The Esbats

The Esbats

Witches do love their holidays, but they need days specifically set aside to do their magickal works for a friend in need, to set the stage for a new endeavor, etc. These work days (and nights) are called Esbats.

Full and New Moon celebrations are usually the days and nights of an Esbat, so as to use the correct moon phase for ultimate results. This does not mean that you cannot honor the God during an Esbat (even though the moon energy is usually attributed to the Goddess). Rituals have been written for both deities.

Full Moon energy is used for banishing unwanted influences in your life, protection magick, and divination. Planning, releasing and working backwards in time are done on the Full Moon as well. It is said that Full Moon Magick can be conjured for seven days: the three days prior to the Full Moon, the night of the Full Moon, and three days after. Sometimes the results of Full Moon Magick take one full moon cycle to take hold.

The New Moon is used for personal growth, healing, the blessing of a new project or venture, etc. If done correctly, success should be obtained by the first Full Moon.

Between the New and Full Moons is the period we call the Waxing Moon. This is a good time for attraction magick, especially between the New Moon and First Quarter.

The period between the Full Moon and New Moon is called the Waning Moon. This is a time for banishing and rejecting things in our lives that we no longer wish to carry around with us. Negative emotions, bad habits, diseases and ailments can successfully be banned during this time.

The three days before the New Moon is known as the Dark of the Moon. This is when you can't see the moon at all in the heavens. Traditionally, this is a time when no magick is performed. It is a period to give you a break; a time of rest. Deep meditation and vision questing van be performed now, but not for a specific magickal purpose. However, Hecate rules this time, and if her magick is needed, now is when you should use it.

Full Moons

Due to the rotation of the Earth, there are thirteen Full Moons, and each carries a traditional name. They are:

Wolf Moon ...January

Storm Moon ... February

Chaste Moon ... March

Seed Moon ... April

Hare Moon ... May

Dyad (pair) Moon ...June

Mead Moon ... July

Wryt (green plant) Moon ... August

Barley Moon ... September

Blood Moon ... October

Snow Moon ... November

Oak Moon ...December

Blue Moon ... (variable)

In addition, the Harvest Moon is the Full Moon nearest Mabon. It allowed farmers extra moonlitght hours to bring in the crops.

A Blue Moon occurs when the moon with its 28-day cycle appears twice with the same calendar month, due to that month's 31 day duration. A Blue Moon is a goal moon. It is here where you set specific long-term goals for yourself, and review accomplishments and failures since the last one.

This page was last modified on: