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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

June Esbat: The Lover's Moon


Also known as the Strawberry or Rose Moon, the Lover’s Moon brings with it energy for love, marriage, and success. Is it any wonder that in some traditions this Moon is called the Honey Moon? This is a time to nurture your garden and marvel at its beauty and abundance. If you have taken that new job, now is the time to make sure you have everything running smoothly. And you might want to keep your eyes open to see how you can move into a more desirable position.



The appearance of the full, round Mead Moon heralds the end of fertility and the beginning of life anew.  Hives fill with honey.  Animals give birth and baby birds hatch.  Butterflies and cicadas burst forth, too, their shell-like cocoons only a reminder of what they were before.  All of Nature is busy now.  It's a time of care, nurturement, and transformation.

The Mead Moon brings a time of metamorphosis for us, too.  A time to reinvent our lives, change our personal realities, and become what we were meant to be.  But before we can do that, we must often change our perceptions of life and see it with a fresh eye.  Fortunately, this isn't as difficult as it seems.  With the whole world in a state of transformation, it's easy for us to follow suit.


Mead (Honey) Moon Ideas:

Dress in shades of yellow and amber to commemorate the honey harvest.

Use yellow and orange candles and burn Full Moon incense.  Alternately, burn a mixture of frankincense, myrrh and rose for incense.

Decorate the altar with flowers, dandelions, and the transformative gifts of nature.  Cicada shells, butterfly cocoons, hatched bird eggs, and shed feathers are all great ideas.

Serve lemon cookies and honey-sweetened tea for libation.

Make a Witches' ladder from shed bird feathers to bring personal good fortune for the next 12 months.  Just braid together one yard each of red, white, and black ribbon, then attach nine different colored bird feathers by knotting them at equal intervals in the braid.  Enchant each feather with a quality as you knot it.  Continue knotting feathers and enchanting them until all are in place.  Then tie the braid ends together in a bow and place the ladder between the altar candles, saying: "Ring of feathers, braid of three; Bring good fortune unto me."

Leave the ladder on the altar until the candles burn completely down, then hang it in an inconspicuous place in your home. bulletIf you're wondering what to do with your life, set aside some time for mediation.  Before beginning, ask for Divine Inspiration by saying: "Lady of the Moon, so bright, Look down on me and cast some light.  On the path I should follow and what I should be, On the turns I should take to make myself free.  Of the life I have now, to gain the life that should be.  Mother, I ask you: please help me to see." Make a personal transformation charm using some of the altar decorations.  Just fill a small cloth bag with egg shell, feathers, cocoons, and so on, along with a strand of your hair.  Place the bag in front of the altar candles and say: "Metamorphical Gifts of Nature, so rare.  Quicken my Spirit - lend the courage to dare.  To reinvent life into what it should be - to transform my personal reality - To refresh my perception and inspire me anew.  Do now, O Gifts, what I ask of You."

Leave the charm bag on the altar until the candles burn completely down, then carry it with you.


Mead (Honey) Moon Correspondences:

Other Names: Lover's Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon and the Strong Sun Moon

Nature Spirits: Sylphs and Zephyrs

Herbs: Skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, and mosses

Colors: Orange, and Golden-green

Flowers: Lavender, Orchid and Yarrow

Scents: Lily of the Valley, Lavender

Stones: Topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite

Trees: Oak

Animals: Monkey, Butterfly, Frog, Toad, Wren and Peacock

Magick: Protection, Strengthening, Decision-making, and Personal Balance

Ritual Food and Drink: Lemon Cookies, Honey cakes, Mead, and Lemonade

Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen, Bendis and Ishtar


http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/june_esbats.htm



In June we enjoy the longest days of the year, especially before the Summer Solstice. Even though the sun begins to withdraw after the Solstice, the shortening of days is imperceptible and we enjoy long hours of light. This is a time to be active, to feel sensuous and to be aware of our bodies and the life-force energy that flows through us.

Moon of Life


Before the heat of high summer arrives, there is a brief period of time to enjoy the softness of this season. Tune into the rhythms of the natural world and take pleasure in your connection with it. Go outside and let the energy of the moonlight help you feel fully alive and aware. Enjoy the magic of gentle moonlight on soft summer nights.

Other names for this moon: Mead Moon, Dyad Moon, Honey Moon, Strawberry Moon.

In the Celtic Tree Calendar
June 1 – 9: Hawthorn
Associated with balancing energy; it is a symbol of the coming summer, and of hope and pleasure.

June 10 -30: Oak
Associated with cleansing, strength, self-confidence and optimism.

Other Information

Herbs: Skullcap, Catmint, Meadowsweet, Vervain, Tansy, Ladies Mantle & Witch Grass.
Colours: Orange & Golden-Green.
Flowers: Lavender & Yarrow.
Perfumes: Lily Of The Valley & Lavender.
Crystals: Topaz, Agate & Fluorite.
Tree: Oak.
Animal: Butterfly.
Bird: Peacock.
Deities: Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen & Ishtar.
http://witchery.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/june-esbat-information/

1 comment:

  1. What a hilarious post it was! I was completely marveled with the spiritual magical spells with moon you detailed in this post. Yeah, moon is really considered for many events good and worst. While sun is the expansive, yang radiant life force that supplies us with willpower, strength, vitality, expressiveness, confidence, high energy levels and a positive attitude. The moon is the opposite, the receptive yin, ruling the night as the sun rules the day. The moon represents our inner nature, our feelings, emotions, and the water element. I was really charmed with the sweet explanation you provided in this post about lovers moon. Here I would like to focus about New moon herbs that might help cleanse the emotional body of trauma, habits, and destructive patterns.

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