Ah, The Gibbous Moon...

I never really put too much thought into various lunar terminology other than whether it is full, half, quarter or dark but for some reason the term Gibbous Moon came up between my room mate and I and the lightbulb went off in my head that this would be a great blog topic. The following information was found on "Universe Today" and I hope you find it as interesting as I have.

Eight Phases of the Moon
Although the lunar phases actually transition smoothly from one phase to another, we have developed different terms for the 8 moon phases that look distinct. The Moon's appearance moves through each of these moon phases as the amount of sunlight falling on it changes from our perspective. this is a cycle that always moves in the same direction. The Moon will always go from new moon to first quarter then full moon, then last quarter and back to new moon again.

Here are the eight phases of the moon:

• New Moon ( I call it the Dark Moon )– When the illuminated side of the Moon is away from the Earth. The Moon and the Sun are lined up on the same side of the Earth, so we can only see the shadowed side. This is also the time that you can experience solar eclipses, when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun and casts a shadow onto the surface of the Earth. During a new moon, we can also see the reflected light from the Earth, since no sunlight is falling on the Moon – this is known as earthshine.

• Crescent ( or New Moon as I call it) – The crescent moon is the first sliver of the Moon that we can see. From the northern hemisphere, the crescent moon has the illuminated edge of the Moon on the right. This situation is reversed for the southern hemisphere.

• First Quarter – Although it's called a quarter moon, we actually see this phase when the Moon is half illuminated. This means that the Sun and the Moon make a 90-degree angle compared to the Earth.

• Waxing Gibbous – This phase of the Moon occurs when the Moon is more illuminated that half, but it's not yet a full Moon.

• Full Moon – This is the phase when the Moon is brightest in the sky. From our perspective here on Earth, the Moon is fully illuminated by the light of the Sun. This is also the time of the lunar month when you can see lunar eclipses – these occur when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth.

• Waning Gibbous – In this lunar phase, the Moon is less than fully illuminated, but more than half.

• Last Quarter – At this point of the lunar cycle, the Moon has reached half illumination. Now it's the left-hand side of the Moon that's illuminated, and the right-hand side in darkness (from a northern hemisphere perspective).

• Crescent – This is the final sliver of illuminated moon we can see before the Moon goes into darkness again

Moon Phases, July 2009

Full Moon – July 7, 09:21
Last Quarter – July 15, 09:53
New Moon – July 22, 02:35
First Quarter – July 28, 22:00

Moon Phases, August 2009

Full Moon – August 6, 00:55
Last Quarter – August 13, 18:55
New Moon – August 20, 10:02
First Quarter – August 27, 11:42

New Moon.....Dark Moon

The other day I was listening to Ariel's podcast "The Witches Primer" when he used a term that I hadn't heard in many, many moons...(pun intended)..."Dark Moon". I remember my grandmother using that name when I was a child and really never thought too much about it then... but nostalgia has bitten me and I thought I'd explain the meaning of the terms "Dark Moon" as opposed to "New Moon" which we are all familiar with on traditional calanders.

The "New Moon" as we all know, is the phrase most often used when the last cresent of the waning moon has disappeared and the moon is all but invisible. It is still there of course but for roughly 1.5 to 2.5 days hangs in the sky, silently unseen by our naked eyes just before it starts on it's movement towards it's cycle of full.

Many modern witches and pagans as well as most astrologers call this phase the "New Moon" but some of us following a more traditional path of the "Old Ways" call it the "Dark Moon" as it is quite literally dark ( I mean no disrespect to any of the paths one may be following, I simply want to show that all beliefs and their terms used are not always the same). The first tiny cresent of the moon that we can see just after the "Dark Moon" is what many of us witches call the "New Moon." The words that are used in any case may seem to be very important but when it comes to timing our spells it makes a difference.

It was good to hear Ariel say "Dark Moon," since I have been on my spiritual path I always assumed that it was a lifestyle I had picked for myself but as I grow older I'm noticing that I have been handed down the groundwork from my grandparents and probably even their grandparents.

I hesitate to claim that it's a family tradition as my grandparents, even though as in tune with nature and the world as they were, were also church going...god fearing folk but no one is perfect and I loved them with my whole heart and being (again, please do not take offense, I was a church goer at one time in my life too, but that's a whole other blog!).

The Threefold Goddess

Spanning many traditions found around the world is the concept of the goddess as being threefold. These perceptions shared associations with the moon phases, with the growing seasons and with the phases of a woman’s life. Most frequently they are described as Maiden, Mother and Crone. With a strong connection to the Earth and its cycles, it’s not surprising that this view can be found in so many cultures.

The Greeks, Romans, Norse, Celtic and Hindu spiritual systems all had groups of goddesses who fit this interpretation. Sometimes a single goddess could embody all three and sets of threes were also found in some of the minor deities.

The Greek Furies and the Fates of Roman and Nordic beliefs are examples of this. Several goddess were of such complexity that they embodied the Triple Goddess all on their own. Brighid, Hecate and Kali all had multiple aspects. You can work with established triads of goddesses or compose your own based on what feels best for you.

~The Maiden, a young girl, represents the first stage. Newness, youth, purity, and innocence were qualities possessed by the Maiden. This matches the new moon phase. Fresh flowers, new grains and the color white are all appropriate for working with this energy. Springtime rituals often involve these deities. Specific instances when you might want to invoke the Maiden are during any new beginnings, when starting a new job, at the start of a new relationship and as part of a puberty ritual for young girls.

~The Mother, a woman who has reached puberty, represents the second stage. Her role is one of fertility, growth, sexuality and ripeness. She also is in a position of power, either from her life-giving forces or in her actions to defend her young. The full moon corresponds to the Mother, as does the color red. Summer and fall rituals, when crops are growing and being harvested, are when to work with these goddesses. Working with the Mother often happens when projects are reaching fruition, in rituals as part of marriage
and childbirth, for protection of people or animals, and when working with plants.

~The Crone, an elderly woman, represents the last phase. She is symbolic of wisdom, experience, change, transformation and death. The waning moon is associated with the Crone. Like the moon phase, the death she represents is necessary for rebirth. Winter is her season and her color is black. Working with the Crone is related to rituals that are about the ending of things (quitting a job, divorce, etc.), moving out of a home, extreme protection or retribution (assault, abuse), passing through menopause, or dealing with a death.