Monday 19 August (last night) was the full Sturgeon Moon 2024, and what's known as a "supermoon". However, the magical energies of a full moon are active and available to use for three nights. The night prior to the full moon, the full moon night itself, and the night directly after. It's still possible to make use of the special energies of this full moon tonight.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac the name "Sturgeon Moon" has it's roots in the Great Lakes region of North America, where the Indigenous people would catch the very large and abundant fish at this time of year. For witches and pagans the August full moon marks the earliest murmurings of the shift towards autumn; the season of harvest celebrations and rituals of gratitude is fast approaching. Some people also know this as the Harvest Moon.
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According to NASA a supermoon is defined as a new or full moon which is within 90% of it's closest approach to the Earth. Full supermoons appear impressively big and bright. The Sturgeon Moon supermoon is the first of four supermoons that will occur this year. The closest full moon supermoon will occur with the Hunter's Moon on 17 October. This year's August full moon is also what's known as a seasonal blue moon, being the third full moon in an astronomical season having four full moons. This alignment of supermoon and blue moon cycles won't happen again for another thirteen years. It's a rare and special event.
This full blue moon supermoon offers opportunities for exceptionally enhanced scrying; trance work and journeying; divination with tarot, pendulum, runes and other means; prosperity spells, fertility spells, and healing spells. To gather and save the enhanced lunar energies for later use, I'm making moon water.
Many of my best, most effective and useful magical tools are things which cost very little to no money. Moon water is one of them. Plus it's just fun to find or make your own stuff, and making moon water is something just about anyone can do.
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Making moon water is easy. I use clean glass jars with lids, usually those I save from things like jarred pasta sauce. I fill them with plain bottled drinking water because our well water is very hard, leaves mineral deposits on everything it touches, and tends to turn green within days. I'm not especially worried about the repurposed jar getting messed up, but the uses I have for the moon water are such that hard water stains and algae aren't desirable.
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Anyway, I put my filled, closed jar outside after sundown in a spot where it'll get the full moon's light for several hours, and I bring it inside first thing in the morning. (I store my jars of moon water in a special cabinet with my other spell ingredients and witchy stuff.) I recommend placing your jars outside in a spot where they can't be easily knocked over and broken overnight by a wandering nocturnal animal, and I don't put them out on nights when I know it's going to freeze. Broken glass shards have their uses but I'd rather not obtain them that way. The jars can also be placed on a windowsill overnight.
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Moon water has many uses. It can be included in jar spells, in an altar cup or chalice, poured into a bowl for a scrying mirror, and used to soak quartz crystals as a method of recharging them*. It's safe for your plants (my houseplants seem to like it very well) and safe for use in sprays, washes, rinses, cooking, and infusions. (If you're going to be consuming it I suggest not using a repurposed pickle jar unless you're a big fan of pickles, as the aroma tends to linger in the jar even after vigorous washing.) I also like to use moon water when painting. If I have a little left over by the next full moon I usually give it to a plant that needs a boost, but moon water doesn't "go bad" or expire.
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*Note: Prolonged exposure to water can damage certain stones. I don't soak my selenite, malachite, sandstone, or azurite. I won't soak anything that's at or below 5 on the Mohs hardness scale. If in doubt about the hardness of a stone, Google it. Stones containing iron, like hematite and pyrite, can be safely given a quick dip. Recharging by direct exposure to the light of the full moon is safe for any stone, as is sunlight for cleansing.
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Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.