Months of the Year

January
Moon Names: Wolf Moon, Quiet Moon, Snow Moon, Cold Moon, Chaste Moon, Disting Moon, Moon of Little Winter.

The word January comes from the Roman name for this month; it was named after the god Janus, who had two faces. This deity ruled over beginnings and endings, the past and the future. Since January is reckoned as the first month of a new year, this connection the the god Janus is appropriate. It is an excellent time to work on putting aside the old and outdated in one's personal life and making plans for new and better conditions.

The Chinese use this concept in celebrating their New Year, which occurs on the first day of the New Moon when the Sun is in Aquarius. They considered this celebration a time for settling debts, honoring ancestors, and having family reunions. They carry paper images of dragons through the streets and set off fireworks to chase away evil entities and misfortune.

Even the people ot Tibet, whose year began about the end of January, had a celebration for expelling the Old Year. They made a dough image for the demons to inhabit, then worshiped then for seven days. At the end of that period, they took the image outside the village to a crossroad and abandoned it. The idea behind this seems to have been that the negative beings, who have accumulated during the Old Year, received recognition for their existence, but also received a firm statement, by the action of leaving their image outside the village, that they were not welcome to hang around.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: gnomes, brownies
Herbs: Marjoram, holy thistle, nuts and cones
Colours: brilliant white, blue-violet, black
Flowers: Snowdrop, crocus
Scents: Musk, mimosa
Stones: Garnet, onyx, jet, chrysoprase
Trees: Birch
Animals: Fox, coyote
Birds: Pheasant, blue jay
Deities: Freyja, Inanna, Sarasvati, Hera, Ch'ang-O Sinn
Power Flow: Sluggish, below the surface; beginning and conceiving. Protection, reversing spells. Conserving energy by working on personal problems that involve no one else. Getting your various bodies to work smoothly together for the same goals.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        Whatever the weather is like the first twelve days of January indicates what the weather will be like for the next 12 solar months. Each day equals on month in succession.

·        To wish on the Moon in order to see a specific person soon, say while looking at the Moon: " I see the Moon, The Moon sees me. The Moon sees (name of the person) who I want to see."

·        To get rid of warts, take a slice of apple. While looking at the New Moon, rub the flesh of the apple against the wart and say: "What I see is growing, What I rub is going." Bury the piece of apple. As it rots, the wart will disappear.

·        If a New Moon falls on a Saturday, it was said there would be twenty days of wind and rain.

·        In prophesying marriage, on must look at the first Moon of the new year through a silk handkerchief. The number of Moons showing through it represents the number of months (Moons) of single life.

February
Moon Names: Ice Moon, Storm Moon, Horning Moon, Hunger Moon, Wild Moon, Red & Cleansing Moon, Quickening Moon, Solmonath (Sun Moon), Big Winter Moon.

Some say that the name of the month of February comes from the Roman goddess Februa, who was also known as Juno Februa. Others say that the name came from the god Februus, who was later identified with the Roman Pluto or Dis.

The month of February, truly a month of ice in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, is a dormant time, when all activity and life appears to be low key or below the surface movement. In both the Celtic and Roman cultures, it was a time of spiritual purification and initiation. The country of Tibet celebrated the conception of Buddha and the Feast of Flowers during this time of year.

February can be an ideal time for dedicating or re-dedicating oneself to what ever deity or deities one worships. It is also a wise practice to cleanse and purify yourself, your dwelling place, and even your property lines before dedication. Purifying changes the vibrations by removing negative ones and inviting in positive ones. The month of January is a time of ending old cycles and preparing for new ones. February prepares the environment ant the body, mind and spirit for receptivity of new spiritual and life experiences.

Hatun-pucuy, or the Great Ripening, was celebrated among the Incas. The Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece was also called the Festival of the Returning Daughter. This was a celebration of the Kore's return from the Underworld and the rebirth of earthly vegetation. This ceremony, unlike the Greater Eleusinian, was open to many people and was a time of initiation into the lower Mysteries. Initiation into the Lesser Eleusinian was open to all free men and women who were not guilty of murder and similar crimes. All initiates were bound by an oath of silence so effective that the secrets of the Mysteries were never told. Today we know very little about the ceremonies, except what was performing in full public view.

Kuan Yin is the Great Goddess of the Oriental people. She has been known to offer her aid primarily to women and girls, but there is no reason why men can not honor her and ask her help. She is said to guide lost travelers, protect from attack by humans or animals, bless a family with children, and heal. She is called the Compassionate and is revered for here wisdom and love. Oriental women offered oranges and spices before her statues.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: house faeries, both of the home itself and of the house plants.
Herbs: balm of Gilead, hyssop, myrrh, sage, spikenard
Colours: light blue, violet
Flowers: primrose
Scents: wisteria, heliotrope
Stones: amethyst, jasper, rock crystal
Trees: rowan, laurel, cedar
Animals: otter, unicorn
Birds: eagle, chickadee
Deities: Brigit, Juno, Kuan Yin, Diana, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite
Power Flow: energy working toward the surface: purification, growth, forgiving yourself, and making future plans.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        A snowy February was said to bring a good sprig, while a mild month meant stormy weather.

·        To see the crescent Moon over the right shoulder was considered lucky, but seeing it over the left shoulder was unlucky.

·        In Cornwall, if a boy was born during a waning Moon, they said that the next birth would be a girl.

·        They said in Wales that if you moved from one house to another during the Crescent Moon you would have more than enough prosperity in your life.

·        When anyone spoke of Mountains of the Moon, it simply meant white mountains. The Arabs called white horses " Moon coloured."

·        Mt. Sinai was probably originally named after the Chaldean Moon god Sinn, which would mike it another Moon mountain.

·        In Italy they say that if the Moon changes on a Sunday, there will be a flood before the month is out.

March
Moon Names: Storm Moon, Seed Moon, Moon of Winds, Plow Moon, Worm Moon, Hrethmonath (Hertha's Moon), Lentzinmanoth (Renewal Moon), Lenting Moon, Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Moon of the Snowblind.

This month was sacred to the Roman god Mars, hence the name March. Mars is similar to the Greek Ares, Tiu or Tiwaz of Central and Northern Europe, Teutates of the Celts, and Tyr of the Norse. The Roman goddess Bellona, goddess of war, had her special day during this month.

March in generally a blustery month weather-wise. The old weather saying "In like a lion, out like a lamb" is an apt description of March weather. For the Romans, it was the beginning of their year. The Spring Equinox, which falls around March 21 or 22, was a sacred and celebrated time in a great many world cultures. In the Southern Hemisphere, this would be equal to the Autumn Equinox, as the seasons are reversed. The Incas celebrated Pacha-Punchy, or Earth Ripening, at this time.

The Roman Matronalia honored Juno Luciana, an aspect of the goddess Juno, who protected women, children, and the family. Statues of the goddess were decorated with flowers, and special temple fires were lit. Girls made offerings to Juno Luciana at this time of year for happy and prosperous marriages.

The statue of Isis suckling her child symbolizes this goddess's aspect as the Great Mother, the caretaker of the Earth and all life. Flowers were floated on the rivers and the boats blessed with incense.

Eostre was the German goddess of rebirth. Rabbits and coloured eggs were fertility symbols connected with her. Originally, Eostre was the goddess of the Spring Equinox whose name was changed to Easter by the Christians.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: Mer-people, Air and Water beings who are connected with spring rains and storms.
Herbs: broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony, Irish moss
Colours: pale green, red-violet
Flowers: jonquil, daffodil, violet
Scents: honeysuckle, apple blossom
Stones: aquamarine, bloodstone
Trees: alder, dogwood
Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar
Birds: sea crow, sea eagle
Deities: Black Isis, the Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athene, Minerva, Artemis, Luna
Power Flow: energy breaks into the open; growing, prospering, exploring. New beginnings; balance of Light and Dark. Breaking illusions. Seeing the truth in your own life however much it may hurt.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        It is said that if it comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion.

·        A verse:

New Moon, true Moon,
Star in the stream,
Pray tell my fortune
In my dream.

Pale Moon doth rain,
Red Moon doth blow,
White Moon doth neither rain nor snow.

·        In South Africa, it is considered unlucky to start a journey or begin any important work during the last quarter of the Moon.

·        Almost every culture believed that if the New Moon came on Monday (Moon-Day) to be the most unlucky day there could be.

·        Sailors believed that if a large star or planet was seen close to the Moon, there was wild weather coming. They called this star a "Moon dog."

·        In Cornwall, they said that if a birth took place during the waxing Moon, the next child would be the same sex as the one just born.

·        The Danes believed in a type of elves they called the Moon Folk. These were perfect in appearance when seen from the front, but were hollow when seen from the back. It was said that the Moon Folk caused sickness by blowing on humans.

April
Moon Names: Growing Moon, Hare Moon, Seed or Planting Moon, Planter's Moon, Budding Trees Moon, Eastermonath (Eoster Month), Ostarmanoth, Pink Moon, Green Grass Moon.

The name April comes from the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who is identified with the Roman Venus. Because the Christian holiday of Easter sometimes falls this month, the Anglo-Saxons and Franks called it Easter Month; of course, the word Easter comes originally from the name of the Pagan goddess Eostre, deity of Spring, fertility, and new life. The Romans called this month Aprilis, a time of unfolding leaves and flowers.

The Megalesia of Cybele, who was also known as Magna Mater (Great Mother) in both Phrygia and Rome, celebrated the arrival of this goddess in Rome. In 204 BCE, Rome was in the midst of a great war with Hannibal. Things were going very badly for the Roman legions. Finally, the Romans sent a delegation to the Delphi oracle for an interpretation of their sacred Sibylline Books. This passage said that foreign invaders could only be driven away when the Mother of Mount Ida was transferred from Pessinus to Rome. The oracle sent the delegation to the king of Pergamum in Asia Minor, where they were told that a black meteorite embodying the spirit of Cybele was. Pine trees from Mt. Ida, sacred to the goddess, were made into a ship, and the stone was transported from on sanctuary to another until it reached Rome. In about a year, Hannibal left Italy forever.

The Japanese Flower Festival has now become a celebration of Buddha's birth. In the older celebration, however, the people gathered wildflowers for the family shrine. Those in the Shinto faith placed wooden markers on the graves and said prayers.

The Roman festival of Cerealia celebrated the return of Proserpina to the Earth goddess Ceres. Our word "cereal" comes from the name Ceres. It was the time of planting grain. Ceres was the Roman equivalent to the Greed goddess Demeter.

The Floralia is still celebrated in many Central and Eastern European countries. It is a time to honor the goddess of flowers. People dress in gaily decorated costumes and wear flowers in their hair. Secretly delivering baskets of flowers on May Day is a remnant of this old festival.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: plant faeries
Herbs: basil, chives, dragons blood, geranium, thistle
Colours: crimson red, gold
Flowers: daisy, sweetpea
Scents: pine, bay, bergamont, patchouli
Stones: ruby, garnet, sard
Trees: pine, bay, hazel
Animals: bear, wolf
Birds: hawk, magpie
Deities: Kali, Hathor, Anahita, Ceres, Ishtar, Venus, Bast
Power Flow: energy into creating and producing; return to balance to the nerves. Change, self-confidence, self-reliance, take advantage of opportunities. Work on temper and emotional flare-ups and selfishness.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        Two New Moons in one month were said to predict a month's bad weather.

·        Any New Moon on a Saturday or Sunday was said to predict rain and general bad luck.

·        Good luck will come your way if you first see the New Moon outside and over your right shoulder. You also make a wish that will be granted. The best luck came from looking at the Moon straight on.

·        A ring around the Moon means rain or snow.

·        If you move to a new house or location during a waning Moon, it will ensure you never go hungry.

·        In medieval Europe and England, "Moon's men" were thieves and highwaymen who plied their trade by night. The current term "moonlighting" is similar, meaning to hold down and additional night job.

May
Moon Names: Hare Moon, Merry or Dyad Moon, Fright Moon, Flower Moon, Frogs Return Moon, Thrimilcmonath (Thrice-Milk Month), Sproutkale, Winnemonoth (Joy Month), Planting Moon, Moon When the Ponies Shed.

The Greek goddess Maia, the most important of the Seven Sisters (the Pleiades) and said to be the mother of Hermes, gave the name to this month. Some form of this goddess's name was known to people from Ireland to as far away as India. The Romans called her Maius, goddess of Summer and honored her at the Ambarvalia, a family festival for purification and protection of farm land.

In the Celtic cultures, May was called Mai or Maj, a month of sexual freedom. Green was worn during this month to honor the Earth Mother. May 1 was the Celtic festival of Beltane, a festival celebrating fertility of all things. Cattle were driven through the Beltane bonfires for purification and fertility. In Wales, Creiddylad was connected with this festival and often called the May Queen. The maypole and its dance is a remnant of these old festivities.

Bona Dea, the Roman Good Goddess, had her festival on the night between May 2 and 3. No men were allowed to attend. The Greeks had a special festival for the god Pan during May. Pan was a wild looking deity, half man, half goat. Pan invented the syrinx, or pan-pipes, made out of reeds. Originally, he was not an oppressor of women, but their loving companion.

In Finland, May 1 was celebrated as Rowan Witch Day, a time of honoring the goddess Rauni, who was associated with the mouton ash or rowan. Twigs and branches of the rowan were, and still are, used as protection against evil in this part of the world.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: Faeries, elves
Herbs: dittany of Crete, elder, mint, rose, mugwort, thyme, yarrow
Colours: green, brown, pink
Flowers: lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom
Scents: rose, sandalwood
Stones: emerald, malachite, amber, carnelian
Trees: hawthorn
Animals: cats, lynx, leopard
Birds: swallow, dove, swan
Deities: Bast, Venus, Aphrodite, Maia, Diana, Artemis, Pan, Horned God
Power Flow: full creating energy; propagation. Intuition, contact with faeries and other supernatural beings. Strengthen connection with supernatural protectors and beings around you. Power flowing from the Greenwood Gods and trees.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        To dream of a future husband, go out into the light of the first Full Moon of the new year. Say: Moon, Moon, tell unto me, When my true love I shall see. What fine clothes am I to wear: How many children shall I bear? For if my love comes not to me, Dark and dismal my life will be.

·        The Irish say that to see the future, for good or ill, take a mirror outside. Let the light of the Moon fall on the surface and stare into it. Any face that appears will be connected with your future.

·        Some farmers still believe that crops sown near a Full Moon will be ready for harvest a month earlier than crops sown during a waxing Moon.

·        Upon seeing the New Moon, bow to her and turn over the silver or coins in your pocket. This will brig you luck in all your affairs.

June
Moon Names: Mead Moon, Moon of Horses, Lovers' Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Honey Moon, Aerra Litha (Before Litha), Brachmanoth (Break Month), Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Moon of Making Fat.

The original Roman name for this month was Junonious, after the Great Mother Goddess Juno; her counterpart among the Greeks was Hera. The Summer Solstice has been and still is important to many religions and cultures around the world. Not only was it sacred to goddesses of fertility, marriage, and love, but it was considered to be a time when faeries, elves, and many other supernatural beings were abroad in great numbers.

This Moon has enormous energies for calling upon and working with elementals of all types. Tides of psychic energy flow freely, enabling even the most staid of people to experience unusual happenings.

The Full Moon festival of Edfu in Egypt honored the goddess Hathor. The cow horns on her head represented the Crescent Moon. Every year at the New Moon the statue of Hathor was taken from her temple at Dendera and transported by boat to the temple of the god Horus at Edfu, arriving on the Full Moon. This festival celebrated the frank sexual union of the two deities. It was a time of great festivities and very likely human marriages, since it was considered a period of good luck.

The Celtic Day of Cerridwen and her cauldron my have originally been associated with the Summer Solstice. Cerridwen of Wales was a Dark Moon goddess; her symbols were the cauldron, grain, and the Moon. The white, corpse eating sow, representing the Moon, was one of her animal emblems.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: sylphs, zephyrs
Herbs: skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, mosses
Colours: orange, golden-green
Flowers: lavender, orchid, yarrow
Scents: lily of the valley, lavender
Stones: topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite
Trees: oak
Animals: monkey, butterfly, frog, toad
Birds: wren, peacock
Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen, Bendis, Ishtar
Power Flow: full bet restful energy; protect, strengthen, and prevent. A time of Light; Earth tides are turning. Decision-making, inconsistencies. Strengthen and reward yourself for your positive traits.
Old Sayings & Lore

·        When the Moon is New, braid your hair or some kind of string while saying: I braid this knot, this knot I braid, To know the thing I know not yet, That while I sleep I plain may see. The man (woman) that my husband (wife) shall be. Not in his (her) best but worst array, Just what he (she) weareth every day. That I tomorrow may him (her) ken, From among all other men (woman).

·        Look at the New Moon and say: New Moon, New Moon, do tell me, Who my own true lover is to be. The colour of his (her) hair, The clothes that he (she) will wear, On what day he (she) will appear.

·        A Verse: If the Moon shows a silver shield, be not afraid to reap your field.

·        A Verse: I see the Moon, And the Moon sees me. Goddess bless the Moon, And Goddess bless me.

July
Moon Names: Hay Moon, Wort Moon, Moon of Claiming, Moon of Blood (because of mosquitoes), Blessing Moon, Maedmonat (Meadow Month), Hewimanoth (Hay Month), Fallow Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon.

At first the Romans called this month Quintilis, but later renamed it Julius after Julius Caesar. The Greek Olympian was held for about a week in July. This festival in honor of Zeuz consisted of competitions in athletics, drama, music, and other activities. During the time of the Olympian, all participants were given safe-conduct to and from the games. Thae constant petty Greek squabbles were put aside. A victory in the Olympian was a great achievement, both for the individual and for their city.

In Japan, the Full Moon of July saw the O-Bon, or Festival of Lanterns. This was a conbination of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs that honored the dead. Homes, tombs, and ancestreal tablets were toroughly cleaned. Altars and shines were decorated. The gardens were hung with lanterns to light the way of the dead so that they could join with their families for the three day ceremony.

The Egyptian New Year fell in July, as did the Opet Festival, which commemorated the marriage of Isis and Osiris. Their sexual union was said to bring good luck to all people. About the same time in Rome, the love of Venus and Adonis was celebrated . The Egyptian year was measured against the Nile and its yearly fertile floods.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits: hobgoblins (small grotesque but friendly brownie-type creatures), faeries of the harvest crops
Herbs: honeysuckle, agrimony, lemon balm, hyssop
Colours: silver, blue-grey
Flowers: lotus, water lily, jasmine
Scents: orris, frankincense
Stones: pearl, moonstone, white agate
Trees: oak, acacia, ash
Animals: crab, turtle, dolphin, whale
Birds: starling, ibis, swallow
Deites: Khepera, Athene, Juno Hel, Holda, Cerridwen, Nephthys, Venus
Power Flow: relaxed energy; preparing; succeding. Dream-work, divination, and meditation on goals and plans, especially spiritual ones

Old Sayings & Lore

·        If the New Moon is seen for the first time straight ahead, it predicts good fortune until the next New Moon.

·        If there are two Moons (two New or two Full) in the same month, the weather will be unfavorable and unsettled until the next New Moon.

·        Wood cut at the New Moon is hard to split. If it is cut at the Full Moon it is easy to split.

·        Crass crops should be sown at the Full Moon. Then the hay will dry quickly.

·        In Wales, fishermen avoid the Moon line, or the moonlight showing on the water, when setting out to sea; they consider crossing this bad luck. However, in other areas they say to make a wish when crossing the Moon line.

August
Moon Names: Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Dispute Moon, Weodmonath (Vegetation Month), Harvest Moon, Moon When Cherries Turn Black.

August, originally called Sextilis by the Romans, was later named Augustus in honor of Augustus Caesar. Gathered harvests were celebrated in many lands during this month.

August 1 is a Celtic feast called Lunasa or Lughnassadh, meaning the celebration of harvest and new grain for bread. In Old English this became Lammas, or "Loaf Mass." At three times during August, the Romans honored the god Vulcan: on August 17 at the Portunalia; on August 27 at the Volturnalia; and again on August 23 at the Volcanalia. This last festival was held outside the city boundaries and was to ward off accidental fires, a real threat in such closely-packed and fire-prone towns. Vulcan was not the only deity honored during these festivals. The goddess Juturna (deity of fountains) and Stata Mater (who puts out fires) were invoked as a counterbalance to Vulcan's fires- Volcanoes or otherwise.

The very early Greeks had a holy day for Hecate the Dark Mother on August 13, and ten days later one for Nemesis, the goddess who balanced the scales of justice with rightful revenge and punishment. In Rome, women who had prayers answered by Diana and Hecate marched by torch light to the temples of these goddesses. There they held a special ceremony for women only and gave thanks.

In India today, the Hindu people still honor the elephant-headed god Ganesha, the deity who removes obstacles and brings good luck. Flowers and dishes of rice were set before his statues. However, it is considered unlucky to look at the Moon during this festival.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits: dryads
Herbs: chamomile, St. Johns wort, bay, angelica, fennel, rue, orange
Colours: yellow, gods
Flowers: sunflower, marigold
Scents: frankincense, heliotrop
Stones: cat's eye, carnelian, jasper, fire agate
Trees: hazel, alder, cedar
Animals: lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon
Birds: crane, falcon, eagle
Deities: Ganesha, Thoth, Hathor, Diana, Hecate, Nemesis
Power Flow: energy into harvesting; gathering, appreciating. Vitality, health. Friendships.

Old Sayings & Lore

·        An old English harvest Moon ritual was to gather a key, a ring, a flower, a sprig of willow, a small piece of cake, a crust of bread, 10 of clubs, 9 of hearts, ace of spades, and ace of diamonds. Wrap these in a handkerchief and place it under your pillow. Saying upon going to bed: "Luna, every woman's friend, To me they goodness condescend. Let me this night in visions see, Emblems of my destiny." If you dream of storms, it means coming trouble; if the storms end, a calm fate after strife. If you dream of a ring or the ace of diamonds, marriage: bread, a good job; cake, prosperity; flowers, joy: willow, treachery in love: spades, death: clubs, living in a foreign land: diamonds, money: keys, great power; birds, many children; and geese, more than one marriage.

·        The English had a saying: that if a member of the family died at the time of the New Moon, three deaths would follow.

·        Many cultures felt that it was extremely unlucky to point at the Moon, and that curtseys to the Moon would bring a present before the next change of Moon.

·        Originally, the term Moon-struck or Moon-touched meant chosen by the goddess. These people were considered to be blessed.

·        It was often said that if a person was born at a Full Moon, he or she would have a lucky life.

September
Moon Names: Harvest Moon, Wine Moon, Singing Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Haligmonath (Holy Month), Witumanoth (Wood Month), Moon When Deer Paw the Earth.

September was the seventh month in the oldest Roman calendar. When other months were added to the seasonal calendar, the name for some reason was never changed. The Autumn Equinox was and is still celebrated by many cultures around the world. This month is the last of the reliable harvesting months in the Northern Hemisphere. Life is beginning to wind down in preparation for the dormant months that follow. The energy flows from the Autumn Equinox through Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox are getting deeper, more hidden. The Dark Moon deities, who represent the Underworld, death, reincarnation, and deep spiritual mysteries, now hold sway.

The Egyptian Ceremony of Lighting the Fire was a general festival of lights for all the gods and goddesses. Lamps of all kinds were set in front of deity statues. They were also placed before the statues of ancestors. The Egyptian deity Thoth was the Lord of Holy Wards and inventor of the Four Laws of Magick. Portrayed as ibis-headed, Thoth was a Moon god. As Supreme Magus, or the Ultimate Magician, he had control over the powers and attributes of the Moon.

In the old Incan Empire, the Citua was held on the New Moon nearest the Autumn Equinox. Everyone performed a ritual cleansing, then smeared their faces with a paste of ground maize (corn). There followed several days of feasting and dancing. This was a Moon festival in honor of Mama Quilla, the Moon goddess.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits: trooping faeries
Herbs: copal, fennel, rye, wheat, valerian, skullcap
Colours: brown, yellow-green, yellow
Flowers: narcissus, lily
Scents: storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot
Stones: peridot, olivine, chrysolite, citrine
Trees: hazel, larch, bay
Animals: snake, jackal
Birds: ibis, sparrow
Deities: Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Nephthys, Freyja, Ch'ang-O, Thoth
Power Flow: rest after labor; balance of Light and Dark. Organize. Clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter.

Old Sayings & Lore

·        A verse: When the Moon is at the full, mushroom you can safely pull. But when the Moon is on the wane, wit ere you think to pluck again.

·        Sailors believed that if the Moon, in the first or last quarter, lay in nearly a horizontal position with the horns upward, the weather would be fine. Country people say that the same type of Moon means good weather for twenty eight days.

·        Country people said that the weather was more likely to change at the four quarters of the Moon that at any other time.

·        Rain is coming when the Moon has a halo around it or when an outline can be seen between the horns of a waxing or waning Moon.

·        One old legend says that on the Moon is everything that was wasted on Earth: mis-spent time, squandered wealth, broken vows, unanswered prayers, fruitless tears, unfulfilled desires and intentions, etc.

October
Moon Names: Blood Moon, Harvest Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming), Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Moon of the Changing Season.

October or Octem, was the eighth month in the oldest Roman calendar. This Moon mother takes its name not from blood sacrifices, but from the old custom of killing and salting down livestock before the Winter months made it impossible to feed them. Only the choicest stock was kept through the cold season.

Today we subconsciously begin to make preparations for the coming Winter during this time. We chick the antifreeze and tires for the car, gather up garden hoses and make plans to winterize and drafty spots around doors and windows in the house. Some of us do an ambitious fall cleaning.

The Greek festival of Thesmophoria came every year in honor of Demeter and was confined to women only. This was a three day remembrance of Kor's return to the Underworld. At this festival the initiates shared a sacred barley drink and cakes. One feature of the Thesmorphoria was a deterrent to offenders against the sacred laws and temples, especially the temples of Demeter and Artemis. It was believed that anyone so cured would die before the year ended.

In Tibet, the Buddhist Lent occurred along with the Descent from Heaven festival which celebrated the end of the rainy season.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits: frost faeries, plant faeries
Herbs: pennyroyal, thyme, catnip, uva ursi, angelica, burdock
Colors: dark blue-green
Flowers: calendula, marigold, cosmos
Scents: strawberry, apple blossom, cherry
Stones: opal, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise
Trees: yew, cypress, acacia
Animals: stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion
Birds: heron, crow, robin
Deities: Ishtar, Astarte, Demeter, Kore, Lakshmi, Horned God, Belili, Hathor
Power Flow: to let go; inner cleansing. Karma and reincarnation. Justice and balance. Inner harmony.

Old Sayings & Lore

·        A verse:
O Lady Moon, your horns point toward the east:
Shine, be increased.
O Lady Moon, your horns point toward the west:
Wane, be at rest.

New Moon, true Moon, true and trusty,
Tell me who my true love must be.

New Moon, true Moon, true and bright,
If I have a true love, let me dream of him/her tonight.

New Moon, true Moon, tell unto me
If (name), my true love, he/she will marry me.
If he/she marry me in haste
Let me see his/her bonnie face,
If he/she marry me betide
Let me see his/her bonnie side,
If he/she will not marry me
Turn his/her back and go away.

The Moon and the weather may change together;
But change of the Moon does not change the weather.
If we had no Moon at all, and that would seem strange,
We should still have weather that's subject to change.

·        The Gaelic word for fortune comes from "that which denotes a Full Moon." The Druids believed that when the circle of the Moon was complete, good fortune was given to those who knew how to ask the gods for it.

November
Moon Names: Snow Moon, Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Beaver Moon, Mourning Moon, Blotmonath (Sacrifice Month), Herbistmonoth (Harvest Month), Mad Moon, Moon of Storms, Moon When Deer Shed Antlers.

November was the ninth month in the oldest Roman calendar. In the Celtic tradition this was the beginning of a new year. The Celtic year ended on the eve before Samhain and began again on the day after. They considered it a Moon month of beginnings and endings and many still do.

The Japanese festival honoring the goddess of the kitchen range honored the women who prepared the daily meals in a back handed way. Commonly called Kami (deity), this goddess was important because, through use of the harvested food, she protected and provided for the family.

The goddess Hecate had many celebrations though out the year. November 16 was known as the Night of Hecate, the Three -formed. Hecate is part of the most ancient form of the triple Moon goddess as Crone or Dark Moon: Artemis was the Crescent Moon and Selene the Full moon. Most of Hecate's worship, and especially on this night, was performed in a three way crossroad at night. Food was left there as an offering to her. She was known to rule the passages of life and transformation, birth and death. Her animals were the toad, the owl, the dog and the bat.

In Tibet, they celebrated the Feast of Lanterns, a Winter festival of the shortest days of the Sun. Among the Incas it was a time of the Ayamarca, or Festival of the Dead.
Correspondences

Nature Spirits: subterranean faeries
Herbs: grains of paradise, verbena, betony, borage, cinquefoil, blessed thistle
Colours: gray, sea-green
Flowers: blooming cacti, chrysanthemum
Scents: cedar, cherry blossoms, hyacinth, narcissus, peppermint, lemon
Stones: topaz, hyacinth, lapis lazuli
Trees: alder, cypress
Animals: unicorn, scorpion, scocodile, jackal
Birds: owl, goose, sparrow
Deities: Kali, Black Isis, Nicnevin, Hecate, Bast Osiris, Sarasvati, Lakshme, Skadi, Mawu
Power Flow: take root, prepare. Transformation. Strengthen communication with the god or goddess who seems closest to you.

Old Sayings & Lore

·        To cry for the Moon is an old saying that means you are craving or demanding something that you can't have.

·        The word moonshine has two meanings. In the U.S., it means "illegally distilled liquor,: also known as "white lightning." An older meaning was "total nonsense."

·        A waning Moon was considered an unlucky time for a marriage or birth.

·        In English, French, Italian, Latin, and Greek, the Moon is feminine; but in all the Teutonic languages the Moon is masculine. In Sanskrit, the word for the Moon is mas, which is masculine.

·        To the Chinese, the Old Man in the Moon was Yue-lao. It was his duty to predestine the marriages of mortals. They said he tied the future husband and wife together with an invisible silk cord that never parted as long as they lived.

·        Although the Koran expressly forbids worshipping the Sun or Moon, many Moslems still clasp their hands at the sight of a New Moon and offer a prayer.

December
Moon Names: Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Moon of Long Nights, Long Night's Moon, Wintermonat (Winter Month), Heilagmonoth (Holy Month), Big Winter Moon, Moon of Popping Trees.

December was the tenth month on the old Roman calendar, the month containing the care free Saturnalia. The Franks called it Heilagmanoth, or Holy Month, because of its large number of sacred festivals. On the old Tibetan calendar December 1 was the beginning of a new year.

The ancient Mayan goddess Ixchel is still honored in southern Mexico with processions and rituals that bless boats and fields. She was also known as Lady Unique Circular Darkness, Lady Splotch of Blood, Lady of the Night , and Lady All Embracer. Her worship at one time extended trough southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and as far as El Salvador.

The Winter Solstice, a time when the Sun turns from its fall into darkness back into gaining light, was and is celebrated around the world. Around the world it is the time when Virgin mothers give birth to sacred sons: Rhiannon to Pryderi: Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone. In Japan it was the time when the hiding Sun goddess Amaterasu came out of her cave. The birth of Horus was celebrated about December 23, shortly after Winter Solstice, the time of Osiris's final entombment. At this time of the year, Isis and Nephthys were said to have circled the shrine of Osiris seven times, symbolizing their mourning and search for his scattered body parts. Set was driven away by the shaking of Isis's sistrum.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits: snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries
Herbs: holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe
Colours: black red, white and black
Flowers: holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus
Scents: violet, patchouli, rose geranium, frankincense, myrrh, lilac
Stones: serpentine, jacinth, peridot
Trees: pine, fir, holly
Animals: mouse, deer, horse, bear
Birds: rood, robin, snowy owl
Deities: Hathor, Hecate, Neith, Athene, Minerva, Ixchel, Osiris, Norns, Fates
Power Flow: to endure, die, re-born; Earth tides turning. Darkness. Personal alchemy. Spiritual paths. Reach out to friends and family, the lonely and needy.

Old Sayings & Lore

·        The Irish say never cut your hair, begin a journey, move into a new house, start a business, or cut out a dress on a Friday in particular, and especially if a New or Full Moon falls on a Friday.

·        In Ireland it is said that if you walk nine times around a faery rath or hill at the Full Moon, you will be able to find the entrance.

·        The name Mount St. Helens means "Moon Mountain."

·        The Word "create" comes from the same word-root as the word "crescent."

·        In some legends, The Egyptians said that the Dark Moon and the Full Moon were the two eyes of Horus.

·        The horseshoe is a sybol of the Lunar crescent. Certain ancient British coins had the horse and the crescent on them. For the horseshoe, and the Crescent Moon to be lucky and hold the luck, the horns must be turned upwards.

·        The natives of Madagascar call their isle the Island of the Moon.

·        To aim at the Moon means to be very ambitious, to set your sights extremely high.

·        The eastern branches of the Eskimo clans say that their people came from the Moon to Earth.