One of the main rituals Wiccans perform consistently are rituals that honor the full moon every month. The moon and energy of the moon is female; therefore it is a symbol of the Goddess. This is a time of celebration of the Goddess and Her energy. This is also a great time for many forms of magick. A lot of Wiccans primarily focus on the phase of the full moon. I encourage all of my students to try rituals during each phase of the moon as you can learn a lot about yourself and the Goddess.

An Esbat celebration is usually celebrated after sundown and most people will wait until the moon is high enough in the sky to be seen during the ritual. Each month, the full moons has a name in Wiccan traditions. The name reflects the season energies for that moon. You may ask "what about when there a blue moon (2 full moons in 1 month)?" Our modern calendar is based on a solar 29 1/2 day cycle but the months of January, March, May, July, August, October, and December have 31 days. Due to this, occasionally we get blessed with two full moons in a month. The Blue Moon is a great time to do magick to help better yourself.

Here are the most common names for each full moon through the year:

January - Wolf Moon
This is a good time to start making plans for the Spring. Set a magickal goal and as spring grows closer, your goal will grow to coming to a reality.

February - Storm Moon
Perform magick to help you face life's challenges.

March - Chaste Moon
This is a time for planting mental seeds. People also start planning gardens and planting seeds.

April - Seed Moon
Plants can be put into the Earth. Fertility, growth and wisdom are qualities of this time.

May - Hare Moon
Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere. Beltane takes place at the beginning of the month. Start something new this month.

June - Lover's Moon
June is a popular month for weddings. Some traditions call this Rose moons as roses begin blooming this month.

July - Mead Moon
A great time for prosperity magick. Herbs and vegetables may begin to be ready to be harvested.

August - Corn Moon
This is a time of abundance, agriculture, and another popular month for marriages. You can take a moment to take inventory of your magickal cabinet and stock up on herbs and candles.

September - Harvest Moon
Grains are being harvested for storage through the winter. Magick for prosperity, abundance, and nurturing others is good for this month.

October - Blood Moon
This is a great moon to do divination. This is the month that nature begins to prepare for winter. So should you.

November - Snow Moon
This moon is a time to concentrate on strengthening the bonds of your family and friends. Before life was as hectic as it is today and accessibility to food was limited in the winter months, people depended on one another through the winter months.

December - Oak Moon
Because there are more night hours then sunny hours, the moon reigns over the Earth during this month. Focus on finishing projects you have started.