Blood Moon Blessings to You
GRAPHIC MADE BY ME, DO NOT TAKE!!!!
Also Known As: Blackberry Moon, Falling Leaf Moon, Hunter's Moon, Garlic Moon, Snake Moon, Harvest Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming), Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, Shedding Moon, Ivy Moon, Moon When Quilting and Beading is Done
Element: Air
Nature Spirits: frost faeries, plant faeries
Herbs: pennyroyal, thyme, catnip, uva ursi, angelica, burdock, apple blossom, mint family, Sweet Annie
Colors: dark blue-green, dark blue, black, purples
Flowers: calendula, marigold, cosmos
Scents: cherry, strawberry, apple blossom
Stones: opal, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise, obsidian, amethyst
Trees: yew, cypress, acacia, apple
Animals: stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion
Birds: heron, crow, robin
Deities: Ishtar, Astarte, Demeter, Kore, Lakshmi, Belili, Hathor, Herne, Apollo, Cernunnos, Mercury
Power Flow: to let go; inner cleansing. Karma and reincarnation. Justice and balance. Inner harmony.
Mantra: My mind is alert, I observe with keen insight.
Info on This Moon From About Dot Com: In October, we see the Blood Moon travel through the sky. This moon is also called the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Coming right before Samhain, it's a time when the nights are crisp and clear, and you can sense a change in the energy around you.
This is the time when the veil between our world and the spirit world are at its thinnest. Use this time for spiritual growth -- if there's a deceased ancestor you wish to contact, this is a great month to do it. Hold a séance, work on your divination, and pay attention to messages you get in your dreams.
BY THE BOOKS
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine A. Gleason
The Blood Moon is sometimes called the Falling Leaf of Hunter's Moon. It is a Moon of new goals, protection, resolution, and spirituality. The night of the Blood Moon is a great time for divination of any kind. At this time of year, all of nature is making ready for the winter. Animals that hibernate are gathering the last scraps of food. Birds are heading south. In primal societies, this used to be the time when we turned from agriculture to the hunt as our means of sustenance. This is the time to reflect on what you did during the year and to evaluate your accomplishments.
You might also want to check to see how you will survive the coming months. Make sure that you have enough money in the bank. If your work is seasonal, you might want to do some magick to find other ways to support yourself. If you work outdoors, do magick to help you survive the cold months ahead. You also want to check on things that are important to your safety and survival. How are the tires on your car? And what about that smoke alarm in the kitchen? Because the holidays are fast approaching, you also might want to do some work to remove stress and negative energy from your surroundings.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism by Carl McColman
OCTOBER (Blood Moon)-- Let go of what is unnecessary, prepare for the coming cold.
The Craft - A Witch's Book of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison
Name: Blood
Cakes & Ale: red apple cider and ginger snaps
Colors: red, wine, and scarlet to commemorate lives lost so we may live
Altar Decor: red candles, Indian corn, autumn leaves, pumpkins, animal pictures
Incense cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger
Esbat Purpose: Celebrate hunting; this is a time of thanksgiving, give thanks as to the animals and plants that give their lives to feed you
Try Drawing the Circle With: apple seeds
Witch's Brew: Good Spells for Peace of Mind by Witch Bree
October brings the great Hunter's Moon when we think ahead to winter needs and seek physical nourishment.
Witches Datebook by Yasmine Galenorn (adapted)
In preparation for the winter, for the introspective time of the year, we seek to clean out the old. This month, we focus on cleansing our ritual spaces for the darkest days to come.
Our first step is to collect all old spell workers and discard them in a proper manner. Then thoroughly clean all of your ritual tools (while you're at is, dust and organize the rest of your living space too), and wash your altar cloths. Smoke-cleanse the space with sage [NOTE: white sage is currently endangered and don't use the term "smudging" unless you personally belong to a Native culture that does that] or cedar.
After you have done this, light a stick of frankincense [or another cleansing incense], cast a circle, and invoke those Gods with whom you share your life. Allow the energy to settle around you as you focus on the coming months. We are entering the time of thought, of cerebral activity. For some, school awaits. For others, the winter months are those spent cooped up inside due to inclement weather.
Now is a good time to take stock of your goals and to plan ahead for the approaching winter. What do you want to accomplish? Affirmation for the Blood Moon: My mind is alert, I observe with keen insight.
Witches Datebook (2002) by Edain McCoy
The Ivy Moon strengthens our inner resilience.
Begin your ritual of exorcism inside a protective circle into which you have invited all the elemental spirits and the wise crone Goddess. On a small piece of paper, write down that which you wish to banish. Lightly dab patchouli oil around the edge to help ground its negative influence. Dab rosemary oil on your breastbone to help you bounce back from this challenge.
Burn the paper in a heat-resistant bowl and say:
Banished be [insert name of problem], the blight;
Burned to ash and buried this night.
Bury the ashes from the bowl outside a strong tree, and cover the spot with ivy leaves.
Witches Datebook (2003) by Edain McCoy
Ivy is so resilient and strong that it is used as a binding catalyst in most magical systems. Ivy also exorcises that which we wish to banish, while it unites like-minded people in the spirit of cooperation. It brings to the surface the love that exists between friends, coworkers, or coven members that compels us to seek harmony through cooperation.
All those who wish to invoke the cooperative spirit should be together for this ritual. Before it begins, someone should weave together a garland of ivy large enough to encompass everyone. Tie yourselves together by the waists or wrists and ask the Deities of peace and united to bind you in the spirit of cooperation.
The time you spend bound together under the Ivy Moon is a good time to talk things out. The energy of the Moon will help keep peace and balance as you seek to work together.
When you are finished with your ritual, burn or bury the ivy to ground any energies of discord it may have absorbed while helping you.
Witches Datebook (2004) by Edain McCoy
Ivy can take over once it starts to grow. It can bind itself to anything and shove out of the way any other growth that tries to hinder its progress. You can use it to do the same.
If you have something you wish to bind to you-- for example, a piece of heirloom jewelry you're lending-- tie the vine from it to you and say:
By the vine, what's mine stays mine.
Visualize your item coming back to you safe and unharmed.
If you have something you wish to banish, such as a bad habit or a bill, tie the vine from it to you and say:
By the vine, you are not mine.
Cut the vine with scissors or a sharp knife and visualize the unwanted thing breaking its hold on you.
Witches Datebook (2006) by Edain McCoy
The name Blood Moon comes from the act of slaughtering animals for winter food, and from the reddish cast often seen shadowing the Moon on cool October nights. In Celtic traditions, this is the Ivy Moon, and one of its correspondences is binding magic. They are perfect complements to one another at this season, when we are compelled to bind the blood of the sovereign Lord to the land he rules.
Even in the festive circle of October's esbat we are aware that the solar year is marking the death of our God, and we put ourselves into the care of the wise, but icy, crone Goddess. The Goddess, who is the land, will soon be in Her virgin aspect once more, and must bestow sovereignty over the land to the most fit and able man.
Blessed Crone of our dark, cold night,
Give us Your moonglow as our guiding light;
His blood into Earth, Your Earth into womb,
Waiting for Yuletide to break open His tomb.
Witches Datebook (2010) by Dallas Jennifer Cobb
Traditionally, under the October Full Moon animals were slaughtered, their hides tanned, and meat stored. Working late under the light of the Moon, the last of the harvest is gathered. Pause and remember: the fertile cycle is coming to an end, the wheel of the year turning like the cycle of life and death. Put yourself and your life in order, letting go of what is unnecessary, for death is upon us. Prepare for the cold dark months ahead. The veil between the worlds is thin. Honor your ancestors, invoking their guidance and protection, then ask their spirits to guide you through the underworld. Light candles and lanterns to invoke justice, balance, and inner harmony, and welcome the dark as a place of stability and reflection.
Harvest Moon, Shedding Moon, Moon of Changing Season,
Life ebbs and flows with infinite reason,
Demeter, Horned God, Lakshmi see,
Memory and karma burn bright within me.
Witches Datebook by Ellen Dugan
The Full Moon in October is often called the Hunter's Moon. During ancient times, hunters were respected as the tribe's life-givers for they supplied the food. In Britain, Herne the Hunter is a deity of the "Dark Forest." Lord of the woodlands and its animals, Herne oversees all of nature and the results of fertility for both the natural world and men. Herne, described as a large, virile man crowned with the antlers of a stag and purportedly wears furs and carries a wooden bow, is often accompanied by a pack of hunting dogs.
As our nights grow noticeably longer and autumn commences, consider working with Herne for courage and the ability to "hunt down" your path in life. His wisdom is vast, and, if you listen, He can help you find your way while traveling along your own magical path, even in the darkest of times.
As the Hunter's Moon lights up the October sky,
Herne protect me, the dark time of the year is nigh.
Help me to find my own path, and to gain knowledge true,
May I walk with wisdom and strength in all that I do.
Witches Datebook by Elizabeth Barrette
To the Cherokee, October is the Harvest Moon, as this is when people gather and preserve most of their food. To the Choctaw, this is the Blackberry Moon. In warmer regions, late cropping berries ripen now and are often dried or preserved for winter use. The Dakota Sioux call this the Moon When Quilting and Beading is Done. These creative pursuits take many hours, so people favor them when less outdoor work can be done but enough daylight still remains to see fine details.
October closes the harvest season as the last grains and other crops come in. Food storage occupies people's attention. Although modern supermarkets are an option, many benefits from growing and preserving your own food. Likewise, magical artifacts crafted by the user tend to hold more power than purchased ones. This is also a good time to craft sacred and magical decorations to prepare for winter celebrations.
Rituals often feature the harvest-- honoring the fruits of our labors, giving thanks for what we receive, and requesting a bountiful yield. Magically, gather friends for craft workshops to make items for ceremonial use.
Witches Datebook by James Kambos
The last crops are harvested, and in rural areas livestock is butchered to prepare for the winter. And for some animals, the hunting season begins. At night, the wind rustles the corn shocks, and smoke from the season's first fires curl from chimneys.
The Blood Moon is a good time to connect with our ancestors. In October, the Otherworld opens slightly and the Moon lights our way. Try to connect with the owl spirit to aid in your spirit contacts. The owl, a bird of night associated with the occult, seems to belong to both worlds. The ritual is solemn and simple. Place photos of any family member you wish to contact on your altar (or fireplace, a portal to the other side). Light one black candle and meditate on your loved ones. Then call upon the owl spirit:
The October night is filled with dark mysterious things,
The Blood Moon rises and the owl flies on silent wings.
Briefly the Otherworld opens its door,
Owl spirit, help me connect with those who've gone before.
Witches Datebook (2016) by Dallas Jennifer Cobb
October is known as the the Snake Moon. It corresponds to water, the element of transformation. Snakes are masters of transformation because they shed their skin. Living close to the Earth, they are sensitive to subtle energies and vibrations, alert to hidden things. Silently they go where larger, clumsier creatures fear to tread. Snake energy helps people connect with the spirit world and carry wisdom from one realm into another.
When snakes get ready to shed their skin, they seek out water to soak loose the old skin. For a transformative ritual, you can capitalize on this energy by taking an oatmeal bath. First think about the old things you wish to cast off. Next, fill a bathtub with hot water and add a half a cup of oatmeal, either powdered, or whole tied into a cloth. Let the water cool to a comfortable temperature, then soak yourself in it for ten minutes. Visualize your unwanted past sloughing away like shed skin. When you're done, drain the tub and rinse off. Dry with a towel, rubbing briskly to invigorate skin. Finally, imagine new things that you want to bring into your life, like the fresh glossy scales of a snake after shedding.
Witches Datebook (2018) by JD Hortwort
When the Full Moon rises in October, thoughts turn to demons and vampires and ghoulies and, of course, how to keep them at bay. Everyone knows garlic is the sure cure for anything paranormal that ails a person. It is a Mars herb but is also special to Hecate. Honor her in October by leaving a handful of garlic at a crossroad.
This silvery globe was once honored as much more than a monster deterrent. Egyptian workers expected to receive a ration of garlic while working on the pyramids. Roman soldiers consumed it to guarantee the blessings of Mars, patron God of Rome.
Pliny, the first-century Roman scholar, recorded that his peers believed garlic could cure over sixty diseases and disorders. Whether for use as food or medicine, gardeners set garlic cloves in well-amended soil in fall, where it matures over winter. In spring, it breaks forth with hollow straps or "scapes" of foliage that will eventually fade. When that happens in late summer or fall, the harvest is ready and the cycle begins again.
Witches Datebook (2019) by Natalie Zaman
Once upon a time, there were ten suns in the sky. As you can imagine, it was very hot on earth-- until the giant Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns with bamboo arrows. As a reward, the Gods gave him the elixir of life, warning him only to drink one drop every year to ensure good health and longevity. Unfortunately, Hou Yi's wife was greedy and drank so much of the elixir that she floated to the Moon, where she lives to this day. Every year the Gods send her eggs and nuts and lotus flowers to bake for them. This is a one story about the origins of moon cakes, enjoyed at this time of the year.
October heralds the arrival of Samhain, when thoughts turn to the spirit world and ancestors. As the legend of the moon cake shows us, immortality is a thing of the spirit world, while longevity and good health (the promise of the elixir when taken properly!) are blessings to ask for as you honor your ancestors, perhaps with a bit of moon cake:
Long life, good health,
My ancestors live within myself!
Witches Datebook (2021) by Blake Octavian Blair
The Ivy Moon brings us a wonderful opportunity for ancestor magic. The Celtic tree month of Ivy is adjacent to the season of Samhain as well, making this the support of those who have come before us. Ivy reminds us that we must remember to accept support and to ask for help from others. Greatness is never achieved alone and survival is rarely a solo effort. Sometimes we all must admit we have tapped out our own resources and must learn to accept assistance from those around us. This includes both earthly and otherworldly ancestors of blood, place, or tradition.
Think of an obstacle or area in your life you are in need of assistance in. Gather a pen and paper and head to a place where you can write and view the Moon. In the magical supportive light of the Ivy Moon, pen a sincere letter to appropriate ancestors about your issue accepting their assistance. Send the letter into the otherworlds by safely burning it in a fireproof cauldron or bowl until totally out.
A safe and happy holiday to all who celebrate~!