Seasons of Wicca: The Essential Guide to Rituals and Rites to Enhance Your Spiritual Journey - Ambrosia Hawthorn 2020
January Moon
Moon Celebrations (Esbats)
Rituals to Enhance your Spiritual Journey
Along with the eight sabbats, or solar celebrations, Wiccans also celebrate and observe the 12 (or 13) esbats, or full moon celebrations. Since the 12-month calendar does not sync perfectly with astronomical events, the year occasionally has a thirteenth moon (a second moon in a single month), which is sometimes called a blue moon.
Some Wiccans use the Celtic Tree calendar, which consists of 13 lunar divisions with fixed dates. These 13 lunar months are named after trees and are based on the Celtic Ogham (oh-wam) alphabet. Other Wiccans use the Gregorian calendar (the 365.4245-day calendar used by most of the modern world). Regardless of the calendar you follow, each full moon contains potent energy that you can use to power spellwork, meditate, charge ritual items, commune with a deity, and even complete divination rituals. The following esbat rituals are divided by the month they fall in according to the Gregorian calendar, but I’ve also included the corresponding date ranges for those Wiccans who work with the Celtic Tree calendar. You can perform these esbat rituals when the full moon lands anywhere within the provided date ranges, celebrating the corresponding moon.
Esbats are most powerful when they are performed outside during the full moon, weather permitting. They can also be performed during the evening after the sun has set. Try to make it outside during the warmer months, but if you can’t, performing esbats indoors is perfectly acceptable. If performing indoors, try to include extra moon imagery, charms, or even a candle to represent the energy of the full moon. During indoor esbats, you can also use oils or full moon charged water to anoint your forehead. To make full moon charged water, leave a bowl of water overnight under the light of the full moon.
When celebrating an esbat, you’ll frequently invoke the Goddess (as opposed to the God). Many Wiccans choose to incorporate the season when choosing a Goddess or pantheon—for example, Mother for balanced winter and summer, Maiden for fertile spring, and Crone for aging autumn. You can choose which deity you work with; practitioners sometimes invoke both the God and Goddess.
These rituals are designed mostly for solitary Wiccans, but each ritual can be adapted for a group or coven. To alter the ritual, divide the steps amongst the group.
January Moon
Gregorian Calendar: The January moon is often called the wolf, cold, or ice moon. During this full moon, work on magic regarding protection and developing your inner self, intuition, and wisdom.
Celtic Tree Calendar: This time period includes the Birch moon, celebrated from December 24 to January 20, and the Rowan moon, celebrated from January 21 to February 17. The Celtic name for birch is beth, pronounced beh, and the name for the rowan is Luis, pronounced loush. The Birch moon is associated with new beginnings, rebirth, regeneration, protection, and purification, and the Rowan moon is associated with new life, strength, success, and the Celtic Goddess Brigid.
REBIRTH MEDITATION ESBAT
During the Winter Solstice in December, the sun begins its slow return to strength. With the sun’s return comes light, new beginnings, regeneration, and rebirth. This ritual focuses on harnessing this strong energy and honoring the cycle of life through meditation.
Ritual Setting
Altar
Tools and Supplies
Wand or athame
Elemental representations—candles, symbolic items, or symbols written on stone or wood
Deity representation for Moon Goddess—statue, candle, or image
3 votive or pillar candles—white
1 cone or stick incense—lotus, lavender, frankincense, or anise
Fire-safe plates or candle holders and incense holder
Device to play meditation or relaxation music
Lighter or matches
Offering of choice
PRIOR TO THE RITUAL
1.Shower or bathe, visualizing all old or unwanted energies leaving your being.
2.Cleanse the altar.
PREPARING THE ALTAR
Place the tools and supplies on the altar. Place the elemental representations in a pentacle configuration. Place the deity representation at the top of the altar. Place the candles on fire-safe plates and the incense in a holder in front of you on the altar, however you see fit.
THE RITUAL
1.Cast a circle of protection. Hold the wand or athame as an extension of your hand to gather and direct energy as you call upon elements. Starting from the east and ending north, call upon the element of air for mental clarity, the element of fire for power, the element of water for fluidity, and the element of earth for stability.
2.Turn on the music. Sit comfortably in front of the altar. Light the candles and incense.
3.Invoke the Goddess of the Moon to assist you with your ritual: “Goddess of the Moon, Crone of Winter, I ask for your guidance tonight. As I journey within, lend me your strength and illuminate my path.”
4.Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Allow yourself to become relaxed. Visualize yourself walking under the moonlight, basking in its glow. Allow yourself to feel the energy of the Goddess of the Moon surrounding you. As moonlight envelopes your being, imagine you’re transforming and beginning anew for the year ahead.
5.Allow yourself to stay in this space as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, walk back along the mental path you traveled until you’re back where you started.
6.Thank the deity and leave your offering: “Goddess of the Moon, Crone of Winter, I thank you for your assistance tonight. Accept my offering and gratitude.”
7.Release the elements in reverse order by beginning facing the north and ending east, thanking each element for their assistance and bidding them farewell. Then open the circle by saying: “I open this circle and release the energy back into the earth.”
8.Snuff out the incense and candles. Leave the offering on the altar.
PROTECTION CHARM ESBAT
In Wiccan practice, a major theme in the month of January is protection. In this ritual, you’ll craft a protection charm bag using January’s strong lunar energy. You can carry this charm with you wherever you go as a form of protection.
Ritual Setting
Altar
Tools and Supplies
For the ritual
Wand or athame
Elemental representations
Deity representation for Moon Goddess
Offering of choice
For the charm bag
Drawstring pouch
1 ounce dried basil
2 dried bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 crystal—hematite or obsidian
PRIOR TO THE RITUAL
1.Shower or bathe, visualizing all old or unwanted energies leaving your being.
2.Cleanse the altar.
PREPARING THE ALTAR
Place the tools and supplies on the altar. Place the elemental representations in a pentacle configuration. Place the deity representations at the top of the altar.
THE RITUAL
1.Cast a circle of protection. Hold the wand or athame as an extension of your hand to gather and direct energy as you call upon the elements. Starting from the east and ending north, call upon the element of air for mental clarity, the element of fire for power, the element of water for fluidity, and the element of earth for stability.
2.Invoke the Moon Goddess by saying something like: “Lunar Goddess, I invite you to my sacred circle. Grant me your blessings and energy tonight.”
3.Open the drawstring pouch and add the basil, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, and crystal, pausing to set your intentions to protect as you add each item.
4.Once finished, say: “Charm of protection, infuse with the light of the moon and charge with protection energy, so that I may be free from all worry.”
5.Tie the pouch shut to complete the charm bag.
6.Thank the deity by saying: “Lunar Goddess, I thank you for your assistance and presence tonight.”
7.Release the elements in reverse order by beginning facing the north and ending east, thanking each element for their assistance and bidding them farewell. Then open the circle by saying: “I open this circle and release the energy back into the earth.”
8.Leave the offering for the Moon Goddess on the altar.
9.Place the charm bag under moonlight to further charge it with energy. Carry the bag with you when you need protection.