Nordic Wiccan: Esbats

The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth and the fifth largest Moon in the Solar System. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters. It is the most luminous object in the sky after the Sun.

In many prehistoric and ancient cultures, the Moon was personified as a deity or other supernatural phenomenon, and astrological views of the Moon continue to be propagated today. In Roman mythology, the Moon is represented by Diana, the hunter Goddess. In Norse mythology, Mani was the man who drove the chariot that carried the Moon across the sky.

The Moon's regular phases make it a very convenient timepiece and the periods of its waxing and waning form the basis of many of the oldest calendars. Tally sticks, notched bones, date as far back as 20–30,000 years ago, and are believed by some to mark the phases of the Moon.

In the 2nd century BC, Seleucus of Seleucia correctly theorized that tides were due to the attraction of the Moon, and that their height depends on the Moon's position relative to the Sun. The greater part of the human body is made up of water. Therefore, like the waters of Earth, we are affected by the Moon and his phases.

Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon as the commander of the American mission Apollo 11 by first setting foot on the Moon in July 1969.

The Wiccan esbats are traditionally tied to the lunar cycles. Together with sabbats, they represent the most common celebrations in Wiccan-influenced forms of Neopaganism. An esbat is commonly understood to be a ritual observance on the night of a full Moon. However, the late high priestess Valiente distinguished between 'full Moon Esbats' and other esbatic occasions.

In cultures that had male Moon deities, the waxing Moon was the horned God of the woodlands and son of the Goddess, the full Moon was the warrior and the father, and the waning Moon corresponded to the hunter and teacher who was the elder God. Male lunar Gods are, Sin of the Mesopotamians, Mani of the Germanic tribes and the Japanese God Tsukuyomi.

Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Colonial Americans adopted some of the Native American full Moon names and applied them to their own calendar system. For most Wiccans and Pagans, the full Moon includes the day before and the day after a full Moon, for a total of three days.

Winter

The New Moon is used for personal growth, healing and blessing of a personal venture. The time of the New Moon is a good time for celebrating new beginnings or doing magic, which involves growth. Here the first light in the cycle of the Moon begins and the God is in his phase as a very young Warrior ready to explore the new world. This is the time when the Crone and Sage is transformed into the Maiden and Warrior. A time for the dark. It is a time of renewal and new beginnings.

The Cold or Long Night Moon of December. The Cold Moon is a time for hope and healing. This time of the year the Moon has reign over the Earth, because there are more hours of night than day. Our thoughts turn to rebirth of the light and the longer days that are promised after winter solstice. Plan for a ritual to help you remain steadfast in your convictions. Let go of the negative and let the light of longer days shine inside you.

The Wolf Moon, also known as the Winter Moon, is a time of protection and strength in January. Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native villages. Plan a ritual of protection around your home and family. The Wolf Moon can be seen as a time of both beginnings and endings.

The Wind Moon is a time to do magic for fertility and strength in February. For the Ancestors, it was a time of true hardship. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult. Plan a ritual to ask the Ancestors for help in planning your future. Chinese New Year occurs on the second New Moon after Winter Solstice.

Spring

The waxing Moon (first quarter) is the period during which the Moon grows from dark to full. This is a time for attraction magic, anything with which you wish to gain; money, relationships, etc. During this time, we recognize the God as the young Warrior who searches for a partner with which he can become a new Father. The Maiden and Warrior are full of fresh energy and are anxious to dance and love throughout the world. The Warrior is essential to the continuation of all life; his color is white, denoting innocence and newness.

Storm Moon of March. The last of winter's harsh storms pass. Nature begins to stir and awaken from the long sleep. Hope and promise arise as the sun rises earlier and longer. Plan a ritual to help fulfill your wishes is appropriate. Candle color for this Moon is blue, symbolic of the warming of the ice, yet still very cold.

The Frog Moon of April. Frogs transform from tadpoles into their adult form and this symbolizes the awakening of one's creativity. If your planting a magical garden, you want to get out there and put things into the Earth. Plan a ritual to physically plant your seeds of desire in Mother Earth. Easter Sunday, the most important Christian festival, is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon that follows Spring Equinox.

The Flower Moon, also known as the Planting Moon, is a time of health, love, romance and wisdom in May. In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Plan a ritual to reaffirm your goals. It is also a great time to rekindle the romantic spark and passion in a relationship.

Summer

The Full Moon esbat is used for banishing, protection and divination workings, also planning, releasing and working with time. It is during this time that the God becomes the strong Father figure who cares for the Earth and all its creatures. The Father is the ripeness of manhood and in his prime, a great leader.

Sun Moon of June. The sun is at its strongest during the Summer Solstice, a time when the day is the longest. Also known as the Strawberry Moon because of the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June. Plan a ritual to balance your spiritual and physical desires.

Buck Moon of July. It is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Plan a ritual to decide what you will do once your goals have been met.

Sturgeon Moon of August. The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. Plan a ritual to preserve what you already have. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze.

Autumn

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.

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 Hunters Moon is sometimes called the Blood Moon in October. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. It is a Moon of new goals, protection, resolution and spirituality. The night of the Hunters Moon is a great time for divination of any kind. At this time of year all of nature is making ready for winter. This is a time to reflect on what you did during the year and to evaluate your accomplishments. Plan a ritual to remember those who have passed from this world and be sure to make an offering to them.

Snow Moon of November. The first of winter's snow has arrived. Nature now sleeps deep within the Earth. Remind yourself that although winter is coming, it will not last forever. Plan for a ritual to work on ridding yourself of negative thoughts and vibrations. Candle color for this Moon is grey; symbolic of the cloud filled skies of winter storms.

Along with the lunar cycle, some Pagans also honor other Moon events.

Blue Moon

When a single month has two full Moons, the second full Moon is called a Blue Moon. Most years have twelve full Moons that occur approximately monthly. Every two or three years, there is an extra full Moon. The Blue Moon, in Wiccan religious belief, is used for setting goals for the future ahead. Since the times between the Blue Moons are variable, it gives the Witch plenty of time to master or achieve his/her goals before the next Blue Moon occurs. The next blue will be July 31, 2015.

Black Moon

A Black Moon occurs when there are two dark cycles of the Moon in any given calendar month. It is believed that the second dark Moon is a time of great power within the spiritual world and any magic worked during this time is especially powerful. This is a time for meditation, divination and binding spells. The next black moon will be March 31, 2014.

Moon Dog

A Moon dog, Moondog or mock Moon, is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of Moonlight by ice crystals. Moondogs appear 22° to the left and right of the Moon. They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the Moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes. In folklore, Moon rings are said to warn of approaching storms.

Moon Bow

A Moonbow (also known as a lunar rainbow, black rainbow, white rainbow, lunar bow or space rainbow) is a rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the Moon (rather than from direct sunlight) refracting off of moisture in the air. Moonbows are relatively faint, due to the smaller amount of light reflected from the surface of the Moon. They are always in the opposite part of the sky from the Moon.

Lunar Eclipse

Eclipses can only occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are all in a straight line. Solar eclipses occur at new Moon, when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth. In contrast, lunar eclipses occur at full Moon, when Earth is between the Sun and Moon.

Several cultures have myths related to lunar eclipses. The Egyptians saw the eclipse as a sow swallowing the Moon for a short time; other cultures view the eclipse as the Moon being swallowed by other animals, such as a jaguar in Mayan tradition, or a three legged toad in China. Some societies thought it was a demon swallowing the Moon and that they could chase it away by throwing stones and curses at it. Or for the Norse, the concern that Hati the wolf had caught up to the God Mani, the end of the world.

Super Moon

A supermoon is the coincidence of a full Moon or a new Moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth. The opposite phenomenon has been called a micromoon, though this term is not as widespread as supermoon.

Sing of Mani´s lustrous ray,
Incandescent light sublime.
Nightly lantern, Hati´s prey,
Nott´s companion, counting time.
Mani, shine throughout the heavens,
Mani, shine till Sunna´s rise!
Mundilfari´s silent son,
Shine until the end of time.

Call upon the Moon's energy in your magical workings and enjoy the flow of energy connected with each of the different phases.

Blessed Be!