I’ve been thinking about making some moon magic posts, and with the upcoming Sturgeon Moon on August 1st, I decided now is a great time to do so.

The moon has long been a big player in magical practices in many cultures throughout many centuries. The planets and cosmos in general have played a huge role in the spiritual work of our ancestors. Many of us feel a connection to the Moon without quite understanding why. If you’re one of these people, you might be drawn to create magic with the Moon.

If you’re not into magic-making or Moon Spells, don’t worry, you can still reap the benefits of the Moon’s energies just by being mindful of what phase the Moon is in when you’re making different life decisions.

For those of you who do practice magick, it’s important to consider the best times to use the energy of the moon for whatever magical purposes you have. Just as in any magical practice, think about what makes the most sense. Are you working on growing yourself in some way? Creating a new beginning? It makes most sense to create magic around these themes during the waxing phase of the moon, as this is when the moon is starting a new cycle and growing back into a full moon. Are you creating magick for banishing, or breaking a habit? Then consider doing this magic around the waning moon, when the moon descends from fullness and shrinks back into a new moon before completing the cycle all again. Make sense? Here’s a little guide I’ve made to help you remember the best times for the various magick you might want to create with the Moon.

You can dive even deeper into Moon magic by also studying it’s connections to the Zodiac. Throughout the year, the Moon will enter each “House” or Zodiac sign, and this will also have a deeper meaning or effect on certain types of goal setting or Magick making.

Magical Moon Names

The last thing I want to cover is the various different names given to each month’s full Moon. This is also rooted in many cultures and was practiced by different Germanic, Celtic, Native American and Pacific Islander tribes (just to name a few). The names were representations of the time of year and would help mark the Calendar or Wheel of The Year, helping them to know the best times for planting and harvesting crops and other important things essential to their survival.

On August 1st we will have what The Algonquin Tribe of the Great Lakes in North America called “The Sturgeon Moon”. This is named for the time of year when the great Sturgeon fish were the easiest to catch. These massive fish can live up to 150 years, and the last Sturgeon on record was a massive 23 feet long!

The Spiritual Meaning of The Sturgeon Moon

The word Sturgeon means “Stirrer” and the name was given to these fish because they spent most of their time in the depths of the lake stirring up the mud and muck while looking for food. The spiritual meaning of the Sturgeon Moon lies in the representation of the Sturgeon itself. This Ancient Monster-Like fish that stays hidden in the deepest, darkest parts of the lake can represent a part of ourselves that we keep hidden away. Just as these ancient fish rise during this month’s Full Moon, so can these old parts of ourselves.

This is the time to catch a hold of these old shadows and to face the pent up emotions and feelings associated with them. These old parts don’t have to be big scary monsters. They may just be waiting for the right time to emerge so that we can treat them with gentleness in order to honor our feelings, and to move on in peace.

What To Do During This Moon

Honor your feelings and be gentle with yourself.

Confide in a trusted friend or therapist.

Do some Ancestral work. Study, understand, and forgive any familial or ancestral trauma that you may be holding on to.

Thank your past self for being your teacher, and let go of the parts that no longer serve you.

So as you can see, the Moon can be a wonderful magical tool to use throughout the passing months, bringing extra energy and intention to your spells and manifestation works. There is much more magic to be discovered about the Moon, and we will explore some of that in a later post. For now, I hope you have fun implementing this new knowledge, or at the least, refreshing your knowledge, and you make some beautiful Moon magic from here on out.

So mote it be!