March Esbat -- Chaste Moon

 

 From "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft"

Also known as the Seed or Worm Moon, the Chaste Moon is a time to plant mental seeds—thoughts of success and hope. This is also a time of purity and newness. It’s the time to bless the magickal herbs and plants in your garden and to start preparing the soil for the seeds that you will plant. It’s also the time to mentally prepare yourself for new experiences, a new job, pregnancy, taking a trip, or bringing a new animal into your home. 

March is the time for new beginnings, breaking illusions, and seeing the truth in your life however much it may hurt. The energy flow breaks into the open, a good time for growing, prospering, and exploring. Light and Dark are in balance now. 

From Brighter Blessings.com

 

The Chaste Moon of March (also known as the Lenten, Seed, Sap, Worm and Hare Moon) truly marks the celebration of Spring. It is the observance of the return of the Goddess in all her Maiden glory. At this time of the year we prepare for planting the fields and gardens, blessing the seeds for the crops in the hope that the year’s harvest will be plentiful.

Like the Goddess of the Moon Diana, nature is poised - potential about to burst into life all around us. Just as the Goddess has many faces and forms, so can we. The circle dance never ends, only revolves again and again. Thus as the Goddess ever renews her aspect, so can Her children.

This new journey began with the Storm Moon in February by firming our foundations to prepare for change, and now is the time to discover our potential. On the Esbat of the Chaste Moon, we look deep within ourselves to strengthen our foundations ready to plant the seeds of our new lives, and discover what lies there waiting, like the Maiden, to be fulfilled.

In just a week, the Sabbat of Ostara will be celebrated. The stirrings of Mother Earth are now apparent, with the first spring flowers began to emerge from the earth, the woodlands begin to bristle and rustle with new life and the birds begin to return and serenade us once again – the song of the Robin is now not the only song to be heard. Her Consort now seeks out the Maiden Goddess, and their liaison grows in power and intensity. As this bond develops, so too can we develop and cultivate new strengths to reach our own dizzy heights.
 
A Chaste Moon Ritual

On the night of the full Chaste Moon, select the symbolic seeds for your personal spiritual growth that you would like to sow. They could be seeds of understanding, seeds of courage, or seeds of tolerance for example.

You can plant these seeds simply with your will, by meditation or, for a family ritual, you could choose to plant some spring bulbs, or seeds to produce the seedlings for your vegetable garden, for example. Give each child a pot and soil, and a handful of bulbs or seeds. Allocate to each of these bulbs or seeds (as many as you need for each person) the quality you wish to nurture. For each bulb or seed that is sown, repeat (if you so wish) the following incantation:

“Plant, sow, energize, and grow,
This is my wish (insert wish)
Goddess Moon make it so.” 

Thus in the months ahead you can nurture your seedlings which is a fabulous learning exercise for young children, to watch first-hand the power of nature. This is also beneficial for older children, as by planting their wishes they are personally responsible for their seedlings.

Whichever method you choose therefore, you make a firm commitment that your seedlings will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lay ahead, so that they will grow, flower and bear fruit.


(To be used as a side column – or not at all as you prefer!)

After performing an Esbat ritual, it is a lovely idea to share a meal with those involved. A great way of doing this, (that is also fun beforehand for the children, and can be part of the day’s preparation), is to bake Moon Biscuits.

To do so you will need:

Moon Biscuits

295 grams flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
120 grams butter
230 grams sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1-teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk or cream

Using organic ingredients where possible, firstly sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it has paled in colour. Add the egg, the vanilla and the milk a little at a time and blend until the mixture is smooth. Now add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Put into the refrigerator and chill the mixture for at least 1 hour. Next, roll out the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut it into circles with a round biscuit cutter, or a floured glass/mug. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 375 f, 190 c or gas mark 5 for 8-10 minutes. For an extra special treat, melt a bar of dark organic chocolate by the Bain-Marie method, or in the microwave (carefully!) and once the cookies are cooked and cooled, dip half of the biscuit into the melted chocolate to create half-moon cookies. Now, eat and enjoy!