This month, on January 31st there is a particularly interesting moon occurring in which we have a full super moon, blue moon and lunar eclipse! It is the "Ice" moon according to the Coligny calendar!
"To our ancestors' unaided perception both sun and moon appeared the same size in the skies. The path of the sun expanded and contracted, its power increasing and diminishing through the year, while the moon waxed to a perfect silver white circle, then waned until it disappeared into the darkness. Little is known of how the ancient Druids worked with the moon's cycles, though there is evidence that their calendars were moon orientated. Pliny tells of Druids cutting mistletoe on the sixth day of the waxing moon. There is mention, too, of other herbs, of the moon phases and the moon being a source of healing. There is imagery of gods and priests with crescent shapes assumed to be lunar symbols. For those practising Druidry today, the moon is equal in importance to the sun and as many rites are held at night, in the flickering light of the fire, as are held during the daytime." -Emma Restall Orr
While we know practically nothing about actual celebrations or rituals the Celts might have participated in during the varying cycles of the moon we do have historic written accounts of their knowledge of its cycle and its effect on earth, the tides and us. We know that they performed certain rituals or picked specific herbs during particular phases of the moon. The Coligny Calendar was based on both the lunar and solar cycle. Many stone circles are aligned with the moon cycles and even rare lunar events. The Stenness standing stones on Orkney Scotland are aligned with a lunar phenomenon occurring every 18.6 years.
While these sites were built by Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures, the original inhabitants of the British Isles, they are equally a part of Pagan and British Isle culture and we can assume passed their knowledge and possibly rituals in usage of the stones to the Celts and Druids upon inhabiting their land. The Celts and the culture that followed may have likely been the descendants of the builders themselves. We know they held the moon in high regard, at least equally to the sun but maybe even more so as they started their days with the rising of the moon verses the sun. This reverence has persisted among locals on the British Isles and has been revitalized in paganism today all around the world.
Did you know it takes the moon approximately 29.5 days to revolve around the earth? Coincidently, a woman's period cycle is on average 28-30 days and as a result women are intimately connected to the moon. The sun is typically associated with the masculine and the moon, the feminine. By honoring and celebrating the moon, we celebrate the divine feminine energy and connectedness in everything and our importance in continuing, nurturing and celebrating the cycle of birth and life on our earth. The full moon is said to be the time when our intuition and "powers" for cleansing or ritual are at their highest. We celebrate the masculine, the sun, equally in depth what it lacks in breadth with the solstices and equinoxes!
"Mistletoe rarely grows on oaks, but is sought with reverence and cut only on the sixth day of the moon." -Pliny The Younger (Rome)
"Some authors assert that the Gallaicans are atheists whereas the Celtiberians and the neighboring peoples of the North dance and revel all night long by their homes, with their families, during the full moon, in order to honor an anonymous god." -Strabo (Greek)
"While Attalus was encamped on the Macistus, an eclipse of the moon took place, which the Galli took to be an unfavorable sign; and they were also wearied of moving about with their wives and children who followed in the carts. Accordingly, they refused to march on." -Polybius (Greek)
Ways to Celebrate:
•Altar: Designate a space in your altar for the moon, honoring the divine feminine and goddess energy. This could be a feminine type statue, a specific crystal like moonstone or even a picture. It could be anything at all really that represents the moon to you!
•Moon gazing: Take time to gaze at the moon as often as you like! Try laying down and truly taking the time to soak in it's cleansing and energizing energy. Take this time to meditate and think on important issues. Use the moon's strength to empower your sense of self, confidence and decision making. Some prefer to lay out nude if weather permits.
•Create: Use moon gazing time to write and create! Use it as a reminder to write in your journal or grimoire. Create a piece of art or craft such as a painting, wreath, jewelry piece, candle, soap, bath bomb etc. etc. etc.
•Bonfire: Have a bonfire for yourself, family or friends. Get outside and enjoy the night! Start a drum circle! It's up to you!
•Relax: Many times life gets in the way of setting aside even the shortest of moments for ourselves. Take the full moon as a reminder and excuse to take a relaxing bath surrounded by your crystals, candles and relaxing music. Get a massage, pedicure, manicure or new hair cut!
•Tarot reading: Have yours read by someone else or get your own set and do your own! Close your eyes and focus your intent. Shuffle the cards 5 times representing air, water, earth, fire, spirit. You could also do seven times incorporating the "underworld" and "upperworld" in druid culture on top of those five. Once shuffling is completed, choose 3 cards at random. Designate what each card will mean before you pull the cards. Example: Card 1- What challenges am I facing? Card 2- What awareness will help manifest my desires? Card 3- What should I focus on until the next full moon? These can be whatever you want but whatever they are is what you're focusing on while shuffling your cards.
•Ritual divination: Along with cleansing yourself by laying out and gazing at the moon, the full moon would be the time to "mentally" cleanse your altar, tools, home, pets, family... etc. This ritual would entail anything your creative mind can come up with that has meaning to you! One common way is to simply smudge the house or tools using various herbs and then laying them out in the direct moonlight.
•Swimming: The full moon is a perfect time to take a dip in any natural body of water or your own swimming pool or jacuzzi! Water was considered both physically, mentally and spiritually “cleansing”.
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