Esbats and the Moon
The Sabbats are the spokes of the wheel; the moon is the rim. She comes round thirteen times a year, and every time she is full, witches somewhere are standing outside in the dark looking up at her. That is an Esbat. It is the oldest thing we do.
Tonight
Look up. If you can see her, you already know what phase she is in.
What an Esbat is
An Esbat is a gathering, or a solitary rite, held in honour of the moon and the Goddess who is seen in her. Traditionally it is held at the full, when her power is greatest, though many witches also keep the dark moon for rest, divination and banishing. Where the Sabbats are celebrations of the turning year and tend to be about the God as much as the Goddess, the Esbats belong to her, and they are where most working magic is done. The Sabbats are the feasts; the Esbats are the workshops.
The heart of a traditional Esbat is drawing down the moon: the priestess, or anyone who is holding the Goddess's place that night, opens herself to the Goddess and speaks with her voice. Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess was written for this moment, and if you read nothing else from our tradition, read that.
The phases and their work
| Phase | What it is for |
|---|---|
| New moon (first sliver) | Beginnings, intentions, planting seeds literal and otherwise |
| Waxing moon | Growth, attraction, building, drawing things toward you, healing that strengthens |
| Full moon | Power, completion, celebration, divination, charging tools and water, the Esbat itself |
| Waning moon | Release, banishing, cleansing, breaking habits, healing that removes |
| Dark moon (no moon visible) | Rest, shadow work, deep divination, protection, honouring the Crone |
The full moons of the year
Every culture named its moons, and the names are a calendar of what the land is doing. These are the ones we use at the Hearth, gathered from English, Irish and North American folk tradition and not pretending to be any one of them.
| Month | Name | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| January | Wolf Moon | Hunger, howling, the deep cold |
| February | Snow Moon, Brighid's Moon | The ewes in lamb, the first light |
| March | Worm Moon, Storm Moon | The ground softening, the gales |
| April | Pink Moon, Seed Moon | The first flowers, the sowing |
| May | Flower Moon, Hare Moon | The hawthorn, the dancing |
| June | Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon | The first sweetness, the longest days |
| July | Hay Moon, Thunder Moon | The cutting of the meadows |
| August | Grain Moon, Barley Moon | The harvest beginning |
| September | Harvest Moon | The full moon nearest the equinox, bright enough to bring the crops in by |
| October | Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon | The slaughter, the stores laid in |
| November | Frost Moon, Mourning Moon | The dead remembered, the first hard cold |
| December | Cold Moon, Long Night Moon | The dark of the year |
| Thirteenth | Blue Moon | The second full moon in a calendar month; a wildcard for whatever you need most |
Holding an Esbat alone
You need a place where you can see the moon, or at least know where she is. Ground and centre. Cast your circle if you cast one. Call on the Goddess by whatever name you use, or by none. Say what you have come for: thanks, or help, or simply to be seen. Do your working if you have one. Share cakes and wine, or a biscuit and a glass of water, with her, leaving a little outside. Thank her. Open the circle. Go to bed. The simple full moon ritual on this site is one shape for this; there are a thousand others.
Holding an Esbat in company
The Hearth's open Esbat is online at every full moon, and anyone is welcome. One of us draws down; we each share one thing the month has brought and one thing we are working toward; we raise power together for whoever in the circle has asked for it; we share cakes and wine in our separate kitchens; and we open the circle. It lasts about an hour. See the gathering schedule.
A moon blessing
Lady of the silver wheel, Mother of the tides: we see you. We have come out under your light as our mothers' mothers did, and we ask for nothing but to stand here a while and be seen by you in return. Wax in us. Wane in us. Turn, and come back.