THE FULL MOON

The full moon appears on the eastern horizon at the same time as the sun sets in the west. The changing impulse from waxing to waning is strongly felt by many people. This is a magical time when the earth and moon are again in a straight line, now with the earth in the middle.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the line up is exact. It can last for up to two hours and is visible all over that part of the earth where it is night.

Blue moon: Occurs when there are two full moons in one month or one zodiac sign. Due to the lunar cycle being 29.5 days these blue moons occur approximately every 2.5 years, usually in a month with 31 days and never in February.

The visible portion of the moon is decreasing and the moon rises later and later in the night. When the fading crescent disappears into the morning sunlight the time of the dark moon or new moon is here again.

The new moon occurs when earth, moon and sun are in an almost straight line with the moon in the middle. The half of the moon that reflects the sun’s light is facing the sun and therefore is not visible from earth. On earth we are in the moon’s shadow. When the line up of earth, moon and sun is exact a solar eclipse occurs; this happens about every 6 month.

The waxing moon phase starts as the moon becomes visible again in the western sky (two days after new moon). We see the moon increase in size for the next thirteen days until full moon. The light reflected from the moon to earth influences everything that contains water.

The Egyptian Sky Goddess Nuit was the protector of the sky and all heavenly bodies, a symbol of resurrection and rebirth. She arches over earth and her inhabitants.

The moon is the collector of the solar forces and reflects the light of the sun. During it’s course through the twelve signs each month, the moon also distributes and conveys the rays of other planets as it passes in aspects. The time when the moon makes no more aspects before entering the next sign is called void of course.

Moon Deities

Artemis is probably the most well known moon goddess in our culture and is
associated with the waxing moon. The Greek worshipped and paid homage
to her on full moon nights by revelling in the forest under the moon’s light.

Diana is the Roman version of Artemis. Often Diana is portrayed riding
the moon with a bow in her hands. Diana too was worshipped out in the
open so that she could look down on her faithfuls.

Juno the Roman sky and moon goddess brought out her women worshippers on the new moon.

Hecate, queen of the night rules spirits and ghosts and is the
patroness of witchcraft. The Greek moon goddess is accompanied by dogs
when she comes out at night carrying a torch. Worshippers pay tribute
to her on the dark moon nights by leaving offerings at her statues.