The magic of time and how to be in cycle with the Moon from an Astrological & Folk Magic perspective.
Every day of the week is ruled by a certain planet and has specific uses in Astrological Magic. Understanding what each day signifies can assist with magical practice, daily rituals, self care routines, prayers, to do’s, and planning out your weekly activities. In my experience, orienting your day around the planetary energy present tends to make the day go smoother, and it can be a lovely way to be aware of what energy is available to you.
Monday is ruled by the moon and is a lovely day of the week to begin a daily Astro magic practice. (The Planetary days of the week are listed at the end)
Significations of the Moon & Lunar Magic
Below are all the significations of the Moon that I have collected in my research of planetary magic. The following significations can be used as “targets” in sigils, spell work, prayers, journeys, etc. The general guidance for astrological magic is to cast these targets on Monday during the hours of the Moon.
If you want to be extra precise, aim for Moon things on Mondays when the Moon is in Cancer or Taurus. These are your extra lovely Moon-y days, save them in your calendar (this can be calculated here).
In a more mundane context, you could consider just focusing on some of these themes on Mondays, either through journaling, creative practices, daily activities, self-improvement, etc.
There is no separation between “mundane” work and “magical” work. It will all end up in the soup (i.e. you! ) at the end of the day, so focus on whichever practice seems most enjoyable.
TLDR Significations: health, the body, emotions, psychic ability, witchcraft, resources, home, basic needs, mothering, family, community, food, growth, voyages, water, and love
Here is a comprehensive list of moon significations that can be used either in time magic or to plan rituals and daily activities on Mondays:
Manifestation work, material matters, resources, the things you own, money, home base, wealth, affluence
Emotions/Emotional stability, healing foundational issues, healing attachment disorders, “emotional availability,” mental peace and clarity
The body, physical well-being, vitality, nourishment, safety, security, health, awareness of basic needs (food, water, rest, exercise, daily sleep and wake schedules, human connection, etc)
Perception/Intuition/Knowingness
Growth, fertility, love
Connection to family, community, loved ones, ourselves, and the world
Care-taking, nurturing, support, soothing, mothering, divine feminine
Peace, healing abundance, wholeness, restorative
Psychic sensitivity, divination, mediumship, journeying, the subconscious, holding sway over what is hidden, esoteric, and mysterious, witchcraft, shapeshifting
Glamours, allure, fame, personal image
Travel, voyages, journeys, envoys
Water, agriculture and farming, ability to grow things
Acquisition of merchandise by water, travel by water (ships, boats, etc)
Some negative significations are: lunacy, mental instability, drunkenness, dissociation, insecurity, hunger, and other psychic disturbances, issues around food or nourishment, anxious states, overactive mind, unawareness, obliviousness, inability to express emotions, abandonment
She Waxes and She Wanes
The use of the Moon’s synodic cycle–her fullness and diminishment–in magic could have its own Substack post or even its own book. However, many have already written about why you should cast certain spells on a new moon rather than a full moon. So, In the interest of not repeating many who have gone before, I will instead discuss her phases from a folk magic perspective.
To connect to this aspect of the Moon, simply look up. Observe her in her light and in her fade. Where is she at a certain point in the day? Can you say hello and maybe offer a song, a word, or praise? The ancestors did (to be continued in future posts).
When is she visible and when is she not to be seen? In daylight or in darkness? And how does this affect you? What can be felt and not felt in her presence and in her absence?
If the Moon in her fullness was a time of year what would it be? Or a time in life? What about when the Moon is just a sliver, rising in a starry sky, just after her utter darkness? Have you ever been in that cycle yourself?
All things to consider, and to be noticed in time, should you wish to.
Moon’s Day Rituals & Practice
I like to lean into self-care on Mondays due to the Moon’s emphasis on the body, emotions, well-being, and the thinking/anxious mind.
Monday is generally a great day to rest and restore the body post-weekend. Moving the body in gentle ways is recommended, as well as time spent in prayer or meditation to clear and cleanse anxious states. Consider taking a long walk, doing yoga, stretching, dancing, singing, etc.
It would be a good idea to devote Mondays to eating nourishing whole foods, and potentially spending more time with loved ones, friends, and your local community.
Journaling about emotions, the past, dreams, manifestations/intentions is a wonderful Monday practice. Divination, shamanic journeying, tarot, and spirit work are also enjoyable and nourishing on this day of the week.
Sacred bathing rituals such as sauna, spiritual foot washing, bubble baths, and steam showers would all be a lovely practice to incorporate into your Moon’s Day ritual.
Avoid alcohol and other inhibiting substances on Monday since the Moon’s more negative presentations can indicate these. Consider taking a media break. Not just social media, but limit your consumption of others’ thoughts and ideas (news, podcasts, books, television, etc) in general, and instead focus on listening to your inner voice and your intuition. The more you limit outside noise, the more you can hear your wisdom.
Consider a thoughts and internal stories cleanse for the day. When a negative thought pattern pops up, simply say I am not in alignment with these thoughts and let it go. If you can shape it in your mind, you will find it in your life (quote thanks to a fortune cookie).
Mondays are also a good day for processing difficult emotions in therapeutic settings. The Moon can hold us in grief and sadness as we uncover and heal past traumas with therapists and doctors. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, and spiritual healing are all wonderful things to do on Monday as well.
That which is ruled by the Moon
Below is a list of things of Earth that are ruled by the Moon, all of which could be incorporated into an altar, spell work, trollpåse, visioning, talismans, or whatever your heart desires.
Consider contemplating these significations to further understand her impact on the world.
Colors: White, pale yellow, pale green, silvery sheens
Plants: watery, succulent plants, juicy leaved plants, plants that grow in watery places, Colwort, Cabbage, Melon, Gourd, Pompion, Onion, Mandrake, Poppy, Lettuce, Rape, the Linden-tree, Mushrooms, all Trees or Herbs who have round, shady, great spreading Leaves, and are little Fruitful
Birds and Beasts: Beasts that live in the water; as Frogs, the Otter, Snails, Weasel, the Cunny, all Sea Fowls, Coockoe, Geese and Duck, the Night-Owl
Places of the Moon: Fields, Fountains, Baths, Havens of the Sea, High places and Desert places, Port Towns, Rivers, Fish-ponds, standing pools, Boggy places, Common-shoars, little Brooks, Springs
Stones and Metal: Selenite, silver, pearls, soft stones
(List from the William Lilly's Christian Astrology)
The Planetary Days Reference:
Monday: Moon’s day
Tuesday: Tyr’s day, or Mars’s day
Wednesday: Woden’s day, or Mercury’s day
Thursday: Thor’s day, Jupiter’s day
Friday: Frigg’s day, Venus’s day
Saturday: Saturn’s day
Sunday: Sun’s day
Written by Hayley Huston, folk magic practitioner and teacher
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