The Phases of the Moon have coincided with magickal practices for about as long as the craft has been in existence. Some practitioners choose to follow the Phases of the Moon when they work their magick because each phase has a different energy associated with it, thus making each phase best suited for certain types of magickal workings.

When incorporating Moon Magick into one’s practice, it is important to note that it takes the Moon 29.5 days to complete it’s cycle. For each phase in this cycle, there are particular working concepts that one can use, almost as a step-by-step guide, to work your magick, such as: warding off unnecessary or negative energy, setting intentions, and attracting or drawing in needed energy to manifest your desires. 

Seeing as we are approaching the New Moon phase, this is where we will begin with our Moon Magick Series.

New Moon 

The New Moon is described as the time when there is no Moon visible in the sky.  This Moon phase occurs at the end of the waning cycle. After the Full Moon, the Moon will seemingly appear smaller and smaller until it is no longer visible in the night sky. However, that does not mean that one cannot partake in magickal workings, in fact, during the New Moon is a good time to work on any of the following:

• Cleansing oneself, whether it focuses on the physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional self. 
• Setting or resetting intentions meant for growth. 
• Acknowledging and nurturing new beginnings. 

Waxing Crescent 

The Waxing Crescent is the next phase, directly following the New Moon. During this phase, what we see is the tiny sliver of the Moon that is visible shortly after the New Moon. During the Waxing Moon, it is ideal to focus on any of the following areas: 

• Constructive magick
• Positive magick
• Rituals and spellwork focused on self-care

First Quarter 

The First Quarter is the Moon phase that follows the Waxing Crescent. This is the first time in the Moon’s cycle where the Moon looks to be about half of the size as it appears to be when it is full. In this phase, the right side of the Moon is visible in the night sky and the left side appears to be invisible to us. The First Quarter is a great time to focus on any of the following areas: 

• Attractions 
• Recovering lost or missing objects
• Manifesting one’s desires

Waxing Gibbous

The Waxing Gibbous, the phase directly following the First Quarter, is the when the moon appears to be three-quarters full. During this phase, the Moon only appears to be missing a small part on the left side. During the Waxing Gibbous, it is ideal to work on any of the following: 

• Enhancements – focus on expanding upon things one already possesses.
• Balance, or stabilization, security
• Boosting one’s power and energy, or even obtaining additional power and energy 

Full Moon 

The Full Moon is the next phase in the Moon’s cycle, following the Waxing Gibbous. It is when the Moon appears as full to the human eye, and the side facing Earth is completely visible in the night sky. During this particular phase, it is ideal for one’s magickal workings to focus on any of the following areas: 

• Manifestation 
• Psychic development
• Performing rituals or spellwork that may require additional power or strength

Note: All kinds of magickal workings can be done during this time. The Full Moon is said to be a time of great power. Several rituals and spells you may come across as a practitioner may even require it to be performed during this phase.

Waning Gibbous 

Following the Full Moon is the Waning Gibbous, where the Moon appears to begin to shrink in size. This particular phase is where the Moon appears to be three-quarters of the size it is when full. To the human eye, it is missing the part on the far right side. But this phase is not without magick, this is actually great time to work on any of the following: 

• Cutting the cord, or removing things that you feel no longer serve or benefit you. 
• Minor banishing
• Closure
• Introspection work

Last Quarter

The Phase following the Waning Gibbous is the Last Quarter, which is when the Moon appears to be about half of the size it is when it is full. As one of the waning phases of the Moon, this is when the right half of the moon is invisible to the human eye. It is recommended to focus on the following areas with respect to magickal workings: 

• Overcoming obstacles
• Promoting, or aiding in transitions
• Ridding oneself of vices

Waning Crescent

The last phase in the Moon’s cycle is the Waning Crescent, which occurs just before the New Moon. It is the tiny sliver of the Moon that is visible to the human eye shortly before the New Moon. However, there is much that one can focus on during rituals and spellwork. Recommended areas of focus include: 

• Removing negativity and stress
• Stronger banishments 
• Ridding oneself of more serious problems and issues

We hope that you have enjoyed our brief introduction to Moon Magick. This article simply serves as a glimpse of what is to come. Following this article, we will share, in much more detail, key focal areas and magickal workings that are ideal for each phase in the Moon’s cycle. Why focus on Moon Magick you ask? What makes this an intriguing subject? The answer is simple, using magick in conjunction with the phases of the Moon can potentially aid in better control of one’s spellwork. It can also contribute to increasing the power of the spells that are being used. As such, the Moon and its magick can aid in the overall effectiveness of one’s rituals and/or spellwork. 

~ Sara Lynn & Jewel AnnaLysa

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Next post in this series:
New Moon Magick