Full Moon Vs New Moon

The New Moon and the Full Moon come at opposite points of the moon cycle. While these sister phases are obviously different, what exactly IS the difference?

I think folklore, media, and stereotypes have done a great job with Full Moon coverage. We know what a full moon looks like. Perfectly round and the biggest it gets. It can really light up a night sky. You may even see the moon look more orange or red in color, seemingly very close to the Earth. That usually occurs within a few days of the moon being “full”. When it’s full, it's typically a bright white (as seen in Brett’s photo). Oftentimes you can even see a rainbow ring around it. It changes men into wolves and is danced under by witches. Either way, you will see the whole, circular moon when it is full.

Full Moon photograph captured by the amazing, LA-based photographer Brett Wheat

A New Moon, on the other hand, won’t really be seen at all. It is as though the dark side of the moon has come forward. I would bet that’s why we don’t have as many superstitions surrounding the New Moon. It’s simply not there.

Us witchy women love to do our “rituals” for just about anything. If you’re a bit novice on the topic but want to participate, I want to share a quick breakdown of what you can do to honor these phases of the moon:

Think of the Full Moon quite literally–it’s full. When something gets full, it needs to be emptied. Imagine the moon is a bucket collecting rain water. While the rain water is useful on its own, it is not useful in the bucket. It renders the bucket useless as well. It needs to be poured to give both the water and the bucket new life.

What do you need to pour from your bucket? Each month (twice this May - the second one being a “Blue Moon”), the Full Moon gives us an opportunity to release whatever has accumulated in us or our lives over the course of the 28-day cycle. This is a time to reflect on what you want removed. There is something I do to accomplish this each month.

I have a notebook reserved for ritual purposes only. I write what I want to be rid of in the nicest pen I can find. I try to be particular about language. For example, if you are talking about wanting to increase your finances, you don’t want to ask for that on a Full Moon. Instead, you would ask for your financial blockages to be removed. You should also avoid saying things like, “I don’t want to be broke anymore” and instead say things presently and confidently. It should read along the lines of, “All of my financial blockages are removed. I release anything stopping my abundance.” Et cetera. I like to tear this page out of the notebook, take it outside, say a few words on the topic of releasing, and BURN IT! Be sure if you do this step that you take precautions like having water nearby and not being around anything flammable.

Now, going back to the bucket metaphor. As you can’t see a New Moon, imagine it as an empty bucket. It is ready and waiting to collect more rain water. The rain water, in this case, is what you want. So, for this ritual, I like to take my same notebook and nice pen and write down what I would like to bring into my life. Rather than the focus being on “blockages” and “releasing”, we are essentially adding  to life for a New Moon. “My abundance is limitless. I get what I want easily. I am financially secure.” Instead of burning this, I fold it up and sleep with it in my bed. A perfect way to do this is to stick it right in your pillowcase.

Your lists do NOT have to revolve around money and abundance. It can be in matters of love, relationships, family, personal development, homestead, mental health, or whatever you see fit. Use your intuition. You’ll know what you need to do.