries me down the path illuminated before me by the moon.
To the moon,
I look and listen.
Beneath the moon,
I find my true self.
And I realize that I am always loved and never forgotten,
As I look to the moon.
Until next time,
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message,
Blessed Be.
