It’s July and that means it’s time for the Hay Moon! Today, July 3rd, is the full moon for this month and it comes to us in the sign of Capricorn. While I’m not big on astrology, and I’m not going to get really technical with the various things that are happening in the sky this full moon {and there are a lot} I will just say that with this full comes the Sun opposing it in the sign of Cancer. Anyone that happens to have a moon or sun sign in either Cancer or Capricorn is likely going to feel the energetic effects of this moon phase more than others.
The July full moon is known by many names but there are four that you’ll likely see the most; the Hay Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon, and Buck Moon. The Mead Moon is the one that gets a little confusing, and how it got tied to July I’m not quite sure. June’s full moon is often known as the Honey Moon or sometimes the Mead Moon. There are two different stories around that, one begin that this was a popular month for both permanent and trial marriages to take place and many people would embark on their “honeymoons” during the month of June, while the other meaning literally has to do with the gathering and fermentation of honey which would result in the aforementioned mead. So really June makes more sense to be called the Mead Moon, but different traditions have their reasons for using the names they do when they use them.
Thunder Moon is a pretty understandable one; if you lived in an area where humidity got high and things got out of hand in the atmosphere this would be a month rife with thunderstorms. The Buck Moon comes from the Northeastern Algonquian Indian tribes; this was the time of year that the male deer would begin to grow new antlers. And Hay Moon comes from our agricultural past {and present, really}, referring to the beginning of the season where hay is gathered and baled for the coming winter. Remember, the height of the sun has passed us now, and even though we have at least a month if not two months of hot and summery weather, we are actually on the decline of things and now is the time to start gathering grass cuttings before the grass stops growing.
But what about the Full Hay Moon today…like, right now?
This month we have the full moon in Capricorn. This is usually a time for magick that focuses on stability, responsibility, obligations, ambition, authority, and really anything that falls into the area of self interest.
[box style=”light” color=”#ebd9d9″ bgcolor=”#248f52″ rounded=”true”]This actually brings up something that came up on Facebook today that I wanted to touch on, since I’m going to share a little magick at the end here. The idea of magick, power, and self-gain.
I’ve talked about this in the past and I’m only going to spend a second talking about it here, but this idea that some people have about magick not being able to be used for self-gain is, in a word, bullshit. All magick has two things in common – it is healing and it involves some form of self-gain. All magick changes something which in turn heals something, even if it is magick that has nothing to do with healing specifically. It heals a need, addresses a concern, or fixes a condition which has caused some level of concern otherwise you wouldn’t need to do the magickal work. And all magick comes from a place of self-gain because, if you weren’t going to gain something from what you were doing, whether that’s something physical {money, a new car, a new job, a new love} or a certain sense of being {happiness, peace, joy, relief, etc}. When we do magick for someone else we may not be specifically doing it for our own personal gain but we are doing it for ourselves on some level otherwise we wouldn’t be taking the time to do something for someone else. This might mean that you just like the warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing you helped someone else out, but you are gaining something from doing it.
In brief, let’s just not confuse self-gain with greed. Magick for self-gain is quite vital rather than shameful as some Wiccans and Pagans might view it; as the saying going”If mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy.” If you aren’t taken care of you can’t care for others and you certainly can’t use magick for someone else if you’re suffering. There is a difference between doing magick out of need and doing magick out of greed. Use this for your moral magickal compass and drop the feelings of shame over the idea of magick for self-gain. It’s really kind of ridiculous. {Honestly, I could go on and on about this topic, but we have a full moon to get to.}[/box]
The sign of Capricorn is a practical one and this makes it a perfect time to work what would really be practical magick for daily life. This is why things like money and stability are favored for this moon. This particular full moon, with all the other things going on in the sky, is also a perfect time to work on those things that you have been putting off or have felt you need an extra push to get a breakthrough with, but in order to really do this it’s going to be important to set aside any concerns about emotional ramifications from what you’re working on. It’s important magick that needs to be done so just do it.
[box style=”light” color=”#ebd9d9″ bgcolor=”#248f52″ rounded=”true”]***EDIT****
This is what happens when you’re doing 20 things at once. The Oak Month ENDS on July 7th and the Holly Tree Month starts on July 8th. So in the end it all still works out since we’re in the Tree Month of Oak and it corresponds perfectly to the Capricorn full moon. For the Holly Month we also work toward prosperity but we’re working toward preparing to harvest that prosperity…so again this full moon is the perfect time to lay groundwork for the month to come.[/box]
The Celtic Tree Month of Oak/Duir begins on the 7th of July. This tree month is connected to protection, stability, money, strength, and luck. Since it’s a few days after the Capricorn full moon, now is a great time to lay the ground work and foundations for magick around these kinds of things for the rest of the month.
Keep in mind the Moon Void of Course times surrounding this full moon. The full moon itself happens at 2:52pm on Tuesday July 3rd (EST), a day where there is no VOC to worry about. However on July 4th the Moon will be Void most of the day, starting at 8:25am until 8:26pm (EST). So magick for this moon should be worked on the 3rd; remember, magick worked during a VOC often yields no results since the moon is transiting. {There’s still time to pick up a copy of the One Witch’s Way Datebook for 2012 in either ebook or paperback which has all the Moon VOC times, moon sign energies, and other important information to help you plan the rest of your magickal year!}
And if you’re looking to use this full moon for some physical healing, things that are favored by the Capricorn moon are of the “earthy” variety, our actual physical structure like bones, teeth, and skin.
Here is some magick for your Full Hay Moon!
Here’s a general tip for this full moon…it’s a good time to do some smudging and cleansing of your home. Since this moon is going to put shifts in place for the rest of the month, making sure that anything that could be weighing you down or causing any complications for you is cleared out of your life ahead of time is a fantastic idea!
Capricorn Incense
2 parts sandalwood
1 part benzoin
a few drops of patchouli and bergamont
Burn to honor the sign of Capricorn that the moon is in or, if you yourself are a Capricorn, use it to enhance your personal power during this moon phase {or any time of the month}.
Full Moon Incense
2 tbsp sandalwood powder
2 tbsp frankincense powder
5 drops rose oil
2 drops lemon oil
1 drop jasmine oil
Burn for full moon magick.
Tree Month of Duir Incense
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp orange peel
1 tbsp oak (bark is preferable to leaves)
5 drops cinnamon oil
Burn to honor the Oak Month starting on July 7th.
Money Candles
For a real simple and easy money magick candle, get a green votive candle or a large taper with a thick base and hollow out about 1/2-1 inch deep hole in the bottom. Pack the hole with money herbs like bay, basil, and cinnamon. Charge the candle with your money magick intentions and anoint with a money oil and use for any kind of money drawing and manifestation work.
Growing a Money Plant
A money plant is a simple way to work on some money manifestation and now is the perfect time to start it. Since this moon deals with stability, responsibility, and foundational work, planting and growing a money plant is a great way to work some sympathetic magick for money to grow in your life.
You’ll need a plant of some kind, ideally potted, that relates to money. Potted basil plants are very easy to find but you can also try something more elaborate like a silver dollar tree. You’ll also need a disposable lancet or a sterilized needle and a piece of pyrite (the bigger and the golder the better).
Hold the pyrite and charge it with your intentions.
Using the lancet prick your middle finger and anoint the pyrite with three drops of blood.
Plant the pyrite into the pot with the plant, close to the plant’s main stalk.
As you water, feed, and care for the plant, talk to it and explain to it what it is that you wish for it to do…that as it grows so too does the money in your bank account/business/home/wherever it is that you are looking to draw your money.
