Moon Rituals & New Beginnings

‘I’ve been a Pagan Witch since I was 5 and I’ve been sent to guard the magic square’ said the guy next to me, as I sat cross-legged in a small but perfectly traditional apartment in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. I looked around at everyone else’s expressions but they didn’t flinch. Hmm I thought, perhaps I’m sat next to a real life Pagan Witch, this is fucking awesome!

I was at a Full Moon ritual with people from all over the world, different backgrounds, dramatically different cultures and completely fascinating experiences, knowledge and skills to share. Reiki Masters, Pagan Witches, People that communicate with animals… It was my turn to introduce myself, should I make something up? ‘I’m Johanna and I can travel through space and time’, I wonder if they’d have called me out or applauded my amazing skills. A mere novice next to my fellow ritual friends, I listened to their stories, whilst Chakra the cat jumped from person to person – Christ she was probably a Grand Priestess! I patted her shiny black head and gave her a wink just in case she was the most powerful being in the room.

How did I end up in a spiritual den sat crossed legged on a cushion in a room full mysterious forces? Well the moon and it’s magical ways brought me there. Whether you’re reading this post spitting out your coffee at the thought hanging out with witches, or if you’re one yourself, no one can deny the power of the moon!

Big statement, but we should all be fascinated by the moon.

As a kid who spent a lot of time in North Cornwall, we had to use the tide tables to see if we could get to the hidden beaches and smugglers paths. Or more accurately, not get trapped and come to a watery death in a cove once the tide came in. I was a child that questioned everything, but I remember being pretty satisfied that it was the moon that pulled the oceans’ strings. It’s not the easiest concept to explain to anyone, let alone a 6 year old but it’s one of those things that’s so unfathomable, unless you have a scientific brain you just have to accept it.

I couldn’t give a monkeys about spaceships, UFOs and satellites. But the moon, its enchanting beauty and its power to impact our planet blows my mind. Then as a teen I twigged that depending what the moon was up to it had an impact on my mood. I had no idea how to control these emotions and when the moon was full – bam! Even my spiritually cynical ex was acutely aware to duck for cover when a full moon appeared, as I struggled to battle with the fast flow of thoughts that I was unable to channel. It’s where the word ‘lunatic’ comes from I’ve cried, in a bid to convince myself too.

Then as I travelled round the world I became more aware of how other cultures still rely on the moon’s cycles to dictate so many things. At the Tikal Mayan ruins in Guatemala I learnt about how they only plant crops, chop wood, create structures when the moon is in the correct phase. When did we stop consulting the moon in the western world and why? Oh, apart from to see what the ocean is up to.

We meditated, it was perfectly peaceful with an emphasis on love and letting go. Even if you don’t have a spiritual bone in your body, you can’t deny that focusing on love and removing all negative influences in your life is a good thing. We wrote down all the things we wanted to let go of, then we filed up the narrow stairway and burnt the whole lot in a smouldering pot of negativity. Attitudes, behaviours and people all went up in smoke. Have I lost you yet? No… good!

As the moon goes through its cycle, we as modern day humans can embrace its power. Loosely speaking, as the Full Moon wanes its time to let go and as the New Moon appears bring new positive things into your life. What have you got to lose?

December’s full moon is known as the ‘Cold Moon’. I had to double-take when I saw it as it looked like a man-made projection in the sky. At one point it was taking a bath in the ocean, so big and bold it looked unreal. With the clear night skies in Barcelona, I often find myself enjoying the moon and its illuminating glow. It’s inspiring and often gets the creative juices flowing. I’m going to have to work on my skill-set though for my next spiritual meet-up so this Christmas is all about getting to grips with Tarot readings. Watch this space!