Communing with
the Triple Moons
by Edain McCoy
The current year gives extra weight to the old phrase, “once in a blue moon.” If a single solar month contains a second full moon, the second moon is said to be blue. Only one blue moon can occur in a single solar year, and in some years, may not occur at all. Modern Wiccans often say that four aspects of the self are necessary to embark on any quest: to know, to will, to dare, and to keep silent. Working with seasonal lunar triads is part of the dare. Self-examination is not easy, and only the honest seeker will discover the wisdom he or she seeks.
That is, the twelve full moons of 2005 provide us opportunity to look at our moon cycles in groupings of seasons. Through these four sets of three moons, we can see clearly see her rich symbols and the many archetypes of other triads at work—especially the wheel of the year.
The Dedicant’s Triad
January 25, February 25, and March 25 are the full moons that take us from deep winter to the first days of spring. They appear when the Cailleach, the Celtic crone of winter, rules the land. Yet that same crone is the virgin goddess who gave birth to her son, the sun, at midwinter.
Connect with her energies by stretching your esbat ritual across the entire cycle of the winter moons. Stand beneath her full light and inhale the essence of dormancy, the world at rest, protected by the Celtic goddess called the Cailleach, or old woman. Know that somewhere an infant sun is waiting to emerge.
If possible, go outside and stand beneath the pale silver glow of the full moon. Stretch out your arms to embrace and welcome her. You may wish to evoke the power of this first triad by saying:
Ancient moon, encased in ice
The Cailleach blue and cold comes thrice;
Allow me to flow along your trail,
Show me the path where will prevails.
These winter moons can also serve as a focal point for personal life cycle events. During these three moons take time to meditate, looking back on your period as a dedicant, before you took formal vows of initiation. Connect the winter moons with the first three months of your studies. Think about what you’ve learned, how you’ve grown, and, if necessary, make changes in your practice and personal philosophy. Religion best serves humanity when it remained mutable and allows for change.
If you are a dedicant at this time, use this lunar energy to help you sense the subtle movements of nature and the universe. Ask it to reveal to you what you need to know as you commit to your year and a day of study.
The Initiate’s Triad
April 24, May 23, and June 22 make up the second triad of full moons. They coincide with the reawakening of the planet in spring. At this time, the moon is the fertile mother, mating with her god-consort, impregnating the earth (her womb) with the harvest. June 21 is also Midsummer, the point of the sun’s apex.
This period coincides with the role of the new initiate, who is now into a second year of study and has discovered that the learning, the thinking, and the questioning never stop. Paganism is not a path for those who hop from religion to religion.
An appropriate evocation for this triad might be:
The nights grow short, but the moon rides high,
Still the star of the nighttime sky;
In the moon of blood the sacred child grows,
Teach me now what I need to know.
Think back to your own initiate period. Compare how your life, thoughts, and actions changed as you continued along your path. If you are now an initiate, spend some time under these three moons meditating on how your life as in initiate differs from that of a dedicant. Ask the deities of the moon to reveal to you what you need to learn to continue growing.
The Priest’s and Priestess’s Triad
July 21, August 19, and September 17 take us from the verdancy of summer to the harvest. The deities are aging now. The goddess is giving birth to the abundant yield of the early autumn harvest. As the crops are gathered, each field, one by one, settles into dormancy in preparation for its winter sleep. The goddess is aging, and the sacrifice of the god-consort approaches.
This period corresponds to the priest or priestess part of the wheel of life. Whether or not you use the title, each initiated Wiccan, Witch, or Pagan is a priest or priestess, fully able to merge with and contact the deities without any intermediary.
As the fields are plowed under and the days grow shorter, reflect back on this point along your path. Bathe in the light of the harvest moons and reflect on the harvest, on growth, abundance, and dormancy. Compare these ideas to your time as priest or priestess and consider how these autumn moons have inspired or changed your life. Evoke the energy of the harvest moon with a greeting such as:
Fertile fields of gold and green,
Harbors the sacred time-between;
Her bounty grows from a single seed,
Show me the mysteries I most need.
Those who are now moving into the phase of their spiritual lives should try to connect to the energy of these three moons. Ask yourself what harvest and abundance mean in a spiritual sense. At this point you should be able to connect to the lunar cycle with ease and be on to its teachings.
The Elder’s Triad
The last lunar triad is October 17, November 15, and December 15. These full moons take us back into winter. The god has been sacrificed for the food of the land. The goddess mourns his loss as she prepares, as midwinter’s goddess, to birth him anew. Fields lie fallow, and frost dapples to the bright orange of autumn pumpkins and squash. The last of the harvest remains to be gathered.
This final triad corresponds with the role of elder, crone, or sage. All of these are terms for Pagans who have either been practicing their faith for a long time or have taken on the tasks of extra study or of mentoring new dedicants.
This is the phase for introspection, a time to reflect on the year you have traveled and to ask for guidance in choosing the direction you want to go in the year to come.
The moons of the underworld deities contain vast knowledge, as well as the essence of our own shadow selves. It is not easy nor particularly pleasant to come face-to-face with your true self, and these moons of the waning year will not withhold their teaching if you feel ready for them.
With age comes wisdom. Allow these three moons to share their sacred wisdom with you. An example of an invocation to the moon of this triad might be:
Cold is the night and the short day brings,
The first blue frost from the Cailleach springs,
Let me gather in all the harvest I can hold,
While you share wisdom of ages untold.
Even if becoming an elder, crone, or sage is still far in your future, there is no need for you to shun the darker aspects of this deity. At first the three may appear frightening, even disturbing, but those who dare to allow themselves to be taught by the elder moons will progress rapidly along in their spiritual quests.
December 30, 2005, the last new moon of the year, makes a perfect leaping-off point to launch yourself into the cycles of time and life for not only the new lunar year, but for the solar year as well.
To the Grandmother moon of 2005 we say, “Hail and farewell, and merry must we meet again.”