Moon Signs for Ritual

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For many Pagans, the Full Moon is the most magical of times, the ideal occasion for ritual and for creating change. Although any Full Moon can be used effectively for ritual, it is helpful to know which sign of the Zodiac the Full Moon is in, and how that effects the energies at work. This article introduces the basic concepts of the Moon signs and their implications for magic and ritual.

As the Moon moves through the signs of the Zodiac, the quality of its energy changes. Just as our personalities can be described in terms of the position of the Sun and Moon at the time of birth, the changing moods and energies of our daily lives can be correlated with the passage of the Moon through the Zodiac each month.

The signs can be classified according to their element (fire, air, water, or earth) and their quality (cardinal, fixed, mutable) as follows:

cardinal signs

fixed signs
mutable signs

fire
signs

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

earth
signs

Capricorn

Taurus

Virgo

air
signs

Libra

Aquarius

Geminis

water
signs

Cancer

Scorpio

Pisces

The element of fire signifies passion, change, willpower, and leadership. Air relates to mental and verbal activities, such as communication, teaching, writing, and negotiating. Water is the domain of emotions and feelings: love, family, relationships, intuition, subconscious and psychic talents. Earth is the element of physical things: food and health, shelter, finances, chores and routines.

The cardinal signs are initiators, excited to jump into the domain of their particular element and start living it. The fixed signs are sustainers, seeking depth and intensity in their domain. The mutable signs are restless, seeking to use the energy of their element step outside themsleves and pave the way for new possibilities.

The sign the Moon is in when full is of particular importance to witches and other Pagans who often do magical workings at this time. The Full Moon is always in the sign opposite the Sun. (For example, when the Sun is in Aries, the Full Moon will be in Libra). The following list gives a summary of themes for each sign of the Zodiac, and what sorts of magical or mundane activities are best undertaken under each sign.

You can use these sketches of the meanings of the signs to time your magical undertakings. For example, a spell to bring in money to take care of necessities would be enhanced by an earth-sign Moon (particularly Taurus); a Cancer Moon might also be appropriate. An air-sign Moon would be less effective, because of the emphasis on the mental rather than the tangible. One could, however, use the energy of an air-sign Moon to stimulate productive conversation with an employer or patron, which might lead indierctly to monetary rewards.

Aries Moon: self-assertion, self-expression, launching new indeavors, taking the lead; not a good time to seek long-term solutions, however.

Taurus Moon: protection, marshalling of resources, patience, persistence; beware of inflexibility and stubbornness.

Gemini Moon: friendship, communication, inquisitiveness, mental flexibility; thoughts can be scattered.

Cancer Moon: family, nurturing, caretaking, sensitivity; insecurities may surface.

Leo Moon: generosity, drama, pride, pleasure; may turn self-indulgent.

Virgo Moon: organization, attention to detail, practical matters, keeping things working; may miss the forest for the trees.

Libra Moon: love, harmony, art and culture, diplomacy; beware of unarticulated control issues.

Scorpio Moon: sex, death, transformation, intensity; beware of emotional excesses.

Sagittarius Moon: travel, religion, moral issues, innovation and evolution; may lapse into arrogance or dogma.

Capricorn Moon: success, status, prosperity, achievement; can be materialistic or melancholy.

Aquarius Moon: creativity, pattern-breaking, philanthropy, commeraderie; can lapse into abstract idealism.

Pisces Moon: mysticism, intuition, acceptance, contemplation; can become lethargic or escapist.

As the Moon passes through each sign, it forms angles or aspects with the other planets. During the time between the Moon's last aspect in a sign and her entry into the next sign, the Moon is said to be void of course. Astrological wisdom says that anything undertaken while the Moon is void of course will come to nothing. So if you include the Moon sign in your planning, it is also a good idea to avoid the void-of-course times.

Two Full Moons, even occuring in the same sign of the Zodiac, can have very different astrological implications, depending on the placement of the other planets. To plan your Full Moon rituals with these additional considerations, refer to Moon Magic, a regular feature of the site that describes the particular energies of each Full Moon and Dark Moon in the coming months.

Sacred Space is a regular feature of Starweaver's Gems from Earth and Sky

Copyright © 2008 Tom Waters