Moon magick: Science, religion & you.

Image by Pevgrow

You can blame Brandon Sanderson for this blog post. No, I’ve never met the dude, but if he’s not the first to say a fantasy book’s magic system needs to be based in science, he’s certainly the loudest. And so, in the cracks, I’ve been learning bits and pieces about how the world works. And then, like a moron, I decided I should apply that to my real-world religion.

It’s not just Wiccans obsessed with the moon. Witches of all stripes have an affinity. Even amongst regular folks, there are countless moon related superstitions, particularly around the full moon.

A while back, I read a passing comment to the effect of “if you believe the light glinting at off the moon has any effect on anything, you’re an idiot.” I turned that idea over and over in my hands. The moon phase is literally how much of the moon appears illuminated from the vantage point of earth.

When I travelled to Canada, I learned that the moon looks different. There’s no rabbit on the moon in Canada, and the crescents go the other way. Perspective. Eclipses are subject to this annoying positioning thing too. There might be a full solar eclipse in Africa and all I’d see of it is some photos on the internet. Where you are in relation to the celestial bodies changes what you see, but does it change the overall energy of what’s happening?

And what about the tides? The tides are proof that the moon affects us, right?

Science says that though we are 70% water, we don’t have enough mass to be affected by the pull of the moon. If we are? It’s by an infinitesimally small amount. The people around you are exerting more gravitational pull on you than the moon. Apparently. I can’t actually do that kind of maths!

Additionally, if the pull of the moon does affect humans, we would have daily tides, wouldn’t we? Perhaps we do. There are early birds and night owls and pooped pigeons; could the times we are at our best have something to do with our relationship to the moon (or other celestial bodies)? Maybe. I’m not writing it off, but there hasn’t been a conclusive study done either.

Now, gravity is only one force. There are other forces in the universe and plenty of options for exploration besides. But the idea that the moon’s gravity touches our lives in a meaningful way is debatable. I’ll link a few opposing theories at the bottom if you want to read further.

The last full moon, I was all set to get my witch on. I had a particular spell I wanted to work, that would be (by the book) best performed on the full moon. I had my ritual bath, staked out some private space, flicked my lighter… and realised it was dead. I searched the house and even tried to ignite a flame using the kitchen hot plates, but no use. My candle spell was a no-go. I had no fire. Then I remembered that passing comment about the moon phases. And I suddenly had time to research.

True things about the full moon: Tides are higher at the full moon. The pull of the moon is increased, not because of the light shining on the moon’s face, but in the way it aligns with our planet and the sun.

The sun pulls on our planet just like the moon, but to a lesser degree. So, when the sun and the moon team up against the earth their combined gravity results in “spring” tides. This happens around the time of the full moon.

It also happens during the dark moon. But nobody blames the dark moon for bad fortune or lunatic behaviour. Fun fact: pollution on beaches is also higher during the full and dark moons.

False things about the moon:

The moon isn’t spinning. (Yes it is.)

There is a “dark side” of the moon. (There’s a far side, from our view, but that side still experiences its own “day time”)

Science doesn’t support the idea that a waxing moon is better for spells pertaining to abundance, while the wanning moon is for banishing. If this isn’t superstition, studies need to be done on the “vibe” of the moon, and the frequencies that encourage growth or reduction. There very well might be a force in the universe that means some nights are better for certain spells than others, but it’s got nothing to do with gravity or what the moon looks like.

Really, when has looking at a thing (or person) been a definitive way to know anything? Especially if you can only look from one angle?

To complicate this, yes, the moon vibrates. It has its own sound. There’s a whole field of thought known as “the law of vibration” which some people believe they can use to attract positivity into their lives. (I’m suspecting it’s the same as Law of Attraction, but haven’t verified that yet.) Digging into this, there’s no logical, scientific explanation for why the entire moon would vibrate differently depending on where the sun was shining on it. If these vibrations have something to do with light refracting through our atmosphere? Maybe.

At this point, I remain unconvinced.

I am questioning everything I “know” about how the moon relates to magick. Remember, magick is just a manipulation of energy that is already there. It’s the ability to redirect forces. It’s a deliberate change in consciousness. Nothing there supports the idea that I can only do a love spell on the Friday of a lunar crescent in September (or whatever.)

What do you think? When it comes to witchcraft, is tradition more important than science? Are you affected by the moon phases?

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Moon magick: Science, religion & you.

Image by Pevgrow

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