Saturday, August 10, 2019

Up & Down - In & Out



The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It's always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it's a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light.  The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone, Cratered by imperfections.
               ~ Tahereh Mafi - Author, Shatter Me


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ) ( ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


About a thousand and one years ago ;-) I worked in a major city Emergency/Trauma Unit.

It was common knowledge amongst Staff that on Full Moon nights we were inundated with patients needing treatment for injuries incurred through violent situations.  This was confirmed by checking the logs of patients treated.

One of our attending neurologists theorized that, just as the moon affects the oceans tides, it also affect our bodies, and that the extra "water pressure" in our brains often irritated them.  Folks just plain get snarkier then.

The Moon doesn't just go from Full to Dark, day-by-day.  It is a cycle of increments, with the brightening and darkening taking place over a number of days.



According to NASA, a Full Moon actually only lasts for  the exact moment when the Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon.  However, Full Moons appear to our vision to last for 3 or 4 days.

Over a period of approximately 28 days, the Moon goes through different incremental phases, based on the relative positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun.

When most folks talk about the Full Moon and its effects, they're referring to its illumination when it is actually between 95% and 100%.

That 95% is good enough for Magick, because 95% of Magick is a matter of Perception, as well as Intent.

The days leading away from the Dark/New Moon, incrementally up to and especially on the Full Moon are best for Magickal Works involving gain/increase, enlargement, receiving, etc.

The days leading away from Full Moon incrementally down to, and especially on the Dark/New are best for Magicakal Works involving release/decrease, dimishment, letting go, etc.

Of course, in emergency situations, we must simply do the best we can with the tools we've got to work with.  But the more "ducks" we can line up, the easier and more effective our Spellwork will be.

I consider the Moon Phases as a minimum standard for all Magicks.

There are numerous Websites, Apps, books and Programs available to be used in this endeavor ... many of which include other Astrological information as well.

Here is a user-friendly, online Detailed Astrological Moon Phase & Sign and Void-of-Course Calendar with Location Input(The Location & Dates can be edited.)


I like check this Looney...err...Lunar website pretty frequently, as I like to be prepared for unanticipated Magickal Needs.






~ Moon Void-of-Course ~

The Moon orbits around the Earth, completing one orbit in approximately 27-28 days, called a "Lunar Month" - accounting for the phases of the Moon, as described above.

Additionally, the Moon enters, passes through, and exits each of the Astrological Signs approximately every 2 1/2 days.   Each Astrological Sign "colors" the influences of the Moon with its unique "personality" (making at least a nominal understanding about the nature of the Zodiac Signs essential to the practice of Magick).

Every time the Moon enters a Sign of the Zodiac, there are substantial changes in the energetic nuances affecting Earth and her inhabitants ... most significantly on the contextual and emotional levels of consciousness and behavior.  These changes - because they are experienced mostly on the subconscious level - may not be a part of our conscious awareness at any given moment.

Additionally the effects of the Moon in each sign may be modulated by its position - or contact  ("aspect") - to other planets sharing the same Astrological Sign.  As there are 7 Magickally-Traditional Planets, there are 6 potential such Lunar/Planet aspects.

(I'll be detailing these aspects of the Moon with each Planet sometime in the near future.)

Now, there is a virtual "pause" in influences, beginning from the moment the Moon makes contact with the last-positioned Planet in the current Sign, and ends when the Moon enters the next Astrological Sign. This "pause" is called "Void-of-Course" period of the Moon.

The Moon's Void-of-Course" status can be very short - lasting only a few minutes - and it may be (rarely) as long as two days.

The significance of the Moon's Void-of-Course "pause" is in relation to the question, "What is going to happen when I "do this" (ie. "Cast a certain Magickal Spell").
The answer, plain-&-simple is, "Nothing."  Nothing is going to happen.

This is not the same as the "Retrograde" status of a planet, in which its Magickal influences become opposite to its usual ones.

The "Void-of-Course" is exactly what it says.  "Void."  Meaning "No Active Result.?

So I am confident you can now see the potential reason the Moon's Void-of-Course pattern is as important as the Moon's Phase in Magickal Works. Nobody wants nothing to happen as the result of taking precious time and making the effort required to Cast a Magick Work.

It requires a long and detailed set of calculations to find  when the Moon is Void-of-Course, and can easily be found in various Astrological Almanace, or in any authentic, free Astro programs online such as this same  one previously recommended above.

Now, there are two little symbols used in this program to denote the beginning ▶ - and end ◀ - times for Moon Void-of-Course, as pictured here:



On Thursday the 1st, a Moon Void-of-Course begins at 21:47 (9:47pm) as denoted by the symbol 
and ends on Friday the 2nd at 14:20 (2:20pm) as denoted by the symbol ◀ 

On Thursday the 8th, a Moon Void-of-Course begins at 15:57 (3:57pm) as denoted by the symbol 
and ends on the same day at 21:34 (9:34pm) as denoted by the symbol 

(Easy Peesy!)



While any Magick can be successfully woven at any time, especially in immediately needed, emotion-charged  "emergency" situations - I strongly encourage you to make use of the knowledge and practice of your Magick, mindful of the "Pause Effect" of the "Moon Void--of-Course". 

Da Moon, She go up ... Da Moon, She go down ... Dat Old Lady Moon She go in, She go out.  But She never be gone - She always be there - watching us fools allatime  everywhere:  So Beware! Beware!  Ev'n we can't see Her, She still be there.  So Beware!  Give a care, my frien' - and Beware!
     ~ Old American Folk Song


Bledsians,
Merlin Emrys
~     ~     ~     ~     ~

* Bledsians is Olde English for "Blessings"



Copyright © 2019 Merlin Emrys (aka W.A. Ryan)