I am not a witch who sticks strictly to the “rules” of working spells of increase during a waning moon and spells of decrease during a waning moon. The path between waxing and waning, growing and withering is shaped like a lemniscate. One pours into the other and back again. Creation requires destruction; destruction makes room for creation. On this full moon, we meet at the narrowest point of this lemniscate - at the fulcrum between waxing and waning. This can be a good time to consider what we want more of and what we want less of.
This cycle’s moon message circled around creating as your destroy. Reaching for a new rope as you cut others. Building other worlds as the one around us seems to crumble.
Our culture trains us to be obsessed with purity, order, and goodness - of getting rid of what we don’t want (or rather, what the forces of capitalism, ecocide, and white supremacy tells us we shouldn’t want). But knowing what you don’t want isn’t a helpful compass for a wholehearted life.
These forces will hollow us out and then attempt to sell us shiny objects, comforting stories, forms of privilege, and false security to fill the void. But it just won’t do. Knowing in your bones what you do and don’t want, instead of just picking something from society’s narrow menu, is a powerful form of knowledge. Knowing this can help you (and us) create and destroy with more focus, force, and fun.
On this full moon, I offer a simple reflection prompt and spell that is half destruction and half creation. You’re welcome to try all of it, just the reflection, or none of it at all :)
Ex animo,
-Isabelle
PART 1: REFLECTION
Gather a sheet of paper and pen or pencil.
Fold the paper in half vertically, so that there are two halves that face each other like a book.
On the left side of the paper, write “LESS” at the top.
Under this heading, list 3-5 things you want less of—it can be personal to your life or broader to encompass your community or humanity as a whole. (Another option is to set a timer for 11 minutes and just write as many things as come to you. The answers might surprise you.)
On the right side of the paper, write “MORE” at the top.
Under this heading, write 3-5 things you want more of. It can be interesting to look at your “LESS” list and write the opposite on the “MORE” side. For example, if you want less stress, you could write that you want more ease. Give yourself permission to dream big. Imagination is an asset.
Look at your lists and reflect for a few moments. You may notice judgements arise about what you have written. Is this jugdgement from your soul or intuition? Or is it coming from your fear, cynicism, frustration, inner critic? Is it coming from forces outside of you that tell us we cannot trust our desires or limits? If it’s not from you, can you practice setting the judgement aside?
PART 2: SPELL
After completing part 1, tear your list into the two halves.
Take the “LESS” list. Read it aloud, saying “less ______________'“, "less ____________”, etc. End by saying, “So may it be” or another phrase that feels natural to you. Rip the list into several pieces with intention. Safely burn the pieces of paper. Take the cooled ashes to the trash or compost. This process will symbolize lessening and clearing of the slate.
Now take the “MORE” list. Read it aloud, saying “more_________________”, “more ________________________”, etc. End by saying, “So may it be” or another phrase that feels natural to you. Take your more list outside and leave it under the light of the full moon. (If you missed the full moon, you can also pick a sunny spot.) This will charge and boost your requests for more. After a day or two, you can retrieve your paper, say “Thank you”, and glue it into your journal or stick it somewhere you will occassionally see it (like a mirror, wallet, altar, or fridge).