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✨ Major Arcana Meanings ✨

Hello!! In this post I’ll explain the meaning of the major arcana (rider Waite). They are the product of many years using the tarot, reading many books, practicing etc. Remember that tarot is an art and like all art it needs time and sacrifice to improve. Don’t get so attached to books and keywords, use your most powerful tool which is intuition. Look at the spread as if it was a movie, observe how the cards influence one another, put yourself in the shoes of the figures, observe the colors, composition, facial expressions, poses and what they say to you. Something that helped me understand the Major Arcana was “The fool’s Journey”. Perhaps you feel that the meanings are somewhat vague or many of them are repeated, keep in mind that many cards can mean different things depending on the other cards that accompany them.

🃏 The Fool:

Purity, spontaneity, credulity, innocence, free spirit, new beginnings, adventure, courage, originality.

Reversed: Hasty action, failure to measure risks, naivety, foolishness, insanity, chaos, poor judgment.

🃏 The Magician:

Power, intelligence, action, manifestation, eloquence, firm direction.

Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, latent talents that are not yet known, hidden emotions, deceptions or scams, abuse of power, creative stagnation.

🃏 The High Priestess:

Intuition, higher powers, mysteries, listen to your fucking subconscious, self-confidence, spiritual insight, emotional stability, divination.

Reversed: Something that remains hidden from you, falsehood, disconnection with the interior, misuse of spiritual gifts, not trusting your intuition.

🃏 The Empress:

Abundance, the feminine, maternal figure, beauty, fertility, nature, motherhood, love, creativity, multitasking, opportunity for success.

Reversed: Blocked creativity, dependency, low self-esteem, laziness, lack of coordination at home, problems within.

🃏 The Emperor:

Authority, father figure, rigid structures, order, leadership, ambition, law, firmness.

Reversed: Exaggerated control, dominance, inflexibility, autocrat, obsession with control, weak or cruel man, corruption.

🃏 The Hierophant:

Religious spiritual, group work, you are ok with your current life, beliefs, can represent great institutions (ex: school), teacher or spiritual guide.

Reversed: Deny and suppress temptations, rebellious attitude, disagreement with some situation, unreliable teacher or spiritual guide.

🃏 The Lovers:

Harmony in relationships, equality of values, love crossroads, love story, fell in love, trust.

Reversed: Relationships in imbalance, disharmony, broken love story, infidelity, problems in the relationship, separation, relationship that ends.

🃏 The Chariot:

Achievements achieved thanks to the will, success, determination, persevering, a trip, any kind of transport, overcoming obstacles, helping others.

Reversed: Erratic direction, without control or losing it, aggressive attitudes, lack of direction, sometimes it symbolizes the longest way to your goal, some canceled trip, broken bonds.

🃏 Strength:

Courage, patience, compassion, persuasion, inner strength, self-confidence, lust, sex, vitality.

Reversed: Insecurities, physical weakness, lack of will, fragility, lack of values, need for help, vanity.

🃏 The hermit:

Introspection, someone lonely, inner voice, contemplation, discretion and patience, positive isolation.

Reversed: Loneliness, isolating from people or society, turning your back on someone, exile, sadness.

🃏 Wheel of fortune:

Good luck, Karma, destiny, life cycles, changes, movement, ups and downs, a definite yes, opportunities that can change your life.

Reversed: Temporary bad luck, negative external forces, misfortunes, something is not going as you planned, disappointments, a definite no.

🃏 Justice:

Balance, justice, truth, cause and effect, laws and norms, Karma, legal matters, maybe you should seek a lawyer.

Reversed: Injustice, dishonesty, immorality, losing a case, manipulation, not being able to tell your truth.

🃏 The Hanged Man:

Being in suspense, delaying plans, restrictions, letting go, sacrifice, crisis, seeing from another perspective, new perspective, metamorphosis, spiritual advancement.

Reversed: Martyrdom, delay, being in “limbo”, getting back into play, getting back to your life, inability to free yourself, fixation on the material.

🃏 Death:

(It does not symbolize passing away)

Beginnings of things, change, transformation, transition, end, rebirth, detachment from something or someone emotionally.

Reversed: Resistance to change, inability to move on, anger or depression, denial of the obvious.

🃏 Temperance:

Balance, moderation, harmony, synthesis, communication with your deity / spirit guide, etc. Patience.

Reversed: Imbalance, you lack long-term vision, anger explosion, you feel that your deity or destiny has abandoned you, you feel that you always give and never receive.

🃏 The devil:

Suffering, Masochism, sexuality, materialism, temptation, slavery, addictions, fear, doubt, lies, violence, toxic relationships.

Reversed: Positive energy released, release from toxic relationships, divorce, relationship that becomes less sexual, end of restrictions.

🃏 The Tower:

Disaster (in a positive way), unexpected change, upheaval, ruin, catastrophe, revelation, accidents or home damage, bankruptcy, loss of job.

Reversed: Avoid taking risks, fear of disaster, obstacles, maybe there is a change in your life that you should not resist.

🃏 The star:

Hope, happiness, spirituality, Inner renewal, serenity, optimism, beauty, astrology, health, healing.

Reversed: Lack of faith, despair, sadness, feeling unwell, don’t reject the help from others.

🃏The Moon:

Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious, dreams, nightmares, hidden things (especially enemies), mystery, visions, mental confusion.

Reversed: Free yourself from fear, secrets that are revealed, what was hidden is now visible, abnormal dreams (pay attention to them), Visions or dreams that you cannot understand.

🃏 The Sun:

Fun, excitement, success, positivity, vitality, energy, joy, enlightenment, manifestation, riches.

Reversed: Lack, temporary depression, lack of success (temporary), lack of energy, being too sentimental, false impressions.

🃏 Judgment:

Rebirth, absolution, forgiveness, awakening, end of a career, end of a period of change, decision making.

Reversed: Doubt, negative balance, low self-esteem, doing something that is known to be wrong, doubting yourself, some karma from this life or a past life that must be healed.

🃏 The world:

Completion of processes, realization, communication with people, success, movement, achievement of goals, fullness.

Reversed: Lack of realization, Lack of realization in all aspects, you feel that the world or life owes you something, failed plans, unfinished business, stuck in the routine.

Thank you very much!! Please let me know if it was helpful, also let me know if you want me to post the meaning of minor arcana and some other stuff related to tarot, like some combination of cards, meaning more in depth, spreads, tips.....

[lunarspellbook]

[lunarspellbook]

Bestiary Entry:

Cats 🐈‍⬛

Cats are symbolic of:

✨Rebirth

✨Resurrection

✨Darkness

✨Mystery

✨Magic

✨Healing

✨Intelligence

If someone sees cats consistently in day to day life or if cats appear in their dreams, this can be a sign that action needs to be taken in a certain area of life. Of course, the exact interpretation depends on what the cat is doing and even what color the cat is. Below is a short list of colors and what they represent:

Black Cats symbolize healing (NOT bad luck)

White Cats symbolize purity

Gray Cats symbolize harmony

Brown Cats symbolize neutrality

Orange Cats symbolize adventure

Let me know if you enjoyed this and if you would like to see more entries like this! I am finally getting around to starting my bestiary and I am so excited to learn more about animals and their spiritual symbolism ✨

[lunarspellbook]

Using water in spellwork according to Traditional witchcraft and folk Magick (not wicca or modern witchcraft; these uses will be different):

+Well Water: healing and self care elixirs and potions

*note: to collect this water you must first make a shrine to honor the Guardian of that well facing North or West. This should be done on a full moon and you should leave an offering there or outside somewhere every full moon if you intend to use it for healing. The night you make your shrine you should take your vessel for creating these healing potions (usually your tea pot) and soak the entire vessel in water from the well in a bowl out in the moon light. Then let it air dry and you can use it from then on. Every full moon you should at least pour some drinkable water near or on the shrine as a thank you and rinse your vessel in water from your well (aka the sink in most places that have one).

+Snow Water: working with death and the changing seasons, to bring drastic and destructive change, to imbue someone or a place with a deep cold

*note: collect in any bowl during snow fall (do not pick up snow to use) and let the water sit and freeze overnight and thaw in the morning.

+Dew Water: collected from baneful plants it can be used in curses and hexes, collected from trees like oak trees used for protection and strength related spellwork

*note: use gloves when collecting from baneful plants and don't ingest it. Use the water quickly before it evaporates.

+Tap Water: water from the tap comes from a specific source in your city so this water can be used to connect with the Water Guardian deity of that water source and used for healing people and nature of the area

*note: the shrine mentioned in the well water portion is advisable here as well, although not required.

+Storm Water: torrential downpour storm water holds the energy of the storm itself and can be used in destructive magick and connecting with storm or weather deities, to bring chaos and disruption to someone's life, if a lightning storm the water can hold the energy to destroy life or property

*collect in anything but I don't suggest drinking it. I have collected it many times and it always looks pretty iffy to ingest.

+Moon Water: connect with moon related deities, healing feminine physical and emotional issues (please note I mean feminine sides of oneself not an exclusionary female gender only concept; although this water specifically heals physical female issues as well), adding the spirit of the water to spells for adding potency, as a base for alchemical works or making sacred waters, as a base for creating Hallowed Water, for space and altar cleansings in lieu of smoke, add to ritual baths for potency

*note: moon water is collected in a sacred vessel attached to the end of a long wooden pole or staff. Then this vessel is dipped and raked across the reflection of the moon in another body of water (ponds, pools, rivers, etc). This is done 9 times from each of the Four Quarters after calling them and their Guardians to the rite. Then the staff with the water is left outside where it will consistently have the moon's light on it for at least 3 hours. Do this on the Full Moon for the full 3 days of the moon's cycle. Moon water in a jar in the window sill is a wiccan or modern witch concept.

+War Water: Hallowed Moon water that has rusted nails, metal shards, screws, etc added to it. It must sit for at least one full year to potency. After that year the water is ready to use and can be added to and the metal pieces are left inside. This can be used to break small hexes and curses or to remove curses and imprints from previously owned items.

+Saining Water: use to intensely cleanse a space and remove unwanted spirits or imprints from a home. The recipes vary but utilize well water, moon water, jalapeno water (cut up fresh jalapeno and let sit in a jar of half water half white vinegar or vodka for a full moon cycle), frankincense oil, clove oil, 9 bay leaf ashes, charcoal from a funerary fire, various bones of your choosing, and a splash of War Water. These recipes are usually very personal and aren't shared past these basic ingredients.

+Rain Water: collected during rain that is gentle with little wind and may still have the sun peeking out and creating a soft golden glow. This water is used for bringing peace of mind or peace to a location. Can also be used in rituals involving water-oriented deities.

🌛

[lunarspellbook]

[lunarspellbook]

the signs as “negative” qualities

Aries: tries to do everything at once, doesn’t know when to stop and take care of themselves, bends over backwards for everyone even if someone did them dirty, has entirely too much on their plate

Taurus: idealistic, spends a lot of time trying to impress others, doesn’t like to apologize, eating is a coping mechanism or just addictive personalties in general, a tad codependent

Gemini: the most flip floppy people ever, what’s today’s mood?, never apologizes, in denial 90% of the time, their way is the highway, desperately needs a break, they have a hard time setting goals because their goals scare them

Cancer: the literal meaning of I’ll give you the shirt off my back, isolates themselves in fear of someone hurting them, wants to change but is scared of change, complains a lot but never takes advice people give them

Leo: no one takes them seriously because they feel they always have to portray themselves as the fun one, is actually really sad inside, honestly needs a hug, exhausted always, a crackhead

Virgo: can dish it but can’t take it, rushes everything, anxious, plans their future but forgets to live in the moment, sometimes ignores their friends because they have so much on their mind, talks about themselves a lot and sometimes forgets to ask the other person how they are

Libra: solves everyone’s problems but their own, is actually really sad and lonely, gets easily heartbroken but tries not to show it, will do anything to justify bad decisions, honestly just wants everyone to love them but doesn’t really love  their self

Scorpio: easily set off, will give anyone the cold shoulder at any time even without reason, keeps a lot in, so observant that they often times find out things that hurt them, too many “what ifs” swirling in their heads, has trouble showing their true selves

Sagittarius: impatient, brash, commitment issues, body issues, doesn’t realize they don’t need to change for anyone, has a lot of different goals to a point where they get overwhelmed, just wants to disappear and do what they want without anyone questioning them

Capricorn: scared people won’t like them unless they’re at the top of their game 24/7, takes a LOT for them to talk about their feelings, secretly struggling, fake happy, needs a plan but doesn’t know what that plan is, confident but insecure at the same time, wants to be stable but sometimes wishes they could drop everyone’s expectations of them and live normally

Aquarius: gets heartbroken like 30 times a week, trust issues, can be unmotivated and disinterested, feels they have to adapt to every person they meet so they can be liked, doesn’t know how tap into their emotions despite being very intuitive, confused, expects little

Pisces: empathetic often to a point of no return, plays the victim, doesn’t know when to say no, cynical, hermit, is very impatient, trusts everyone too much, can be secretly very critical and judgmental, can only tolerate maybe ten minutes of social interaction, needs a lot of validation

[lunarspellbook]

Come, wayward souls And wander through the darkness There is a light, for the lost and the meek Sorrow and fear are easily forgotten When you submit to the soil of the earth

Grow, tiny seed You are called to the trees Rise till your leaves fill the sky Until your sighs fill the air in the night Lift your mighty limbs And give praise to the fire

OVER THE GARDEN WALL (2014)

[lunarspellbook]

My favorite place

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[lunarspellbook]

This is such a cool idea 😍

[lunarspellbook]

Rotting/Decaying Herbs Correspondence

After seeing numerous masterposts about herbs, I noticed there wasn’t any mention of the correspondences when it comes to rotted or decaying herbs.  Here’s my take on this.

Anise- Use to cause a person to have nightmares, misfortune and/or relationship issues.

Apples- Use to cause turmoil between romantic partners.

Barley- Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Basil- Use to cause fights, arguments, etc. between two lovers, two friends, two family members. Used to deter love from developing between 2 people. Use to deter customers from shopping at a business.  Use to attract negativity (place in rooms of a house for protection from negativity).

Bay- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Birch- Use weaken protection of a person.

Blackberry- Use leaves in spells to cause for wealth to be drained or mismanaged.

Blueberry- Use to cause for a person to experience negativity and unwanted guests at their home.

Cabbage- Use to cause for fighting and arguing between a married couple.

Cactus- Use to weaken the protection of the home or other properties.

Camellia- Use to cause a person financial difficulties.

Carnation- Use to weaken a person’s leadership skills, commemoration and self-esteem.

Carrot- Use to cause for a person to lose sexual desire.

Catnip- Use to direct misfortune and unwanted spirits towards a person.  Use to cause for a person to feel confused or unwanted.

Celery- Use to cause a person to have difficulty concentrating during tasks.  Use to cause a person to have difficulty falling asleep.  Use to cause for sexual desire of a person to decrease.

Chamomile- Use to cause for financial difficulties. Use to heighten curse effects.

Cherry- Use to cause a person to feel undesired or loved.

Chicory- Use to heighten and strengthen obstacles in a person’s life.

Cinnamon- Use to cause for setbacks in business or a person’s goals in career.  Use to decrease a person’s protection.

Clove- Use cause for financial hardships.

Cucumber- Use to hinder fertility.

Cumin- Use to cause a person to argue with their significant other and to cause for a person who’s been unfaithful to feel overwhelming guilt.

Cypress- Use to slow down emotional healing process.

Daffodil- Use to cause a person misfortune and to have difficulties in love.  Use to cause a person to feel isolated.

Daisy- Use to deflect unwanted attention from potential romantic partners.

Dandelion- Burn to block unwanted thoughts about a person.

Dill- Use to weaken protection of a person.  Use to cause a person to be unnoticeable and avoidable.

Elder-Use to direct negativity and misfortune.  Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Fern- Use to weaken a person or location’s protective energy.

Fig- Use to cause a person to experience decreasing sexual desire and decrease protective energy of a home.

Flax- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Foxglove- Use to cause for a person’s garden to rot.

Frankincense- Use to weaken protection and stunt spiritual growth of a person.

Gardenia- Use to cause a person’s illness to be slow and difficult.  Use to cause for a person to to feel unwanted.

Garlic- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep. Use to cause a person to experience a stroke of bad luck.

Geranium- Use to cause a person to experience weakened protection, romantic desire, and confusion.

Ginger- Use to cause a person financial and love life difficulties.  Use to undermine another person’s magickal workings.

Ginseng- Use to repel love and cause for a person to feel unwanted. Use to cause financial difficulties.  Use to weaken a person’s glamour magick and promote back luck.

Grape- Use to decrease fertility and to weaken mental powers. Use to cause a person to experience financial hardships.

Hazel- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.

Holly- Use to cause for a person to experience bad luck.

Honeysuckle- Bury near a home to cause for the residents to experience financial difficulties and a stroke of bad luck.

Iris- Use to weaken protection around a person or location. Use to cause a person confusion.

Ivy- Bury near home to cause for it to experience chaos and disarray.

Jasmine- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties. Use to cause a person nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.attract money.

Juniper- Use to weaken protective energy around a person or location.

Lavender- Use to cause a person to experience difficulties with love. Use to cause a person to experience nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.  Bury near a person’s home to cause the home to become restless and chaotic. 

Lemon- Use to cause a person to question their romantic partner’s faithfulness. Use to cause a strain between friends.

Lemon Grass- Use to cause a person’s psychic powers to weaken.

Lettuce- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Lilac- Use to cause a person to experience bad luck.

Lily- Use to cause for a person to have unwanted visitors to the home.

Liverwort- Use to drive an emotional wedge between romantic partners.  use to cause a romantic partner to doubt their lover’s dedication.

Magnolia- Use to expose a unfaithful romantic partner.

Maple- Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.  Use to cause a person financial difficulty.

Marigold- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep and/or nightmares.  use to cause a person to become less influential and respected and respected by peers, colleagues,etc.  Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in handling legal matters.

Mint- Use to repel unwanted sexual urges.  Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulty.

Mistletoe-Use to cause a person to experience misfortune, nightmares while sleeping and weakened protection. Use to cause for couples to fight.

Mulberry- Use to cause for a person’s magickal work to backfire or be negated.

Oak- Use an acorn from an oak tree to cause for a person to experience a deduction in sexual desire.  Use to cause for a person to physically and mentally “feel their age”.

Orange- Use to cause for a person to come across as being bland and dull.

Orchid- Use to cause a person financial and social/interpersonal difficulties.

Pansy- Use to repel unwanted feelings associated with love.

Parsley- Use to repel unwanted sexual desire.  Use to cause a person to experience a decrease in lustful thinking.

Peach- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.  Use to prevent emotional attachment.

Peppermint- (See Mint).

Pine- Use to weaken defenses against negativity.

Raspberry- Use to decrease protective energies around a home or person.

Rice- Use to cause for a married couple to argue.

Rose- Use to repel an unwanted lover or romantic partner.  Use to cause a couple to argue and fight.

Rosemary- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep and nightmares. Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in learning new information and become confused.

Rowan- Use to cause a person’s divination skills to become weak and confusing.  Use to cause for a person to become weak, unlucky, and experience misfortune. Use to increase spirit communication.

Rue- Use to cause a person to become love-struck and confused. Aids in curses.

Saffron- Use to repel lustful feelings.

Sage- Use to cause a person confusion and misfortune.

St. John’s Wort- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted.  Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.

Sassafras- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Spearmint- Use to deter lust.

Strawberries- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted or unloved.

Sugar Cane- Use to deter unwanted love and attention.

Sunflower- Use to hide the truth from a person or within a situation.  Use to cause a person misfortune.

Thyme- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to cause a person to be avoidable and unnoticeable or to cause a person to receive overwhelming amounts of unwanted attention.  Use to decrease energy level and cause for a person to become fearful and afraid.

Vanilla- Use to decrease lust. Carry a vanilla bean to cause a person difficulty in maintaining energy and memory.

Vervain- Use to cause a person to experience chaos and instability.  Use to cause for wishes made to be unheard.  Use to cause friends to become enemies.  Use to repel unwanted lovers.

Violet- Mix with lavender to repel unwanted lovers and sexual partners. Use to cause a person to have difficulty sleeping and have an increase in their anger.

Willow- Use to repel love. Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wintergreen- Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wormwood- Use to cause a person to experience mechanical difficulties. Use to repel an unwanted romantic partner.

Source: My personal grimoire

[lunarspellbook]

i just had the weirdest moment, i was feeling my front teeth with my tongue because they’re the tiniest bit crooked, and then i had the thought “i’ll check if they’re also crooked in my other mouth” and then i realized to my shock and confusion that i have only one mouth, leading me to believe that in a past life i was a terrible monster with two mouths

[lunarspellbook]

Smol gang here to tell u that everything will be okay!

[lunarspellbook]

Litha

[lunarspellbook]

Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing

Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.

Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.

If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.

The Cycle of the Sun: Solstices and Equinoxes

These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.

Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.

Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.

Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.

Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.

Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.

The Cycle of the Moon: Lunar Phases

If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.

New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.

Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.

Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.

Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.

Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.

Magical Correspondences for the Days of the Week

The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.

Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.

Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.

Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.

Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.

Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.

Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.

Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.

Magical Times of Day

Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.

Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.

Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.

Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.

Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.

Resources:

You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]

Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]