Hi Lexa!
I keep forgetting to ask this question and I thought I'd send it to your email specified on your blog... there's a ritual I've been doing for the past year to get rid of negative energy and bring in positive energy. I've been careful to do it not too close or far from either the full or new moon, and made sure to not do it during the moon void of course. I've also tried to pay attention to the significance of the day I chose, and also the time. Whew, lots of stuff to think about! But then there is one more thing. I'm wondering if it must be done under the moon itself...so do I have to also pay attention to the rising and setting times of the moon? Or is it just as good to do it when it isn't visible? Anything else I'm missing? I mean, I've definitely felt the great effects of this ritual, it's one of my favorites if only as a reminder to be positive because after all, I did that ritual. But I was just curious for a while if I should also take into account the rising and setting. I was trying to anyway because it's more enjoyable to see the moon when doing something that involves her, but with all of the other considerations plus work time, etc, it can become quite difficult to schedule!
Thanks Witch Doctor!
g
Greetings g
this is a wonderful question and I love the thought and attention you pay to your rituals. With lunar rites, the rule is to use a waning moon (full to new moon period) when working to banish negative energy and to use a waxing moon (new to full moon period) when trying to invoke positive energy.
Lunar rituals are definitely more powerful when performed under the light of the moon (or at moonrise not moonset). Often it is not possible to perform the rite under the light of the moon. (and there could be multiple reasons for this such as: your schedule, a cloudy night, new or dark moon rites, location limitations...) The rule of thumb is that once you perform the ritual (even if not under the light of the moon), you must track the moon and connect with it's energies until the end of the cycle in which you performed the ritual. For example, if you did a ritual to get rid of negative energy during a waning moon, you should look for the light of the moon at least 3 nights after the rite. Watch it's light diminish and as it does, so will your problem diminish. If you perform a ritual to bring positive energy on a new moon or growing moon, track the moon and watch it grow. Try to connect with the full moon of that ritual cycle so you can visualize your positive situation coming to fruition.
In the case of your ritual, there is a dual purpose and so it is more complex. In my opinion, you should do the ritual on the first day or evening (or at moonrise) of the new moon because the moon is still dark and therefore a perfect time to get rid of negative energy. Then on the second day of the new moon (or 3rd day), look for the first sliver of light in the sky and visualize your positive energy growing. In fact, you could even track the moon all the way to full and connect with the abundance of positive energy and light that you want to invoke into your life.
I find that the Hebrew lunar calendar is the most comprehensive, accurate, and spiritual to work with. The Rosh Chodesh (New moon) is a sacred time and will always be marked for two days on the calendar. (You can even download it on your iCal) The first day being the dark period or beginning of light not yet visible to the eye and the second day revealing the first visible sliver of light. The witches usually say to begin positive rituals 24 hrs after the new moon and that is because they are only counting the first day as the new moon day. In my experience, the first new moon day represents the conception. The second day is the birth of the light. Anyone wanting to give birth to a healthy baby, concept, project, relationship, business venture, etc would certainly want to make sure there was nothing negative present in the conception and in this way safeguarding the actual birth.
A word about the days of the weeks...Monday is sacred to the moon (Lunes) but if you follow the new moon calendar, your ritual will fall on different days of the week. I think this is a good idea because each day of the week coincides with a different part of the life. By performing your ritual on different weekdays from month to month, you can remove negative energy and bring positive energy to different areas of your life. Let the new moon inform you which day of the week is best on any given month.
The new moon days for this month are August 10 and August 11 2010. The first new moon day falls on a Tuesday. Tuesday is Mars and deals with our aggression and our sexual energy. It also relates to our health. Work on removing any negative energies in those areas of your life. The second new moon day falls on a Wednesday. Wednesday is Mercurial and governs our creativity, our art, our neighborhood, our siblings and social lives. Focus on bringing positive energy into those areas of your life for August.
Much continued success with your moon rites and thank you for this wonderful question.
love & light
Lexa
