While 2020 has had enough “events” to fill an encyclopedia set of history books, one truly beautiful event we will get to witness is the blue moon on October 31st. This means that not only will we have a full moon on the first of October, but also a full moon on the last day of October; coincidentally, on Samhain.
The veil between worlds is notably thin on an average Samhain and the blue moon makes it thinner still. Yes, like every year at the thinning veil, this is a perfect time to try to (SAFELY) contact loved ones that have passed. As always, be careful. The thinner the veil, the more likely you may accidentally attract an entity only acting as your loved one. Take any precaution you can if this is your intention for the holiday. Cleanse and purify every tool you intend to do the working with. Cast a strong circle. Keep several protective objects on your person such as symbols, oils, and crystals. Better safe than sorry, and although I would help any one of you in a heartbeat, I would hate for it to be for that reason.
About the Blue Moon
The Science Behind the Blue Moon
A full lunar cycle is a little over 28 days long. However, a calendar year is 365 days, which means that during some years, you may end up with thirteen full moons instead of twelve, depending on where in the month the lunar cycle falls. This is because during each calendar year, you end up with twelve full 28-day cycles, and a leftover accumulation of eleven or twelve days at the beginning and end of the year. Those days add up, and so about once every 28 calendar months, you end up with an extra full moon during the month. Obviously, that can only happen if the first full moon falls in the first three days of the month, and then the second takes place at the end.
So, although the term “blue moon” is now applied to the second full moon to appear in a calendar month, it originally was given to an extra full moon that happened in a season (remember, if a season only has three months on the calendar between the equinoxes and solstices, that fourth moon before the next season is a bonus). This second definition is a lot harder to keep track of, because most people just don’t pay attention to the seasons, and it generally happens about every two and a half years.
Of note, some modern Pagans apply the phrase “Black Moon” to the second full moon in a calendar month, while the Blue Moon is specifically used to describe an extra full moon in a season. As if this wasn’t confusing enough, some people use the term “Blue Moon” to describe the thirteenth full moon in a calendar year.
The Blue Moon in Folklore and Magic
In folklore, the monthly moon phases were each given names that helped people prepare for various types of weather and crop rotations. Although these names varied depending on culture and location, they generally identified the sort of weather or other natural phenomenon that might take place in a given month.
The moon itself is typically associated with women’s mysteries, intuition, and the divine aspects of the sacred feminine. Some modern magical traditions associate the Blue Moon with the growth of knowledge and wisdom within the phases of a woman’s life. Specifically, it is sometimes representative of the elder years, once a woman has passed far beyond the status of early cronehood; some groups refer to this as the Grandmother aspect of the Goddess.
Still other groups see this as a time—because of its rarity—of heightened clarity and connection to the Divine. Workings done during a Blue Moon can sometimes have a magical boost if you’re doing spirit communication, or working on developing your own psychic abilities.
Samhain and the Blue Moon
The veil between worlds is notably thin on an average Samhain and the blue moon makes it thinner still. Yes, like every year at the thinning veil, this is a perfect time to try to (SAFELY) contact loved ones that have passed. As always, be careful. The thinner the veil, the more likely you may accidentally attract an entity only acting as your loved one.
Take any precaution you can if this is your intention for the holiday. Cleanse and purify every tool you intend to do the working with. Cast a strong circle. Keep several protective objects on your person such as symbols, oils, and crystals. Better safe than sorry, and although I would help any one of you in a heartbeat, I would hate for it to be for that reason.
*:WARNING! The following is an advanced spell. If you are not a regular practitioner, if you are more of a ‘dabbler’, if you have not been practicing long, or if you do not have the confidence for advanced magic DO NOT PERFORM THIS SPELL:*
You will need:
- A sparkling quartz crystal
- A clean mirror
Instructions:
- Cast your circle. Make sure you have everything you may need inside the circle before casting. This circle cannot be broken for your safety and to ensure that it is your loved one that you are reaching out to.
- Ground and center. This spell takes a great deal of patience, intent and concentration and you must have the right frame of mind to manifest.
- Hold the crystal in your hand and stand before the mirror. Say the following:
Come to me all spirits of
Family, Friends, and ones I love.
Tell me what I need to know
Tell me all before you go
- Watch the mirror closely. Your loved one/s should begin to materialize in the reflective surface.
Learning Wicca and the Tradition of the Craft 