It’s Moon Season! Here’s how to work with all 5 stages of this beauty’s healing & transformative cycle
By Dianna Fontes
Image by Ashley Ibarra for unsplash
As Cancer Season approaches, ushering in the Summer Solstice, we may be surprised to learn that this sunny season is actually guided by The Moon. As the ruler of the astrological sign Cancer, the Moon exerts its influential and emotional energy more strongly from approximately June 20th to July 20th. In honor to the Moon's summertime superpowers, let’s delve deeper into its Magic, utilizing it for profound inner healing WeRK and potentially some transformative collective disruptions.
What the Moon Symbolizes
In astrology, the Moon symbolizes our inner self, instincts, intuition, emotions, and our capacity to give and receive nurturing. The allure of the New and Full Moon phases captivates us all, and rightfully so. These phases hold tremendous drama and power, which we often experience physically. Its closeness to the Earth gives the Moon a powerful influence. It tethers us to our orbit around the Sun and affects the ebb and flow of all water on our planet, including the water within us. The New Moon phase calls us to focus on our personal desires and needs, a time for introspection and contemplation of our intentions for the upcoming cycle. This phase represents a rebirth of the Moon, occurring when a faint sliver of light reappears. It serves as a reminder that every ending is actually a new beginning.
While not exactly opposite to the New Moon, the Full Moon does possess contrasting energy compared to the darker lunation. The Full Moon encourages us to celebrate our achievements during the previous cycle. It calls for gratitude for our own efforts as well as our collaborative endeavors with others. It prompts us to reflect on what truly WeRKs for us and what does not. The Full Moon invites us into reflection and introspection, enabling us to make decisions about what no longer serves us and what needs GTFO our lives.
In the realm of modern Magic, which has been tainted by patriarchy and commodified by capitalism, the spotlight often falls solely on these two dramatic Moons due to the intense emotions they evoke. However, just as we must unlearn and relearn to heal the systemic wounds inflicted by living under patriarchy, it can be valuable to shed light on the disproportionate emphasis put on the New and Full Moons by modern Magic.
What makes the New and Full Moons so popular in modern Magic? Their appeal appears to be rooted in their drama. Their dramatic nature allows us to tangibly feel their effects, lending them an air of greater power. However, surprising as it may be, these two Moons do not require or manifest any more energy for Magical engagement than the other three phases do—the Dark Moon, the First Quarter Moon, and the Last Quarter Moon are equally important.
All Moon phases are powerful
These three phases possess more tension and actionable energy, particularly when compared to the New and Full Moons, but no Moon phase is more important or more powerful than another. However, by neglecting the other three phases, we may overlook powerful Magic and profound ShadowWeRK opportunities. Let us dive into these lesser-known aspects of Moon Magic so we can realign with the whole cycle and take back some of the power that’s been intentionally severed by limiting our focus to only two Moon phases.
Harnessing the Power of All Five Moon Phases in Your Magical Practice
The Dark Moon & The New Moon
The Dark Moon phase occurs approximately 2-2.5 days prior to the New Moon. This phase calls us into the darker recesses of the lunar cycle, inviting us to engage in ShadowWeRK. ShadowWeRK can be profoundly uncomfortable as our society glorifies lightness and shuns the darkness. The intentional indoctrination of associating darkness with negativity and lightness with positivity serves to keep us disconnected from this vital part of the cycle. By resisting the fear that inevitably arises during ShadowWeRK, we may actively disrupt the harmful systems that surround us.
Why is ShadowWeRK so valuable? Engaging in ShadowWeRK is similar to composting in a garden, where, instead of weeds and dead plants, it’s our pain, struggles, fears, and negative energies that transform into a Magical fertile soil/fuel designed especially for nourishing the seeds/intentions we pondered during the New Moon. As an added bonus, ShadowWeRK allows us to eliminate toxic, negative energy from the collective consciousness. Using all five Moon phases in your Magical practice can create a very regenerative healing cycle in our lives. As we enter the New Moon phase, we can ponder our intentions free from the burden of negativity, surrounded by fertile soil and potential. However, it is crucial to note that the New Moon phase is not the time to act upon our intentions but rather to nurture and refine them.
First Quarter Moon & Full Moon
Instead, we await the arrival of the First Quarter Moon phase to activate our intentions. During this phase, the Moon forms a square aspect with the Sun, generating tension that propels us into action. This tension often brings forward the bravery and momentum required to propel us forward in pursuit of our intentions. It infuses us with courage and agility to overcome any obstacles or barriers that may have arisen between the New Moon and the First Quarter Moon. This period of contemplation between these two phases allows us the space and time to genuinely examine our intentions. Why do we seek to manifest these desires? What are we willing to do to actualize them? The energy of the First Quarter Moon can offer a boost or help us realize that that intention is not aligned with our authentic desires afterall. There is no wrong way to activate our intentions, but we often miss the booster offered by the First Quarter Moon phase when we’re only moving between the New and Full phases.
Last Quarter Moon
Lastly, we encounter the Last Quarter Moon Phase, which follows the Full Moon Phase. During this phase, we receive the energy required to release all that we have discovered no longer serves us or aligns with our path. Resisting the call of Modern Magic to engage in release WeRK during the Full Moon allows us to examine our intentions and motivations more deeply. Take the time; we should immerse ourselves in reflective contemplation during the week after a Full Moon. This deliberate reflection allows the Last Quarter Moon to support us in the sometimes uncomfortable task of shedding and letting go.
Under the Last Quarter Moon’s beams, release WeRK becomes more manageable due to the tension and torque created by the square aspect. Patiently sitting with our releases before severing ties ensures that the releases align with our genuine needs. As another bonus, being patient with our WeRK between the Full and Last Quarter Moons also offers us a chance to disrupt a system that constantly demands productivity and speed in all aspects of our lives. Often, what we truly require is ShadowWeRK to heal wounds or soften harsh edges rather than just plowing forward, casting off our negative energy and unwanted trash into the Universe. Take YOUR time and you may take much of your power back too.
The Last Quarter Moon readies us to reenter the Dark Moon Phase with a bag of thangs to compost, continuing the perpetual cycle. By releasing unwanted energies and aspects during the Last Quarter Moon, we ensure they are composted into something useful and beautiful, preparing the soil for the next cycle of growth.
The common concern when folx discover all five Moon phases is the lack of time they have for Moon Magic already. It’s important to remember quality over quantity. We must shed the influence of capitalism which idolizes productivity over connection and intentionality. Engaging with the Moon phases doesn't require extensive time commitments. Even dedicating just five minutes to each phase can be transformative. It's not necessary to acknowledge the Moon phases on the exact day of lunation; you have the entire week following the lunation to do the necessary work for that phase. The Moon is not a harsh mistress; it continuously holds us close. Embrace your connection with the lunar cycle and listen to your inner voice as you deepen your relationship with the Moon. There is no right or wrong way to do this work. The Moon never judges us; it simply wants us to be empowered by the natural cycles that are our birthright to access.
Factoring in the Astrological Cycles
However, if you want to go deeper, adding the astrological cycles on top of the Moon phase cycles can offer a big boost. The Moon moves through the sequence of Dark to New, First to Full, and then into the Last Quarter within what we commonly call a "month." However, it also cycles through the zodiac signs over the course of a year, providing an opportunity to experience each of the five phases in each zodiac sign (and in a larger cycle we get two in the same sign and eclipses too!). Using an Astrological layer in your Moon Magic can offer a great deal of specific energy and flare to any ritual but it also allows you to add in immeasurable layer of detail by mapping the Moon cycles to your unique birth chart, revealing where these energies may land in your personal life. Understanding that all cycles contain even more cycles can allow us to find the specific cycles that feel most useful and healing for our individual journeys. We are all Moonbeams and we are worthy of this WeRK.
To delve deeper into using the Moon in your magical practices and everyday life, I invite you to visit my website and explore the SweetAstro Threshold Pathway.