Moon Phases and Timing for Spells, Plus Kupała Night

The moon in village life

Across rural Europe, including Poland, people watched the moon for practical things: when to sow, when to cut wood, when to trim hair or wean a calf. Things meant to grow were often started while the moon was growing; things meant to stop or shrink while it waned. Much of this is folk belief rather than science, but it shaped how my grandmother did everything.

The Polish words are simple: nów for the new moon, pełnia for the full moon, and we speak of the moon przybywa — 'growing' — or ubywa — 'shrinking'.

Of course the moon is not the only clock. Days of the week had their own reputations in some villages — some thought Friday unlucky for beginning things, others avoided starting work on a Monday — and these varied from place to place, so I hold them lightly. The seasons mattered more: spring for beginnings, summer for love and growth, autumn for harvest and remembrance, winter for rest and quiet protection. When I plan your casting, I look at all of this together, but I never make you wait unreasonably for a perfect day. The best time for honest work is soon, done with care.

Waxing moon: drawing in

From the new moon to the full, the moon grows. This is the time for spells that draw in: love and attraction, money and opportunity, new beginnings, a business opening, confidence and courage. I lay honey, wheat and coins on the table, and I speak of what I am asking to arrive.

The full moon itself is a time of strength and clarity, good for blessing, for charging water in moonlight, and for spells of devotion and commitment.

Waning moon: letting go

From the full moon back to the new, the moon shrinks. This is the time for spells that take away: cleansing, removing the evil eye, breaking bad luck, cutting ties with someone who drains you, ending a habit. Salt, smoke and running water are my companions then.

The dark days around the new moon are for rest and quiet, and for planning what to begin when the light returns.

Kupała Night: the great midsummer night

Noc Kupały, Kupała Night, falls around the summer solstice, on the night of 23 to 24 June, and in Poland it is also called Sobótka or St John's Eve. In the old days bonfires were lit on hills and riverbanks and young people jumped over the flames. Girls wove wreaths, wianki, of flowers and herbs, set candles in them and floated them on the river; the young men downstream tried to catch them.

This is also the night of the legendary fern flower, kwiat paproci, said to bloom only once a year at midnight and bring whoever finds it great luck — a story everyone knows, and nobody has ever found the flower. Herbs gathered on this night, especially St John's wort, were thought especially strong.

Kupała is still celebrated in many Polish towns, often with wreath-floating on the Vistula. My Kupała Night love spell follows these customs, with a wreath, a candle and water.

Other days in the ritual year

Other dates I keep: the drowning of Marzanna in spring to send winter away; Candlemas on 2 February for blessing candles; Our Lady of the Herbs on 15 August; St Andrew's Eve at the end of November for wax-pouring divination; the November days of the dead for ancestor work; and Christmas Eve, Wigilia, for prosperity customs.

How I time your spell, and what timing can and cannot do

When you order, I cast at the next suitable time: waxing for drawing-in work, waning for releasing work, unless a spell is tied to a feast day. I will tell you in my letter when and how I cast. If something is urgent in your life, practical help comes first; a spell can sit alongside it.

Timing helps focus and honours the tradition. It does not make results certain. Results vary, and a spell is always a spiritual practice, not a guarantee.

Using the moon in your own life

You do not need to be a witch to live a little more by the moon. Look up at the sky for a few evenings and notice whether the moon is growing or shrinking. On a waxing evening, write down one thing you would like to bring into your life. On a waning evening, write down one thing you would like to let go of, and tear the paper or burn it safely.

Some people like to set a glass or jar of water on the windowsill on the night of the full moon and use it the next day to wash their hands or water a plant, with a quiet wish. This is a common modern practice inspired by older customs, and I mention it as such.

These small habits will not change the world on their own, moja droga, and they are not a guarantee of anything. But they slow you down, help you notice your own wishes and give shape to your days. That, in the end, is what the old calendar was for.