The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Magickal Herbs and How to Use Them - Karen Harrison 2020

Moon Phase and Planetary Day
Appendix

The phases of the Moon and the day of the week are important to consider when creating an alchemical blend. You are being very careful to incorporate just the right herbal ingredients to synthesize all the components for an Incense, oil, or other herbal formula to ensure the results you want for successful Magick. You are working with powerful but subtle energies to blend them into a whole; utilizing the traditional tides of Lunar energy and Planetary Day will add to the strength of your formula as well.

Your goal is to connect with the tides of energy most conducive to the successful outcome of your work. Planning to do it at the most opportune Astrological time that adds to and complements the energies you are activating brings you closer to a successful working.

The first thing you want to be sure you understand is the way that the energies of the Moon work. Each New Moon begins a new cycle and is excellent for initiating projects and doing ceremony or meditation for increase and growth. The time between the New and Full Moon is known as the Waxing Moon, meaning the Moon is growing in size and outward strength, affecting our environment and surroundings. During this time, meditations and spells for increase can be done effectively. The Full Moon brings power and energy to the seed you have planted at the New Moon or it fulfills a long-term goal or desire. The time between the Full Moon and the New Moon is known as the Waning Moon, meaning the Moon is decreasing in size but gaining in inward strength. It is a time to go inward to receive wisdom and information. It is the time to let go of things,attitudes, or people who no longer contribute to your life or are detrimental to your goals.

When the Moon is waxing (getting larger, from the New to the Full), it is the right time to do expansive, external works. If your formula is designed to affect the outside world—your work, your relationship, the abundance coming to you—you will create your blend during the Waxing Moon. Love, money, fertility, career, and personal success are all aspects of one's external life, which increase as the Moon waxes. Rituals or alchemical herbal concoctions of an internal and/or binding nature should be done when the Moon is waning. Internal works would include developing the intuitive side of yourself, contacting your Higher Self, karmic investigation, and transforming brain patterns or habits. This also includes Magicks for protection, to stop something from happening, control garden pests, cool off passions in another, learn about past lives, and enforce self-control.

You may wish to incorporate the energies of a specific phase of the Moon in your work. New Moons are perfect to initiate new projects and beginnings. Full Moons enhance the concentrated power of your work. The Dark of the Moon (the night just before the New Moon) is excellent for endings, past life—work, and bindings.

You can also incorporate the energy specific to an Astrological Sign of a New or Full Moon. When you check your calendar to see when the New and Full Moons are, also check for the Astrological Sign that the Moon falls in that day. That will tell you what “flavor” of energy the Moon is expressing that day—in other words, what type of energy is the strongest and best suited for your purposes. In general, the following are the types of ritual that work best for each Astrological Sign:

Aries New or Full Moon is good for energy, willpower, and starting new projects.

Taurus New or Full Moon focuses on commitment, material gain, and physical security.

Gemini New or Full Moon brings communication, journeys, new friends, and new ideas.

Cancer New or Full Moon is excellent for spells for motherhood, psychic development, and relationships, and to protect the home.

Leo New or Full Moon is good for animal blessings, creativity, personal authority, and self-esteem.

Virgo New or Full Moon intensifies energy for work, health, intellectual gain, and self-development.

Libra New or Full Moon is useful for workings to promote harmony, partnerships, beauty, and artistic talents.

Scorpio New or Full Moon is effective for occult knowledge, past lives, dreamwork, and sexuality.

Sagittarius New or Full Moon is good for honesty, adventures, prestige, and luck.

Capricorn New or Full Moon attracts energy to realize professional ambitions, stability, organization, and money through your efforts.

Aquarius New or Full Moon brings energy for higher learning, teaching, originality, and to make changes in your life.

Pisces New or Full Moon is effective for spells to develop your intuition, astral projection, romance, and peace.

Put things into motion in such a way that your desires do not manipulate others. Everything can be done in a flowing way that does not force others to your will. Manipulating others ties up your karma with that individual and makes it very hard to make changes later if necessary. And, remember, everything you do returns to you threefold. Some believe this means three times; others believe that the energy is returned to you on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Magick is the use and release of focused energy: the more positive energy you put out, the more positive energy will be returned; the more negative and manipulative your energy, the more you will receive of the same. Which would you prefer?

You will also need to decide which Planet rules the type of Magick you wish to do, and perform your rite on that day in the proper phase of the Moon.

Rites of the Sun (success, prosperity) are done on Sunday.

Rites of the Moon (psychic development, fertility) are done on Monday.

Rites of Mars (protection, vitality) are done on Tuesday.

Rites of Mercury (career, communication) are done on Wednesday.

Rites of Jupiter (expansion, abundance) are done on Thursday.

Rites of Venus (love, creativity) are done on Friday.

Rites of Saturn (protection, grounding) are done on Saturday.

Rites of Neptune (mystic connections) are done on Friday

Rites of Uranus (genius, change) are done on Wednesday.

Rites of Pluto (transformation) are done on Tuesday or Saturday.

All that being said, there will be times that you will have to create a formula for a ritual that must be performed immediately. A loved one may have had an accident or sudden illness; perhaps your home has been broken into and it must be cleansed and protected. At times of emergency (or even just sudden inspiration), don't limit your efforts by feeling that you must slavishly abide to the Moon tides, Planetary Days, or any other “rule.” If you have to do it, you have to do it. You won't have the additional energy that is given by utilizing the Moon tide or Planetary Day, but the focused intention provided by the urgency of the necessary work at hand will be enough.