Moon Lore

There's a different theme for each different moon of the year, so click on the name of a month above to learn more!!

Oak Moon

The oak tree has long symbolized the male aspect of Divinity and the natural flow between the worlds of mundanity and spirituality. One reason is that its trunk and branches grow and stretch fervently towards the sky in the physical world, while its roots dig deeply into the hidden planes of the underworld. Another reason has to do with the Holly King, who symbolizes the waning year. The Oak King takes His place at Winter Solstice, and brings the returning light of the newborn Sun with Him. And, of course, there's the mistletoe. Even in the dormancy of winter, this new life sprouts from its branches with berries of white that symbolize the semen of the Lord of the Forest. It keeps us ever mindful that life is always new, always fruitful, and always constant.

As the Oak Moon waxes full in the December sky, remember that you play an integral part in the workings of the Cosmos, just as you do in the world you wake to everyday. Celebrate the return of the Divine Child and New Light by adorning yourself with sprigs of mistletoe, and give candles to others as a reminder that they are each individual flames of the Coming Sun with their own paths to light.

 

Oak Moon Ideas:

  • Wear white and yellow to welcome the Sun
  • Decorate altars with holly, mistletoe and Sun symbols
  • Use white candles and burn Full Moon incense. Alternatively, burn frankincense incense.
  • Mark the Circle perimeter with yellow candles or sunflower seeds. If you use seeds, collect them after Circle and put a few aside for spring planting. Scatter the rest outside for the birds.
  • Serve gingerbread cookies and apple wine or spiced cider for libation.
  • Adorn a candleholder with holly, then secure a white candle inside. Name the candle for any problems or bad habits you've picked up in the last year. Light the candle and release any unpleasantness by saying:
    • I release you now and I am free
      You no longer have a hold on me
      I banish you with a loving heart
      And give myself a brand-new start.
      • Let the candle burn all the way down, then toss the holly on the hearth fire (if this isn't possible, burn the holly in a fire proof dish and scatter the ashes on the winds). Know that life has begun anew.
      • If this Moon occurs before the Winter Solstice, start a perpetual candle to ease the birth of the Sun. Begin by blessing a white or yellow seven-day container candle. Say something like:
        • Light of the Word - Light of the Sun
          Bring forth Your warmth when labor's done
          Come forth with ease - come without pain
          And shine upon the Earth again!
          • Let the candle burn continually, light another container candle from its flame before it goes out. Extinguish the last candle on Winter Solstice.

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