Since the phases of the moon are a very important part of the Wiccan religion, I thought I would put a quick reference table in here for everybody. The information was lifted off a web site of the U.S. Navy ! (Thanks guys) The picture right at the bottom of the page is a real time image of the current moon phase and is very acurate.

Terminology of the Moon phases:

New Moon:
The Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight.

Waxing Crescent:
The visible Moon is partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

First Quarter:
One-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

Waxing Gibbous:
The Moon is more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

Full Moon:
The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight.

Waning Gibbous:
The Moon is less than fully but more than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

Last Quarter:
One-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

Waning Crescent:
The Moon is partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

January.....Wolf Moon
February....Storm Moon
March.......Chaste Moon
April.......Seed Moon
May.........Hare Moon
June........Dyad (pair) Moon
July........Mead Moon
August......Wryt (green plant) moon
September...Barley Moon
October.....Blood Moon
November....Snow Moon
December....Oak Moon

* If anyone can shed some light on where these names originated from I would be very gratefull. Please e-mail me if you know.

Because of the fact that the Moon takes an average of 29.5 days (Not 28 days as most people think) to orbit the earth we can have either 12 or 13 full moons in a year. In the case where we have a 13th full moon in a year (and therefore 2 full moons in one month) the second full moon in the same month is called a "Blue Moon". (The next Blue moon we will have is on January 31st 1999)

The full Moon is the best time for divination, working protective magick and banishing unwanted influences in your life. For most purposes, full moon energy can be used not only on the day of the full moon, but also three days prior and three days after.

The New Moon is a time for doing healing, personal growth magick and the blessing of a new project or venture.

The Waxing Moon (this is the time from the new moon to the full moon, where the illuminated portion is increasing in size) is a good time for attraction magick. The phase between the New Moon and First Quarter is where this energy is at its strongest.

The Waning Moon (this is the time from the full moon to the new moon, where the illuminated portion is decreasing in size) is a good time for rejection magick. Getting rid of such things as bad habits and negative emotions.

The Dark of the Moon is a period of three days before the new moon and is normally a time where no magick should be performed. This is a time of rest and a good time for meditation.

Current Phase of the Moon

• It causes the tides.
• The lunar cycle is linked to the female menstrual cycle.
• It is a known fact that instances of mentally related disorders increase over the period of the full moon. In fact the word 'Lunatic' derives from this phenomena.
• Almost every ancient religion has held a reverence for the sun and the moon. How can they all have been wrong ?
• How about the moon and sun influencing earthquakes and volcanoes ? Check out Mr. Lee's Earthquake Prediction Page (The Forgotten Method of Earthquake Prediction From the Ancient Ones)