Wicca is a modern pagan religious movement that celebrates the cycles of nature, including the phases of the moon. Moon phases hold great significance in Wicca, as they are believed to influence spiritual and magical energies. The moon has four primary phases: New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon, and Waning Moon. Each phase is associated with different aspects of life and is viewed as a time for specific practices and rituals. The New Moon marks the beginning of the lunar cycle and symbolizes new beginnings, intentions, and fresh starts. Wiccans often use this phase to set goals, make wishes, and manifest their desires.
collection
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, Witches mummy, maw and gulf Of the ravin d salt-sea shark, Root of hemlock digg d i the dark, Liver of blaspheming Jew, Gall of goat, and slips of yew Sliver d in the moon s eclipse, Nose of Turk and Tartar s lips, Finger of birth-strangled babe Ditch-deliver d by a drab, Make the gruel thick and slab Add thereto a tiger s chaudron, For the ingredients of our cauldron. Second Witch Fillet of a fenny snake, Fenny means coming from a bog In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder s fork and blind-worm s sting, An adder is a venomous snake Lizard s leg and owlet s wing, An owlet is a young owl For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Wiccans often use this phase to set goals, make wishes, and manifest their desires. It is a time for planting metaphorical seeds and initiating new projects. The Waxing Moon is the time between the New Moon and the Full Moon.
The spell of macbeth
The Three Witches Spell from Shakespeare’s Macbeth is great to read or listen to for Halloween.
Some of the lines in this speech are offensive to our twenty-first century ears, and I hesitated to print it here, on a site with significant family traffic. But rather than censor the greatest writer in the English language, I think it’s better to present his words honestly, and I encourage my readers with children to use the opportunity to discuss the changes in attitudes that society has gone through in the four hundred years since Shakespeare lived.
Below is The Witches Spell from Act 4, Scene 1, of Macbeth. I’ve added annotations in parentheses below any lines where I thought it’d be helpful for the meaning. I’ve also posted a couple of interesting renditions from YouTube of this scene. One is a “straight” rendition. The other is by David Solomons. He did a very Halloween-like singing rendition of it. At the end, I posted the whole spell as a poem, so you can read it all the way through without distractions.
Enjoy! -Mama Lisa
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Act 4, Scene 1
SCENE I. A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron.
Thunder. Enter the three Witches
First Witch
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
(Brinded means tawny or streaked.)
Second Witch
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
(A hedge-pig is a hedgehog.)
Third Witch
Harpier cries ‘Tis time, ’tis time.
(A harpier is believed to be a harpy which is a Greek and Latin mythological monster – having a woman’s head and body, but with a bird’s wings and claws.)
First Witch
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.
ALL
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Fillet of a fenny snake,
(Fenny means coming from a bog)
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
(An adder is a venomous snake)
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
(An owlet is a young owl)
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Third Witch
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
(Witches’ mummy was a medicinal substance)
(Maw is the stomach, gulf is the throat)
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
(Ravin’d means ravenous)
Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
(Gall is bile, slip of yew means a cutting from a yew tree)
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
(Drab = whore – these lines mean the baby
was delivered in a ditch by a whore).
Make the gruel thick and slab:
(Slab means viscid/semi-liquid)
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
(Chaudron is a coppery color)
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
ALL
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Witches Spell Poem
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Harpier cries ‘Tis time, ’tis time.
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
This article was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Authors, Books & Stories, Countries & Cultures, England, English, Halloween, Halloween Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Macbeth, Mama Lisa, Shakespeare, The Witches Spell, United Kingdom, USA, Video, YouTube. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
It signifies growth, abundance, and increase. This phase is ideal for making progress towards goals, attracting positivity, and nurturing existing endeavors. Wiccans often perform rituals or spellwork to harness the power of the growing moon. The Full Moon is the peak of the lunar cycle and is believed to have a heightened energy. It represents illumination, heightened intuition, and the culmination of intentions. Many Wiccans perform rituals to celebrate and honor the Full Moon, accessing its power for divination, healing, and spiritual connection. The Waning Moon, occurring after the Full Moon and leading up to the New Moon, represents release, letting go, and banishing. Wiccans often use this phase for ritualistic cleansing, removing negative energies, and breaking unhealthy patterns. It is an opportune time to reflect, review, and resolve any lingering issues. In addition to these primary phases, Wiccans also recognize the quarters of the moon, namely the First Quarter Moon, Last Quarter Moon, and the phases in between. These phases have specific qualities and energies that can be harnessed for various purposes. Overall, moon phases hold great significance in Wicca, providing a framework for spiritual and magical practices. Wiccans believe that by aligning themselves with the moon's energy and working in harmony with its natural cycles, they can enhance their connection with nature, manifest their desires, and nurture their spiritual growth..
Reviews for "The Significance of Protection and Banishing Spells during the New Moon in Wicca"
1. Rebecca - 1 star
I was really disappointed with "Wicca Moon Phases". The book had a promising title and cover, but the content was severely lacking. The author barely scratched the surface of Wicca, and it felt like she was just regurgitating information that can easily be found on the internet. There was no originality or depth to the book, and it left me feeling unsatisfied and unenlightened. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive guide to Wicca.
2. John - 2 stars
I found "Wicca Moon Phases" to be a rather superficial and poorly written book. The author barely touched on the intricacies and complexities of Wicca, focusing instead on basic information that can be easily found elsewhere. The writing style was also quite dry and lacked any sort of personal touch. Overall, I was not impressed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Wicca.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Wicca Moon Phases", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The book lacked substance and failed to provide any real insights into the practice of Wicca. It felt more like a rushed, poorly researched piece of work rather than a thoughtful exploration of the subject matter. Additionally, the organization of the book was confusing, making it difficult to follow along or extract any meaningful information. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an informative and well-written guide to Wicca.
4. David - 1 star
"Wicca Moon Phases" was a major letdown for me. The book seemed more focused on aesthetics rather than providing valuable content. The author included beautiful illustrations and photographs but neglected to provide any substantial information about Wicca itself. The lack of depth in the book was disappointing, and it failed to satisfactorily address essential aspects of the practice. Overall, I found "Wicca Moon Phases" to be a shallow and unsatisfying read, and I would not recommend it to anyone interested in learning about Wicca.