Halos, Coronas, and Folklore

Last night I witnessed, thanks to a friend on Facebook, the most amazing Moon Halo I've ever seen! It was absolutely HUGE! Unfortunately, I was unable to do a full moon ritual last night. Time constraints made it impossible for me. Not to mention that the baby decided that I needed another bout of nausea to deal with. Instead, I spoke with the Goddess and spent time worshipping her beauty.

I was surprised that this morning I had a post on my status suggesting that I do a blog post on the moon (from the same friend that gave me the heads up about the full moon). So, this post is dedicated to that person and anyone else who is completely enthralled with the beauty of the moon.

The phenomenon that was witnessed by many, here in Michigan, is called a Moon Halo. It's caused by the moon's light refracting through hexagonal shaped crystals in the upper atmosphere. The shape of the crystals result in the large ring around the moon. I wish that this next picture showed the true beauty of what we saw. Alas, it does not do it justice.

Now, there is a certain folklore that goes along with these halos. And it is all based on the weather patterns that are to come following the full moon.

A ring around the moon = bad weather to come in the near future.
      (Interesting side note: It is believed that the number of stars within the halo determines how many days until the bad weather arrives.)

Dark mist over the moon inside the halo = rain is coming

Red Halo = high winds are on their way
     
Multiple Rings (which will be explained later) = severe wind blasts,

A single ring that vanishes quickly = fair weather is on the way

Most of the "ring around the moon"s that are seen are not halos, but coronas. They are much smaller in size compared to the halo. Also, coronas can come in several colors. Usually rainbow-like in appearance. They are caused by a different shape of crystal as well as the light hitting the crystal at a different angle. (I forgot the exact degree of the angles. If anyone would like that information, please contact me and I can get it to you.)

(Now this corona is unusually vibrant, but it is a good example)

On occasion halos and coronas encircle the moon at the same time. This causes the multiple rings that I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of this occurrence.

Many things are associated with the moon, aside from witchcraft and the Goddess. It has been proven that the tides are influenced by the lunar cycles. What is less well known is that investment companies also rely on the moon! A specific example is the people who invest in Brazilian coffee. The moon and frosts are so well connected (and it's a very established connection) that the moon is used to determine the value of the crops coming from Brazil in the winter.

You may have heard the phrase "The crazies are out! It must be a full moon!". Studies have shown that the full moon has an affect on the amount of people admitted into psychiatric wards. Also, arson and murders (most of which are motiveless) are increased on a night with a full moon.

And, if you are a woman, after the birth of your first child you are more likely to give birth to the rest of your children on a full moon. (Is the Goddess busy watching over her children? I'd like to think so!) Most women's menstrual cycles are also directly linked to the cycle of the full moon.

Since this is a pagan blog I do need to put some information out there for my sisters and brothers as well.

The first thing I would like to get out there, and yes most pagans will know this, is the difference between waning and waxing. I used to get tripped up on this ALL the time. That is why I want to define each.

Waning = progressively smaller portion of the visible surface is illuminated (meaning it's getting smaller!)
Waxing = progressively larger portion of the visible surface is illuminated (means it's getting bigger)

Real simple, but it took me YEARS to remember the difference.

The Triple Moon:

A symbol that is, not only stunningly beautiful in appearance but, the representation of the Goddess herself in all forms. The Maiden, The Matron/Mother, and The Crone.


Other things that are associated with the moon:

• Emotions
• Water
• The color white
• The color blue

Because I choose to practice the art of witchcraft the lunar cycles are very important to me, not only for worshipping purposes, but also spell weaving. Since the moon is full I will start there.

The Full Moon is the best time to cast spells for:

• prophecy
• protection
• divination
• love
• knowledge
• money (at one time the moon was thought to be made up of silver, a common currency at the time)
• dreams

Anytime you want to add potency or power to a spell it should be done under a full moon.
This is also when I do my purification rituals. It is, by far, my favorite time to cast.

The Waxing Moon is the best time to cast spells for constructive magick such as:

• love
• wealth
• success
• courage
• friendship
• luck
• health

The Waning Moon is the best time for:

• banishment magick
• ridding addictions
• ridding illness
• getting rid of negativity

The New Moon is for:

• new beginnings
• new ventures
• new love
• romance
• health
• job hunting

Dark Moon Magick can also be performed on the New Moon. I, however, am not very knowledgeable about it, so I prefer not to write about it.

If anyone has any questions at all, I am more than happy to answer them the best I can. Feel free to contact me, either through here, Facebook, or my email address MommaZen@live.com.

I am sorry there was no post yesterday. It was a rough day and I had SO much I had to do with my family. I hope that today's post more than made up for it :)

~Blessed Be~