Moon Phases in Hoodoo Magic

[SunKat]

“Are the phases of the moon important in doing a spell?” Well if one is just Hoodooing someone that is you’re going to secretly sprinkle on their path or somehow on them some goofer dust, or you’re combining waters for a peaceful home, the moon phase it not all that important. Even making a poppet of someone to curse them the moon phase is not that important, it does depend upon one’s own will and personal energy. Or if you have to quickly do an uncrossing bath, the phase of the moon is not important as it is getting it done.

But a lot of, and I’m going to say it, Southern or American style conjure or Hoodoo work or even a lot of folk magic, a basic moon phase can be important. That’s because the moon is seen in every country, it does have an effect on us.

Now not all Witches or practitioners bother with magical timing-- everyone develops their own methods and techniques and for some it can be trial and error to find out what works best. Many of us who use the moon to time something do so by choosing the moon phase that is the closest to the type of working in order to give it an extra boost by harnessing the Moon’s energy.

And some folks say that to do hoodoo or conjure magic you don't need to know the phase of the moon and I'd say that is true for the more advance magical practitioners, that the use of Moon Phases are a European tradition, and I won't say No either, but I also say "If it works, then use it."

My Daddy use to say it’s easier to swim with the tide than against it. And in a way it’s more practical in doing spell work by using the Moon’s energy.

Now a lot of web sites talk about the moon and it’s phases and throw in a lot of other stuff, such as the days and hours and well a lot of other gobbley-gook, and that part in a way is also correct but only if you are doing what some people call High Magick or High Hermetic Magic as talked about by Dr. Dee and Levi, in which you have to trace in your circle the tetragrammaton or trace the invoking pentacle of Solomon or something else. Which is Fine if you’re doing High Magic or Hermetic Magic, and it doesn’t hurt to at least know about these things.

But in Folk Magic well, as my Granny use to say “Bread is bread, you bake it the same way and if you don’t knead it right or allow it to rise you get nothing” and that is what Folk Magic is. But to get that Loaf of Bread to rise, well then it does help to pay attention to the Moon phases. Old time Farmers and Fishermen use to---I know my Daddy did and when the Moon and tides were right we’d catch a mess of fish and share it.

So what are the phases of the Moon?
That’s simple:
We start with the New Moon this is when you can barely see it think sliver crescent shape of the moon.

Next comes the Waxing Crescent Moon this is where the moon appears to show its old fashion face like this ) but more so, the word “waxing” means to grow bigger.

Then the Waxing First Quarter Moon this is where the moon is half full. Some people call it a Gibbous moon phase, but let’s not get complicated, the moon is half full. Some people say that in the Gibbous phase it looks pregnant and that would be a good description.

Finally we have the Full Moon, this is the Moon at its fullest and it stays that way for about 3 days (nights) before it starts getting smaller or to use the correct phrase “waning” it takes about 14 days from New Moon to Full Moon and then the process begins to reverse itself and takes about 14 days from full to New. Which is why some people get fussy about what they refer to as 13 lunar months in a solar calendar year, which is another topic entirely.

So the next phase is the waning Gibbous moon or Waning Half Moon, it looks pregnant but in reverse.

Next is the waning crescent Moon, this is the crescent but again in reverse and looks like a finger nail

The final phase is back to The New Moon but some folks call this the Dark Moon when the moon is not seen at all for about 3 days the use of the term Dark Moon has gained in popularity pushing the phrase New Moon to the tiny, tiny sliver as being the New Moon. Personally I prefer the idea or concept of when the Moon is not seen at all as being the Dark Moon.

So then what type of magic does one do at each phase? Well really the simple way is to think in terms of the Farmers, if you want something to grow, plant your seed on the New Moon, to have it come up to you.

But if you want to get rid of something then do it after the Full Moon when the moon is getting smaller so it goes away from you. Attract---Repel New to Full----Full to New.

But I know some of you will want things to be more specific so I’ll break it down.

NEW MOON (thin sliver crescent) to increase, expand, attract, bring to you something:
This is good for love spells, money spells, recognition in your job or in school, increase business or bring people to your shop or business, this is a good time to do Honey jar spells for love or to sweeten someone to you. This starts the best time to work with constructive magic, or magic that builds things/brings things to us. The waxing crescent is the best time for magic on yourself (or on the subject) pertaining to new beginnings, such as starting a new project or making plans for the future. If you're looking to conjure energies into your life such as a more positive attitude, more patience, more understanding in your relationship, this is the perfect timing for such goals. When you want to cast spells for self-improvement, such as if you want to improve your psychic abilities, to absorb the information in a new class, or bring out your inner beauty, this is the time to do it. Artists or anyone artistic/creative will find this the best time to cast spells or perform meditations that will bring inspiration and passion into your work.

WAXING HALF MOON--- Builds upon what is started with the New Moon and is the time when energies are most conducive to attraction, this is the best time for magic that attempts to draw things outside of yourself to you. Use this time for spells to attract things you want in your life, such as money, protection or success. It's also an ideal time for attracting people into your life, such as friends, lovers and clients. Also If you're looking for a lost object, or house hunting, etc., this is a good time to perform spells for success in that area to help you bring that which you most desire the manifest.

WAXING GIBBOUS MOON (a fatter Half moon)--when it looks pregnant this is a good time to give yourself an energy boost on your spell work because you might get discourage or you're getting lazy and distracted from completing your tasks, give yourself a power boost during this time, rededicate yourself to the work.

FULL MOON----- This when the Earth is caught between the moon and the sun, having the most powerful energies of the moon cycle. The Full Moon is often thought as 'all purpose'-- it's energies flows into all areas and needs, be it constructive or destructive.
This is a time you would utilize for extra power when you're facing very difficult challenges. This is not just for minor mundane tasks this is a time for those important things in your life that need major changes or major boosts. This is a great time to use this energy for spells that really matter in your life. If you need to win a court case, or find a new job with better pay to prevent you from losing your home, this is also a time for meditation, psychic development, dreams and divination work well during the Full Moon

WANING GIBBOUS MOON--- Waning energies repel rather than attract, so it's a good time to begin working on spells to get rid of things. Minor banishing’s can begin with the Waning Gibbous. This is a good time for general cleansings to your home, office, garden or any of your personal spaces, etc., to keep things that negatively spiritual from mounting up. This is also a good time to cleanse any personal objects you may have, such as your jewelry or magical tools. It’s like routine dusting-- there's no major build-up, you're just trying to keep things clear to prevent problems. Get the “negative” dust bunnies out from under your bed.

Besides beginning banishing’s, this is also a good time to do a ritual where you need closure, or if you're ready to end something in your life (such as an unfulfilling relationship or unsatisfying business venture), this is a good time for spells to bring things to their fruition. It’s also a good time for meditation on introspection. Where have your previous attitudes and actions brought you? What things in your life have been affecting you most? Are you happy with where you are? Do you need to make any attitude or behavior adjustments? Do you need to banish something out of your life?

WANING HALF MOON this is also called the Third Quarter Moon is the perfect timing for spells or ritual work to continue dealing with obstacles, lots of times when doing banishings this is when you feel you’ve reached a road block in your path, the timing of this moon phase offers appropriate energies for helping you burst through it. Because around this time it gets tempting to just give up so banish that temptation with a spell. This is also a good time or phase to do spells to aid with transitions, whether these are transitions that you have to make or want to make in your life. It can help smooth out any wrinkles that might cause snags as you go on your way. This phase also helps as you continue to do rituals for closure.

WANING CRESCENT MOON--- this is a perfect time to clear your life and home of negativity, stress, strife, chaos, etc., now is the time to do it. Or like that song says “I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair.” The Waning Crescent, as it heads towards the Dark Moon, is suitable for stronger banishings than at any other time of the waning moon phases. Get rid of whatever has been plaguing you-- anything to be seriously annoying, frustrating or concerning but if there are serious threats save that for the Dark Moon.

This is a good time for spells when you need things to end-- not just to finish up and bring to a close, but things that no longer serve you that you need to just stop in their tracks this is a good time for dropping a hopeless project, relationship, friendship, etc. it’s is a good time to cast a spell for anything for which you wish to bring a swift and yet benign ending, but you’re not looking to send someone into “flaming death” so to speak.

DARK MOON--- There are some mixed opinions about doing spell work during this time, some folks say that it is not to work magic at this time. But I have found that this is a powerful time for your most powerful destructive magic. But remember destructive does not necessarily mean 'harmful'. You don't have to destroy a person; although if you were planning to cast a curse or hex, this would be the best time for it or to do powerful banishing work.

Workings done during the dark moon include destroying or banishing very powerful things, such as unwanted entities, addictions or serious diseases. This is not to be used lightly-- it's got a little too much 'whammy' behind it to just get rid of a whiny ex who still calls you and is only annoying not threatening, but if you were dealing with, say, a stalker, a drug addiction, cancer, etc. -- something that poses a serious threat -- then this is the best time for it. The Dark Moon is also a good time to go within for soul-searching and to perform divination.

But I’ve also found that when I’ve been doing a lot of ritual work or spell work or divination during the other phases of the Moon, this is also a good time to rest, 3 days of doing nothing can be wonderful to recharge the energies, to just meditate, go to the park or the beach and just relax and “feed the ducks” and watch the birds fly and children play. It can be a mental “spa” day if you like.

O.K. so what if you’re doing something that might be long term that is it’s going to take at least a month to do, well again consider the phases of the Moon to achieve that.

For Example I had a friend of mine who was in a nasty relationship I mean her soon to be Ex was a real piece of work, the good thing is that there were no children involved which helped. So she did this:

Prior to starting divorce proceedings she did a ritual to conjure up strength for herself and resolve to deal with it, so she used the Waxing Crescent. She did a ritual to find a great lawyer during the First Quarter. For an overall boost she used the Full Moon to continue what she started and to get him to agree quickly. But the divorce started to drag on because of joint property so there were negotiations, scheduling, paperwork and red tape, she used the Third Quarter of the waning moon to banish all of that so things could be seen clearly and cleared up. She wanted it over quickly and done with, so she did a ritual spell during the Waning Crescent, and the following month it looked like things were going well, until her soon to be ex’s new girlfriend got involved and encouraged him to stall which made things nasty. At that point my friend said enough is enough and utilized the power of the Dark Moon to destroy his delaying efforts and make it backfired on him because she found out about his hidden assets, she had him as they say “by the short hairs” and he quickly conceded and gave her the divorce and she was in a much better financial position than she expected. And what helped her was doing rituals using the energy of the Moon to get it done.

Now some folks would say that what you need may not always correspond with the best moon phases or timing-- that we may not have 3 weeks to wait for the 'ideal timing'. I say use your imagination.

If you want to lose weight, look at the moon phases, do a spell to improve your energy or will power during the Waxing Crescent. If it's the Waning Half-Moon, do a ritual or spell to destroy the tempting effects that bad foods hold over you. No matter what the moon phase, use it towards your goal.

If I have debts and need money, but it’s a waning phase of the moon, I’d do spell work to banish the debt, and for some reason I get an extension or the credit card company forgot to credit a payment to me so that I didn’t owe any money for that month. Then when it’s Waxing I’d do a ritual to bring in money and the next thing is I’d get bookings to do readings.

Along this same line of thinking, some folks will also say that certain goals are best for certain moon timings-- for example, a lot of the guides will say divorce spells are best suited for the Third Quarter or Waning Crescent. I say it’s best to consider what you are trying to accomplish.

Just remember to give extra energy your spells just follow this simple rule:

To draw something to you, or for binding spells, cast your spell any time between three days after the new moon to the full moon, with the day or night of the full moon being the best.

To send something away from you, or for banishing spells, cast your spell anytime between three days after the full moon to the new moon, with the day or night of the dark moon, before the new moon appears, being the best.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT PHASE THE MOON IS IN?

Well the easiest way is to look out your window or step outside and look at the moon to see what phase it’s in, but if you’re in an area where it’s been raining a lot, or very cloudy then the best thing is a calendar that has the Moon Phases on it.

Years ago Folks would get calendars (free ones) from the local grocery store since it would include the store’s name and phone number, which was good if you wanted to call the store and have them deliver stuff to you, those calendars would include the phases of the Moon for people who grew their own vegetables and went fishing but the days of the corner grocery store is gone and I have yet to find a calendar that includes moon phases.

However you can purchase an Astrological Calendar from Llewellyn Worldwide Publications their URL is www.llewellyn.com and they are currently selling their 2017 calendars and Almanac’s, another publication is The Old Farmer’s Almanac, they’ve been in business for 225 years, so they must be doing something right, you can go to their web site www.almanac.com and click the button for calendar, and you will get an accurate moon calendar.

Now if you live outside the United States or outside of North and South America then you’re going to want to order a calendar from Llewellyn Publications, that way you have a quick reference guide.

Now some old timers and I have to agree with them, say that if you're doing something right away look and see what time the clock says. Now I'll explain that.

Let's go to a quote from the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

"Okay. Now you know how dead time works. Dead time lasts for one hour--from an half hour before midnight to half an hour after midnight. The half hour before midnight is for doin' good. The half hour after midnight is for doin' evil."

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

- John Berendt, Hardcover Ed. ©1994, page 247

O.K. so what does looking at the hands of a clock mean? Well the old-timers believed that the rising or falling of the hands of a clock helped with doing conjure.

The title of the book refers to a specific time and place described in the narrative. Midnight being the mid-point between dead time, when the scales of justice can tip in either direction, the author made the common mistake of believing that Voodoo and Hoodoo are interchangeable or are the same (which they are not), Dead-Time as described in the book is an idea found in the Hoodoo Tradition of African-American Folk-Magic, but I never heard it referred to that way, at least not by Mrs. Washington .

Cat Yronwode writes:

"One well-known Root Doctor from Birmingham, AL used to say that if you want to draw or attract you should perform a spell at any time day or night, when the clock hands are rising. Conversely, spells used to repel can be performed at any time day or night when both clock hands are falling. Avoid times when one hand is rising and the other is falling as this confuses the vibrations of the work."

This idea is very different from European High Magic or Hermetic Magic in which many magickal practitioners observe the Planetary Hours as method that assigns astrological energies to the Hours of the Day and Night. So the High Magic practitioner had to find the correct time to cast a spell by determining which astrological body is in harmony with their goal and then perform their spell during the window that is attributed to that time. Which meant you had to know your astronomy and astrology, something that only those with expensive learning i.e. education would have had, but which the ordinary witch would not know of except for the moon phases.

But for Hoodoo or conjure work the image is clear, when both clock hands are rising, cast spells of a positive or uplifting nature; when both clock hands are falling, cast spells that are meant to cast off evil and keep enemies down. But you must not perform magic when one clock hand is rising and another is falling. For Example: if the time is 10:40 the hands are rising, if the time is 2: 15 the hands are falling, if it’s 5:45 do not do any magic because the hands are doing both.

Now this will help if you need to do a spell quickly and the moon phase is not right for what you want. But remember if doing an uncrossing bath it does not matter what the moon phase is but base it on the hands of the clock.

O.K. have I now completely confused you? I hope not. But let me simplify it further.

Granny Tacket on her website posted this really easy to follow suggestions on what moon phase to do what kind of spell or ritual and that should help you.

Here it is
Lunar Phases for Spell Workings:

Abundance: Waxing to Full Moon
Addictions (to end): Waning Moon
Acquisitions: New, Waxing and Full Moons
Artistic Creativity: Waxing to Full Moon
Bad Habits (to break): Waning to Dark Moon
Bad Luck (to send): New to Waxing Moon
Bad Luck (to reverse): Waning to Dark Moon
Banishing: Waning to Dark Moon
Beauty: Full Moon
Beginnings: Full Moon
Bindings: Waning Moons
Blessings: Full Moon
Career Moves: Waxing Moon
Communication: Full Moon
Curses: Dark, New and Waxing Moons
Curses (to break): Waning to Dark Moon
Dedications: Full Moon
Divinations: New, Waxing and Full Moons
Employment: Waxing to Full Moon
Energy Raising: Dark, New and Waxing Moons
Exorcisms: Waning to Dark Moon
Fear (overcoming): Waning Moon
Fertility Rites: Waxing and Full Moons
Forgiveness: New Moon
Freedom: Waning Moon
Friendships: Waxing Moon
Garden Planting Spells: Waxing Moon
Goals (to reach): Waxing to Full Moon
Good Luck: Waxing Moon
Growth: Waxing Moon
Harmony: Waxing Moon
Happiness: Waxing to Full Moon
Healings (improve health): Waxing Moon
Healings (remove illness): Waning Moon
Hexing: Waxing Moon
Hex breaking: Waning Moon
House Blessings: Full Moon
Initiations: Full Moon
Inspiration: Full Mon
Journey: Waxing Moon
Judgments: Waxing to Full Moon
Legal Matters (favorable): Waxing to Full Moon
Legal Matters (to remove): Waning to Dark Moon
Love Spells: Waxing to Full Moon
Love Spells (to reverse): Waning Moon
Lunar Goddess Rites: Full Moon
Money (increase): Waxing Moon
Money (debt release): Waning to Dark Moon
Negativity (remove): Waning to Dark Moon
Nightmares (remove): Dark Moon
Omens: Full Moon
Peace: Waning Moon
Power: Waxing to Full Moon
Property (to buy): Waxing Moon
Property (to sell): Waning Moon
Prophetic Dreaming: Dark, New and Full Moons
Protection: Waxing Moon
Psychic Powers (to strengthen): Dark and Full Moons
Relationships (to improve): Waxing to Full Moon
Relationships (to separate): Waning to Dark Moons
Removing: Waning to Dark Moon
Quests: New Moon
Sexuality: Waxing to Full Moon
Shapeshifting: Dark and Full Moons
Spirit Communication: Full Moon
Strength: Waxing Moon
Teaching: Waxing to Full Moon
Transformations: Dark and Full Moons
Travel: Waxing Moon
Weather Magick (to bring): New, Waxing to Full Moons
Weather Magick (to reduce/remove): Waning Moon
Weight (to gain): Waxing Moon
Weight (to lose): Waning Moon
Wisdom: New, Waxing to Full Moons
Wish Magick: Waxing to Full Moons

I think she got it from ~A Witch's Craft, Volume 2: A Witch's Book of Correspondences

Just remember Waxing means to get bigger, Waning means to get smaller.

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