Nordic Wiccan: Esbat Wane Moon

Esbat Wane Moon

The Harvest Moon, also known as the Barley Moon, the harvest Moon is a time of protection, prosperity and abundance in September. This full Moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Plan a ritual of Thanksgiving for all the Ancestors have given you. The energy of the Harvest Moon will help along any magic that is geared to bring you or someone else abundance.

The waning Moon (third quarter) is the period during which the Moon goes from full to dark once again. This is a time for banishing and rejecting things from our lives, whether this be negative emotions, bad habits, diseases or ailments. This is the time when the Moon’s energy is becoming weaker and the strength of the light of the Divine is diminishing, Crone and Sage.

This is a time of great wisdom for he has learned much in his journey from infant to wise Sage and it is a time to learn from this wisdom by going within and communicating with him. This is a time of personal reflection and inner guidance. Soon the light of the God will fade completely before the cycle will begin again.

Summer is over, yet many afternoons are still warm. And while the nights become chilly, winter’s threat is not yet real. Our ancestors would be busy with the harvest, but for better or worse, we are removed from it. Most of us do not have to engage in the heavy labor of harvest, but the trade-off is that most of us no longer live close to the land. We should consider the time and conveniences of our modern lives a gift. This time we share together and our time in ritual are also gifts. Each of us has something to offer, and so tonight we will offer our gifts.

Setup
Items needed for this ritual include: Six candles for the altar; A bowl of acorns; Vines, real or artificial, to decorate the altar (optional); Tape or CD to play during the core part of the ritual. You may want to select something with which people can sing or drum (optional); Drum or other percussion instrument (optional). Also: 1 black candle, 1 pink candle, Sage, frankincense or myrrh incense (for clearing)

Ritual Bath
Add salt to the water, or tie the following herbs in a small piece of cloth: hyssop, lavender and rosemary. Run under faucet.

The Ritual

As you walk the perimeter of your circle, say:

Harvest moon, gather in,
I draw abundance to me.
Family, friends, those in need,
I share it all with thee.
Sacred is this space decreed in this harvest time.

Walk to the edge of the circle in the respective direction as you call each. After speaking, light a candle on the altar. Stand in front of the altar to evoke the Goddess and God.

I call to the North, to Earth, and invite you to my circle with your gifts of endurance, everyday existence and foundation. Be with me as the roots that connect me to sacred places. Spirits of Earth be with me this night.

I call to the East, to Air and invite you to my circle with your gifts of awareness, communication and inspiration. Be with me as the soft voice of nature. Spirits of Air be with me this night.

I call to the South, to Fire and invite you to my circle with your gifts of strength, sensation and courage. Be with me as the catalyst for transformation. Spirits of Fire be with me this night.

I call to the West, to Water and invite you to my circle with your gifts of emotion, intuition and receptivity. Be with me as the guide for my dreams and self-discovery. Spirits of Water be with me this night.

I call to the Lord, God of All, and invite you to my circle with your gifts of everlasting vitality and the spark of life that brings the world into being. Lord of All, be with me this night.

I call to the Lady, Goddess of All and invite you to my circle with your gifts of the powers of earth and the mystery. Lady of All, be with me this night.

As you inhale the aroma of the steaming herbs, visualize the steam breaking up any tension in your body, and exhale. Ask your body and spirit to release any thought forms that are not in accordance with your highest potential, and be willing to look at where you might be harboring doubt, suspicion, or fear. With each inhale, affirm that you are breathing in the healing energies of the Universe, and that you can transform yourself through meditation, patience and faith.

With each exhale, affirm that the outmoded thought forms are transformed into NEW ENERGY that can be utilized for growth. ENERGY is neutral, so it is up to us to REDIRECT it!

Light your white altar candles and incense. They are symbolic of peace, truth and protection. Meditate for a few minutes on what that means to you personally. Is there anything in your life now that is not in sync with your personal truth?

Light the black candle. The color black is an absence of color, and therefore ABSORBS… the black candle will represent the absorbing/transforming power of the dark moon, and as we work with it, imagine the pain or anger being pulled out of you and absorbed and transformed by the energy that is symbolized by the black candle.

Take a small piece of paper, and write WITH AS MUCH EMOTION AS YOU CAN MUSTER one thing you want to release / transform.

Light one corner of the paper, and immediately drop it into a flameproof / heatproof dish (a large ashtray or a ceramic pot with some soil on the bottom would be ideal).

Repeat with any and all emotions, fears, resentments, gripes, angers, resentments, excuses, obligations, etc. etc. etc. Until you feel CLEAR! If you still feel bad, keep going for a while!

When you’ve cried, griped etc as much as you can stand, put out the black candle.

Light the pink candle. Put on your favorite music: something that makes you feel energized, happy and motivated! Now you need to focus on filling up the spaces left where the old pain was! Time to fill it in with the AFFIRMATIONS of your choice… Always write affirmations in the PRESENT tense! Keep repeating them over and over until you feel GREAT! BREATHE IN your new TRUTH.

When you are finished, put out the pink candle, and save it and the black candle until the next time you do this exercise. For maximum effect or serious depression or apathy, do this spell 3 days in a row (finishing on New Moon day).

Take a few minutes to ground your energy.

Walk to the edge of the circle in the respective direction as you dismiss each. After speaking, extinguish a candle on the altar. Stand in front of the altar when addressing the Goddess and God.

Lady, Goddess of All, thank you for the gifts you bestow on me and for joining my circle this night. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Lord, God of All, thank you for the gifts you bestow on me and for joining my circle this night. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of West, of Water, thank you for the gift of dreams and self-discovery. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of South, of Fire, thank you for the gift of transformation. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of East, of Air, thank you for the gift of nature’s voice. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of North, of Earth, thank you for the gift of connection with sacred places. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Standing in front of your altar, say:

In sacred circle’s fading light,
Through the stillness of this night.
Intended gifts, fly from me,
To those I named, so mote it be.
In faith and unity, blessed be.