Free How to Become a Witch by Amber K. Page B

Sun God. In addition to the sabbats, Witches also celebrate some phases of the moon, at esbats (from the French word for “frolic,” so clearly they are meant to be joyous events). In one version of “The Charge of the Goddess,” the Lady commands: “Once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall gather in some secret place and adore Me….”
    Almost all Witches do ritual at the full moon, drawing on her power for any magick needed. Some also gather at “Diana’s bow,” three days after the new moon, when she becomes visible as a slender crescent reminiscent of the bow of the virgin huntress Diana. This is a good time to work magick for beginning new projects. Occasionally some Witches also do ritual at the last quarter of the moon, when the slender waning crescent is called “Hecate’s sickle,” in reference to the goddess of night and magick. This is a time to do magick to release or banish bad habits or anything you no longer need. Many Witches also do ritual at the dark of the moon—an effective time for divination.
    The phases (or apparent shapes of the lighted portion of the moon visible from Earth) are as follows:

    It is wise to pay attention to when the moon is void-of-course, when the moon has left its last planetary aspect in any zodiac sign but not yet entered the next sign. This is a bad time to start anything new or make important decisions; better to relax and catch up on your reading, do housework, or finish projects already started. Voids-of-course come every two and a half days and may last from a few minutes to more than two days; they are noted in astrological calendars (such as Llewellyn’s Astrological Calendar , Pocket Planner , or Magical Almanac ) with the symbols V/C or VOC.
    Because women have monthly menstrual periods related to lunar cycles, the moon seems particularly feminine to many people. The moon’s phases can be associated with the major stages of women’s lives: the waxing moon stands for the Maiden, the full moon is the Mother, and the waning moon is the Crone.
    Several goddesses are associated with the moon, such as Selene, the Titan goddess of the Greeks; Artemis, the Greek huntress; Luna, the Roman moon goddess; Diana, the Roman woodland goddess who took on lunar aspects; and Hecate, a very ancient goddess who has come to be associated with the night and the waning moon.
    Many cultures have moon gods, such as the Egyptian Khonsu and the Babylonian Sin. But for most Wiccans, most of the time, the moon is a Goddess aspect and the sun is a God aspect.
    Each full moon has a name (or several) related to the month in which it occurs. Here is one such list, from The Farmer’s Almanac , but there are many others from different cultures.
    january: Wolf Moon
    february: Snow Moon
    march: Worm Moon
    april: Pink Moon
    may: Flower Moon
    june: Strawberry Moon
    july: Buck Moon
    august: Sturgeon Moon
    september: Harvest Moon
    october: Hunter’s Moon
    november: Beaver Moon
    december: Cold Moon
    As the moon moves through the twelve signs of the zodiac, it has different energies in each sign. The magick you perform at a full moon esbat may be affected by the sign the moon is in. The zodiac traditionally begins with Aries, and the signs follow in order; here are the energies one can expect as the moon moves through each:
    Moon in Aries (the Ram, a fire sign ruled by Mars): Spontaneity, energy, enthusiasm, action, openness, independence, passion; also temper, defensiveness.
    Moon in Taurus (the Bull, an earth sign ruled by Venus): Calmness, strength, health, stability, endurance, security, conservatism, nature and environmental issues; also stubbornness, slowness.
    Moon in Gemini (the Twins, an air sign ruled by Mercury): Thought, words, ideas, knowledge, communication, analysis, intelligence, social skills; also being out of touch with emotions, recklessness.
    Moon in Cancer (the Crab, a water sign ruled by the moon): Home, roots, attachment, motherhood, intuition,