THE WAY OF THE MOON
A new moon rises with the sun,
Her waxing half at midday shows,
The full Moon climbs at sunset hour,
And waning half the midnight knows,
Life takes on added dimension when you match your activities to the waxing
and waning of the Moon. Observe the sequence of her phases to learn the
wisdom of constant change within complete certainty.
Bear in mind that new projects should be initiated when the Moon is waxing
(from dark to full); when the Moon is on the wane (from full to dark), it is
a time for storing energy and the wise person waits.
Students of occult literature soon learn the importance of names.
The tradition of naming full Moons was recorded in an English edition of the
Shepherd's Calendar, published in the first decade of the 16th century.
ARIES-Seed. Sowing season and symbol of the start of the New Year.
TAURUS-Hare. The sacred animal was associated in Roman legends with
springtime and fertility.
GEMINI-Dyad. The Latin word for a pair refers to the twin stars of the
constellation Castor and Pollux.
CANCER-Mead. During late June and most of July the meadows, or meads, were mowed for hay.
LEO-Wort. When the sun was in Leo, the worts, (from the Anglo- Saxon
"wyrt-plant") were gathered to be dried and stored.
VIRGO-Barley. Persephone, virgin goddess of rebirth, carries a sheaf of
barley as a symbol of the harvest.
LIBRA-Blood. Marking the season when domestic animals were sacrificed for winter provisions.
SCORPIO-Snow. Scorpio heralds the dark season when the Sun is at it's
lowest and the first snow flies.
SAGITTARIUS-Oak. The sacred tree of the Druids and the Roman god Jupiter is most noble as it withstands winter's blasts.
CAPRICORN-Wolf. The fearsome nocturnal animal represents the night of the year. Wolves were rarely seen in England after the 12th century.
AQUARIUS-Storm. A storm is said to rage most fiercely just before it ends,
and the year usually follows suit.
PISCES-Chaste. The antiquated word for pure reflects the custom of greeting the new year with a clear soul.
Libras Full Moon occasionally became the Wine Moon when a grape harvest was expected to produce a superior vintage.
America's early settlers continued to name the full Moons. The influence of
the native tribes and their traditions is readily apparent.
from The Witchs' Almanac, Ltd.
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