The Mourning Moon

The full moon for the month of November is the “Mourning Moon.”

The days are obviously shorter and the sunlight is so weak that it seems that the bright sunlight will never return… but it will.

At this point, the Sun God is about to be reborn and make His way back to us.

This full moon is also known as:

• The Fog Moon
• The Snow Moon
• The Moon When Deer Shed Antlers

THE HISTORY

The mourning Moon is a time of cleansing.

Our ancestors used this time to rid themselves of baggage and negativity and bad habits that will only weaken them especially during winter time when the weather elements can test them.

This was a reminder to our ancestors that death is a reality but just a part of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Some of our ancestors also celebrated the new year during this time.

So they celebrate in their own way by offering a ritual to the deities and giving thanks for what they have, help in letting go of what no longer works, and help in bettering themselves.

MOURNING MOON MAGICK

For Pagans, specifically the Celts, November was the start of the new year, which is why magick for this time is to celebrate new beginnings and starting over.

Magick is focused on getting rid of mental and spiritual and emotional baggage and letting go of things that don’t do you any good.

Doing so allows you to focus on the possibilities that the future brings. Performing a sweeping and wearing a Brooms of Elder necklace allows new things to enter your life.

Get rid of bad habits and toxic relationships and get a fresh start for the new year.

Think of the fears and the worries that are holding you back and the bad habits that are negatively affecting your mental and physical and emotional health.

You spirit is also suffering from all the ways you are harming yourself.

Think of all these things, write them on a piece of paper, and perform a ritual to let go of them. Bid bye-bye to things that do you no good and just prevent you from growing.

While you should think of those you wish to let go, also think of things that you want for yourself.

You are going to need new things to replace those you are letting go.

Write down on a piece of paper what new things you want for yourself this new year — not just material things but more in the form of habits, traits, characteristics.

Perform a ritual and hold on to this list by placing it on your night table or wherever you will see it on a daily basis.

Each morning when you wake up, and every night before you go to bed, read your list.  

You can do this!

Here are correspondences for this month:

• Colors: Gray, blues
• Gemstones: Lapis lazuli, turquoise, topaz
• Trees: Cypress, alder, hazel
• Gods: Bastet, Isis, Kali, Hecate, Astarte
• Herbs: Thistle, betony, verbena, fennel
• Element: Water

PURIFYING YOUR SPACE WITH THE BROOM

Traditionally called a “besom” and often handmade from the branch of a tree, the broom is not considered to be a core ritual tool in Wicca, but it is often used to purify the ritual space before casting the sacred circle. This doesn’t usually involve actual sweeping, however—the bristles of the besom generally don’t even touch the floor. This is more of a ritual, energetic purifying of the space, removing negative energy or just plain energetic “clutter.” This step happens after a good mundane sweeping with a regular broom (or vacuum) has already taken place. Because ritual brooms serve as purifiers, they are associated with the element of Water, and are therefore sacred to the Goddess.

The broom can also be used to help close the circle at the end of ritual. In fact, it can be highly effective at dissipating residual energies raised during the ritual. During the ritual itself, the broom will usually sit to the side of the Wiccan altar. Otherwise, it’s common to place it near the entrance to your home, to guard against negative or unwanted energy.

FINDING YOUR OWN BESOM

Ritual brooms can be any size, from miniature “decorative” brooms that you sometimes see in craft stores or hanging on the wall in kitchens, to full-sized functional brooms. Traditional woods used for sacred brooms include birch, ash, and willow, but any wood will suffice. You can even find instructions for how to make your own besom using the type of wood available in your area. In fact, some Witches keep it very simple by just using a fallen tree branch as a symbolic broom.

Of course, your broom doesn’t have to be handmade—common household brooms can also be dedicated to the work of Witchcraft, though it should ideally have a wooden handle rather than metal or plastic. No matter what your broom is made of, however, it should never be used for everyday house cleaning, as this would contaminate the sacred energy it holds for ritual and magical purposes. Indeed, this is one tool that should not be “repurposed” for magic, so plan to acquire a new broom of one kind or another, rather than attempting to consecrate an already-used broom from your hall closet!

You can also find a wonderful explanatory article on how to cleanse negative energy from your home and self HERE.