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The 13th Month of the Lunar Calendar

The ancient Celtic calendar was based on 13 lunar months. The moon orbits the earth approximately every 29 ½ days, but
the sun signs are on average about a day longer than the lunar month. So, each new moon starts earlier in a sun-sign
period, until a new moon occurs so soon after the start of the sun sign that there is room for the entire lunar month
before the sun sign changes. Two new moons appear in the same sun sign every 2 - 3 years. Adjustments are made when this
happens and a 13th lunar month is added, which is allowed to fall where it will. Since the sun sign periods are a little
longer during the summer months, 2 new moons occur more often during the summer months. The 13 month moon is referred to
as the Blue Moon, a mysterious changeable moon full of magical powers.

The Buddhists revere the power of the full moon in Taurus and Gemini as they believe that these 2 full moons open the
door to the higher consciousness. The missing 13th astrological sign - known as Arachne, the spider, who spins the web of
life - is said to have fallen between Taurus and Gemini.
However, the moon is changeable - just like the Goddess herself - so each year the true lengths of the months vary according
to the dates of the new moon.

Moon and Tree Magic
Moon magic is always associated with tree magic as the tree is regarded as one of the most powerful totems in nature. The
branches reach upwards toward the heavens to receive messages - while the roots dig deep into the earth providing
protection, food and medicine - nurture for humans and animals and making the bridge between the seen and the unseen
worlds. Those who practise the Old Ways revere the tree as a sacred part of life, using its mystical qualities to empower
festive celebrations and magical rites.

Full Moon Names

January -- Storm Moon
A storm is said to rage most fiercely just before it ends, and the year usually follows suit.

February -- Chaste Moon
The antiquated word for pure reflects the custom of greeting the new year with a clear soul.

March -- Seed Moon
Sowing season and symbol of the start of the new year.

April -- Hare Moon
The sacred animal was associated in Roman legends with springtime and fertility.

May -- Dyad Moon
The Latin word for a pair refers to the twin stars of the constellation of Castor and Pollux.

June -- Mead Moon
During late June and most of July the meadows, or meads, were mowed for hay.

July -- Wort Moon
When the sun was in Leo, the worts (from the Anglo-Saxon wyrt plant) were gathered to be dried and stored.

August -- Barley Moon
Persephone, virgin Goddess of rebirth, carries a sheaf of barley as a symbol of the harvest.

September -- Blood Moon
Marking the season when domestic animals were sacrificed for winter provisions. Libra's full moon occasionally became the
Wine Moon when a grape harvest was expected to produce a superior vintage.

October -- Snow Moon
Scorpio heralds the dark season when the sun is at its lowest and the first snows fly.

November -- Oak Moon
The sacred tree of the Druids and the Roman God Jupiter is most noble as it withstands winter storms.

December -- Wolf Moon
The fearsome nocturnal animal represents the "night" of the year.

The Blue Moon -- Variable
A Blue Moon occurs when the moon with its 28 day cycle appears twice within the same calendar month, due to that month's 31
day duration. Many consider the Blue Moon to be a goal moon where you set specific goals for yourself.

The Black Moon -- Variable
A Black Moon occurs when there are two dark cycles of the moon in any given calendar month. It is believed that the second
dark moon is a time of great power within the spiritual world and any magick worked during this time is especially
powerful.

The Celtic Calenderv
The tree was used by the Celts to create a calendar, with the year divided into tree months.

Snow Moon - Gemini to Cancer
(Rowan Tree - protection, healing, success)
The Rowan is often found growing beside ancient sacred sites. Rowan wood was burned to invoke the spirits to take part in
battles, and Norse people used it to carve their runic symbols. Many people would plant a rowan tree outside the front
door to ward off evil spirits. The rowan is considered the female counterpart to the ash tree because, according to
Scandinavian mythology, woman was born from the rowan and man from the ash. It is also said that wherever Druid remains
are found, so are those of the rowan tree. Rowans were often planted around stone circles and on power points of ley
lines to act as protectors.

Death Moon - Cancer to Leo Includes Imbolc - August 1st
(Ash Tree - protection, prosperity, health)
The ash tree is the symbol of rebirth, healing and the sea. It was thought that the wood had powers to prevent drowning;
therefore oars and slats of boats were made from ash. It can also be used as protection against snakes because it is said
a snake will never crawl over its wood. According to Norse legend, the God Odin hung himself on an ash tree named
Yggdrasil, 'the World Tree', in order to discover the secrets of the universe, which manifested themselves as runic
signs. The magic of ash helps us find our alignment in the world. Wherever the ash, oak and thorn grow together is the
natural habitat of the fairies.
Awakening Moon - Leo to Virgo Includes Ostara Spring or Vernal Equinox - Sept 21st
(Alder Tree - healing, calming)
The alder tree loves watery glades, although it is traditionally associated with the quality of fire and the passion of
Venus. Its bark appears to bleed when it is cut because the sap quickly turns to red when exposed to air. Consequently,
the alder was said to be highly revered by the Druids who believed it to be a mark of prosperity from the Gods. Witches
also recognise the importance of the alder tree and would whittle whistles from its wood to conjure up the north wind.
Because of alder's resistance to rot, it is used extensively to build bridges, causeways and quays.

Grass Moon - Virgo to Libra
(Willow Tree - love, protection, healing)
The willow is the tree of enchantment, capable of inspiring the highest creative forces. It is also a tree associated with
the Goddess Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, and therefore has been used in death rites for centuries. The besom, the
witch's broom, is traditionally bound with willow because it carries the mystical power of the moon. Willows are usually
found weeping into streams and rivers, and their bark contains aspirin, used to reduce pain and fever. Willow will also
sprout when a cut branch is simply pushed into the soil.

Planting Moon - Libra to Scorpio
Includes Beltaine - Oct 31st
(Hawthorn Tree - fertility, happiness, chastity)
The appearance of the hawthorn heralds the arrival of summer and is associated with joy, happiness and fertility. People
decked their homes with hawthorn blossom to mark a time of pleasure and festivities. The hawthorn is sacred to the
fairies and is dedicated to Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, who appears for 6 months of the year above ground,
during the summer months, before she returns once more to Hades, her Lord and King of the Underworld, for the winter
months.
Rose Moon - Scorpio to Sagittarius
Includes Litha Summer Solstice - Dec 22nd
(Oak Tree - strength, luck, love, potency, health, money)
The oak tree was the power totem of the Druids and was central to their teachings. In fact, the word 'druid' is said to mean
'knowledge of the oak'. The Druids believed they could reach the great gateway to the other world through the energetic
doorway of the oak. The oak is particularly associated with Thor, the Norse God of thunder, because it is more likely to
be struck by lightning than any other tree. Its wood is made into beautiful furniture and robust doors for protection. In
Greek mythology , Jason built his ship, the Argo, with trees from a sacred oak grove.

Lightning Moon - Sagittarius to Capricorn
Includes Lammas - Feb 1st
(Hazel Tree - luck, fertility, protection, wishes)
The hazel tree has intrinsic magical qualities that are used to divine for water and ley lines. It is regarded as the tree of
knowledge, and its nuts are the vessels of wisdom. The expression 'in a nutshell' refers to the hazel nut and its innate
wisdom. In ancient times the hazel was considered the gateway to the fairy realms and, as such, was called the poet's
tree. Druids also used the hazel to invoke invisibility and as a powerful protection amulet. Because of its association
with water, fishing rods were often made out of hazel to help the fisherman outwit his prey!

First Fruits Moon - Capricorn to Aquarius
(Apple Tree - love, healing, immortality)
The apple symbolises love, passion, union and according to Judaeo-Christian mythology, temptation. In many legends, apples
offer the gift of eternal youth. During the festival of Samhain (Halloween), they are considered to be the food of the
dead. However, they also symbolise love and it is said that cutting one in half and sharing it with someone you desire
will ensure happiness. The apple tree is dedicated to the Goddess Aphrodite because its fruit is one of her sacred
symbols. Cut in half, it reveals a 5-pointed star, the pentagram, the symbol of humankind. In many Pagan festivals, the
apple tree was wassailed, or saluted, on the 12th night to ensure a good crop.

Harvest Moon - Aquarius to Pisces
Includes Mabon - Autumn Eqinox - March 21st
(Vine - strength, durability, prosperity)
The vine was originally brought to Britain by the Belgie Celts; however, because of its need for warmth, it thrives only in
the southernmost parts of the country. It is the symbol of bounty, pleasure and lust. Bacchus, or Dionysus, is the God of
wine, revelry and thoroughly bad behaviour, and his crown is traditionally made from the leaves and grapes of the vines,
as well as of ivy. In colder regions the hardy blackberry was used as a substitute for vine in may Pagan rites and
ceremonies. It was customary to make blackberry wine to mark the end of summer and to provide a warming tipple on a brisk
autumnal evening. Sacred Celtic fires were made from rowan, oak and blackberry.

Hunter's Moon - Pisces to Aries
Includes Samhain - May 1st
(Ivy - longevity, lucidity)
The ivy plant has a mixed reputation because of its tendency to throttle other trees and plants with its rampaging growth.
However, it possesses potent magical powers to attract love and to guard against negativity and disaster. Dionysus
crowned himself with ivy to counterattack against the effects of too much wine. An ancient Druidic custom is to present a
married couple with a wreath of ivy to bless the union. Traditionally, in the eleventh month of the pagan calendar the
Druids used the evergreen ivy to decorate their sacred sites and altars. Ivy symbolises everlasting life and is magically
paired with holly to represent the male and female principles of life.

Tree Moon - Aries to Taurus
(Yew Tree - raising the dead, everlasting life)
Some yew trees are more than 3,000 years old and, because of their longevity, are greatly revered by the ancient Wise Ones
and are to be found in many ancient sites and churchyards. The yew's ability to propagate its own seed in its trunk gives
rise to its reputation of creating everlasting life. It is also associated with dead lovers and is said to spring to life
from their graves, as if to mark forever what has been. The 'King's wheel' was a circular brooch worn by the monarch as a
potent reminder of the cycle of existence and his own mortality. Longbow archers made arrows from yew, and believed that
they offered charmed protection in battle.

Long Night Moon - Taurus to Gemini
Including Yule Winter Solstice - June 21st
(Mistletoe - protection, love, hunting, fertility, health)
The Druids looked upon mistletoe, their most sacred herb, as the plant of peace. They believed it fell from heaven onto the
oak, and they named its white berries 'heal-all', seeing in them a resemblance to semen, which carries the spark of life.
The berries were used to cure impotence and infertility. It is unusual for mistletoe to grow on English oaks, so when it
did, its rarity ensured it was invested with healing powers. Because mistletoe was associated with the sun, its wood was
gathered by one stroke of a golden sickle on the summer solstice. Its berries and leaves were gathered in the same way on
the winter solstice. The link between mistletoe and fertility means a kiss under the mistletoe could be very productive!
The Thirteenth Lunar Month
The Blue Moon
The Blue Moon is the extra or thirteenth lunar month that occurs in an astrological sign every 2-3 years. It is the nebulous
mysterious moon which is thought to incorporate all the hidden magical and mystical powers of the Moon Goddess. The power
of the Blue Moon is extremely flexible and it is believed to take on whichever kind of magical attributes that the
Goddess feels are called for at that time. Likewise, the tree that is associated with the Blue Moon can also change. The
trees and plants that are linked with this moon are elder, birch, gorse, blackthorn, heather, holly, poplar and reed,
most of which contain the magical properties of protection, exorcism, healing and purification.

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Page Updated Sun Feb 25, 2001 1:00pm EST