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A Guide To 2021’s Full Moons and Their Magickal Meanings 

by Aliza Pelto

Mark your calendars, witches: The first Full Moon of 2021 is upon us.

Often, the New Moon is seen as a time to start over again, manifest, and begin new projects. The Full Moon, on the other hand, which marks the completion of a moon cycle, is the time for something we could all use a little more of these days: letting shit go.

There are certain traditions many witches may decide to do on every Full Moon, like charge their crystals under both sunlight and moonlight, burn lists of things that no longer serve them, and reflect on their manifestations from the past moon cycle. Each Full Moon of the year, however, is entirely unique and is accompanied by magical correspondences and energies that can serve a purpose in different kinds of spellwork or focuses.

It is crucial to remember that Moon magic has been around for millennia and is practiced across cultures and spiritualities. Everyone practices moon magic differently and the items on this list are merely interpretations and suggestions based on eclectic neopagan practices and collected research from one witch’s Book of Shadows. We must also acknowledge that, while some Moon names come from Old English, a number of the names society uses for the Moons today—both those of who practice magic and/or recognize the Farmer’s Almanac alike—were appropriated from Indigenous communities (many from the Algonquin Nation) who utilized and named the Moon cycles to keep track of the seasons and harvests.

Without further ado, witchy friends, here are all of 2021’s Full Moons, their meanings, and some magick inspiration to help you prepare for a mystical, fun, and prosperous year.

Please note: The fullness of the Moon, as well as your ability to view a solar or lunar eclipse, may vary slightly depending on where you live in the world. To pinpoint the precise date of your Full Moon, download an app such as My Moon Phase!

January 28th: The Wolf Moon

As the days are only just starting to get longer and the nights still seem cold and long, the first Full Moon of 2021, the Wolf Moon, is the time to focus on protection. Whether you are feeling vulnerable in the ongoing chaos of this world or continue to feel the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wolf Moon is your sign to practice something that will make you feel safe.

Spellwork inspiration: Cast or recast a protection spell on your home, perform a protection charm on a specific object that may feel important to you in this new year, or recite a special protection charm for yourself and those you love. Create a protection jar or sachet with salt and common herbs like rosemary, basil, cinnamon or mint. If you have Black Obsidian on hand, the go-to protection stone, place this in your spell pouch as well. Invoke some of the Wolf Moon’s correspondences by using a black bag for your sachet or including a charm of a wolf, fox, or coyote.

Crystals to carry with you: Garnet, Hematite, or Selenite

February 27th: The Hunger Moon

Sometimes called the Storm Moon or the Snow Moon, February’s Full moon is all about letting go and starting fresh. This year, the Hunger Moon falls after Imbolc, the Wiccan holiday that marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and is often seen as time to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of the sun. In this case, the Hunger Moon is the perfect time to cleanse your space both physically and metaphorically.

Spellwork inspiration: Declutter your room, toss anything that’s messing with your vibes, and do a good Spring cleaning. Then, cleanse the energy in your space. You can say a cleansing chant, spray water mixed with salt, rosemary, and essential oil around your room, or cleanse with smoke. Remember, please do not purchase white sage bundles unless you’re Indigenous; try a more sustainable bundle of herbs like lavender, cedar, or rosemary instead!

Incorporate the magical correspondences of the Hunger Moon by charging your crystals in Full Moon snow and saying hello to animal friends like chickadees.

Crystals to carry with you: Amethyst or Jasper

March 28th: The Worm Moon

Also known as Seed Moon, The Worm Moon is the time of growth, creativity, and inspiration. Falling after Ostara, the Worm Moon can also be a time for rebirth. Picture that creative project you’ve been thinking about for months. On the Worm Moon, visualize your intentions and the outcome you’re searching for when it comes to that project and make plans for how to see it through.

Spellwork inspiration: Create a sachet (preferably in a green bag to represent the Moon’s color correspondence) filled with seeds and household herbs like cinnamon or basil, as well as objects that signify what you are trying to grow or manifest. If it’s success in a new job or wealth you’re seeking, a few coins will do the trick. Use thyme on this day to represent one of the Worm Moon’s many magical correspondences and plant seeds in your garden, or buy yourself a new houseplant to represent growth and new life.

Crystals to carry with you: Bloodstone, Kambaba Jasper, or Citrine

April 26th: The Pink Moon

Remember that new project you started planning on the Hunger Moon? The Pink Moon is your sign to set that project into motion. The Pink Moon first and foremost represents fertility, but that doesn’t mean we have to take that meaning literally (unless you want it to, of course—in which case, this moon might be the perfect time to do a fertility spell). If you’re not looking for fertility in the literal sense of the word, April’s Full Moon is your chance to start something new or make a change in your life.

Spellwork inspiration: For motivation and productivity when starting your new project, make a sachet (in a pink bag, of course!), with items you already have around your house including salt, stones like Carnelian and Tiger’s Eye for creativity and strength, and common herbs like cinnamon for success or even coffee for motivation. If you need courage for making a change in your life, consider finding a chant that resonates with you and your goals, or write a more personal chant for courage that you can repeat three times.

Crystals to carry with you: Garnet, Rose Quartz, or Lapis Lazuli

May 26th: The Flower Moon

Forget cuffing season: everyone knows that May is the real season of love. The Flower Moon is all about passion and fun. This year, the full Flower Moon falls after Beltane, the Wiccan celebration of love, fertility, and friendship. While the first day of the month may be dedicated to celebrating your love for others, consider harnessing the power of the Flower Moon to practice self love.

Spellwork inspiration: Celebrate yourself with a self-love ritual bath. You can use any number of spa essentials that you may already have on hand like rose petals, diluted lavender or ylang ylang oil, epsom salts, or a bath bomb that includes any number of these ingredients. Surround the bathtub with Rose Quartz and Rhodonite, the ultimate self-love stone, and light some pink, white, and/or yellow candles. Repeat a self-love mantra to yourself while you soak up the Flower Moon’s energy!

2021’s Flower Moon is especially important because it falls on a lunar eclipse. The power to release anything that is no longer serving you will be heightened on this day. While another lunar eclipse will come on the Ivy Moon in November, this will be a time for more powerful spell-casting and ritual work.

Crystals to carry with you: Malachite, Unakite, or Rhodonite

June 24th: The Strawberry Moon

As the days are at their longest and the sweet haze of summer begins to set in, the Strawberry Moon, sometimes called the Honey Moon, is believed to be filled with something many of us often experience underneath the glow of the Full Moon: dreams. This year, the full Strawberry Moon is just two weeks after a solar eclipse on June 10th, and days after Litha, one of the most sacred sabbats in the Wheel of the Year.

Spellwork inspiration: Dream magic is your friend under the June Full Moon. Dream interpretation, however, is not something you can arrive at in just one night. And for some people, even remembering their dreams can be a difficult task. If you’ve always wanted to start a dream journal, June is the month to do it. You may also choose to use a dream tea or put together a dream sachet to keep underneath your pillow. Some stones that correspond well with dreamwork are Amethyst, for opening the third eye, and Moonstone, for dream recall. Dreamy herbs include lavender, thyme, chamomile, and rosemary, or the more difficult-to-come-by vervain and mugwort.

Of course, you’ll want to eat strawberries, or even go strawberry picking, and pay tribute to some of the Moon’s other correspondences like butterflies, frogs, and toads! 

Crystals to carry with you: Moonstone or Agate

July 23rd: The Buck Moon

To many, the buck represents a solitary, strong entity—and that’s exactly what the full Buck Moon represents as well. Also called the Thunder Moon, the Buck Moon represents authority, self-regulation, spiritual awareness, and even destiny. This moon serves as an opportunity to connect with your inner, truer self.

Spellwork inspiration: The Buck Moon is often associated with divination. Divination can be practiced in many different ways, and differs across cultures and spiritualities. One way to incorporate divination into your Buck Moon ritual could be practicing an art that many witches already use on each Full Moon: tarot. Consider asking questions that relate to your personal thoughts and feelings, and the actions you may need to take in the upcoming moon cycle. Light a purple candle to invoke extra knowledge and spiritual power.

Crystals to carry with you: Carnelian, Green Calcite, or Yellow Jasper

August 22nd: The Sturgeon Moon

Also called the Grain Moon, August’s Full Moon is about balance. While the Sturgeon Moon falls after the first of the three major harvest holidays, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain, many associate it with celebrating summer while also looking to the winter as it slowly creeps towards us. 

Spellwork inspiration: In an effort to find balance, there are a number of rituals and spells that may be useful to you underneath the full Sturgeon Moon. This could be a great time to create a healing sachet or an anti-anxiety spell jar. For healing, consider taking a yellow pouch and filling it with salt, dried lavender, chamomile and common sage, Citrine, and a piece of paper that contains what you’d like to heal or balance or a healing spell. For anxiety, fill a jar with Moon water from the Sturgeon Moon as well as salt, lavender oil, Amethyst, thyme, and rosemary or basil (both of which are magical correspondences for August’s Full Moon).

Crystals to carry with you: Carnelian, Fire Agate, or Citrine

September 20th: The Harvest Moon

The meaning of Harvest Moon rings true to its name: this full moon is all about abundance and gratitude. Falling just before the Spring Equinox, the colors of the Harvest Moon, much like the changing leaves on the trees at this time of the year, radiate warmth and the squash, wheat, and corn that grow remind us of the richness of fall.

Spellwork inspiration: The Harvest Moon is a great time to practice a gratitude ritual, which could be as simple as lighting a candle and creating a list of all the things you are grateful for. It could also serve as the perfect time to practice some kitchen witchery and share a meal with someone whose existence you are thankful for. Whether you’re looking to create a nourishing, healing meal or its cocktails you’re more into, there is always some kind of magick to be had in the home. Cook with wheat or rye to represent some of the Harvest Moon’s herbal correspondences. 

Crystals to carry with you: Citrine or Peridot

October 20th: The Hunter’s Moon

Coming to us right before Halloween, the Hunter’s Moon (sometimes Blood Moon) has a great connection to those that are no longer with us. Although the Hunter’s Moon may seem dark, with its main color correspondence being black, this Full Moon is time to learn from the past, connect with our ancestors, and honor the dead.

Spellwork inspiration: You may try to get in touch with the spirit realm under the full Blood Moon, but that isn’t necessarily for everyone—although it can be extremely rewarding for others. A great alternative if that isn’t your thing is to create an altar that honors those who have passed. You can adorn the altar with photos and objects of people and animals that you loved, and add flowers such as marigolds (which correspond with both the Harvest Moon and All Hallow’s Eve/The Day of the Dead). Some may choose to connect with the energy of the Hunter’s Moon in other ways, such as by asking their ancestors to come forward in a tarot spread or simply reflecting on the past.

Crystals to carry with you: Obsidian, Turquoise, or Black Tourmaline

November 19th: The Ivy Moon

The Ivy Moon arrives on yet another lunar eclipse, and this may be the most powerful moon to work under if you’re looking to let go of things. The Ivy Moon is for reflecting, preparing for winter, and above all else, releasing what no longer serves us. 

Spellwork inspiration: While banishing is a very powerful kind of spellwork, the lunar eclipse on the Ivy Moon may be the perfect time to do it. Oftentimes, you may pinpoint a specific negative energy that is having a severe hindrance on your life or a particularly bad habit you’re trying to break. A method many will use is writing down the energy they want to banish and burning it in a fire. Others may choose to bury the list of things they wish to banish. While there are many kinds of banishing rituals to perform in combination with burning or burying your list, a tried and true herb that corresponds with banishing is pepper, which also happens to correspond with the Ivy Moon as well.

Crystals to carry with you: Lapis Lazuli or Turquoise 

December 18th: The Cold Moon

Also the Oak Moon, the last Full Moon of 2021 arrives just days before Yule, the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. With the hope that the days will slowly begin to get longer, the Cold Moon is our chance to prepare for the isolation of winter, summon strength, and reflect on all the moon cycles that have passed.

Spellwork inspiration: The Cold Moon is a night for list-making. Light candles and myrrh incense for focus and make a list of all the things you learned over the past twelve moon cycles, as well as give thanks for all you achieved and your manifestations that came true. Then, write down your plans for the coming moon cycles, the goals you would like to work towards, and the things you want to manifest. You may choose to hold onto this or burn it, much like a wish, and know that what you are seeking will come to you.

Because the Cold Moon is all about summoning energy for the long winter ahead, consider treating yourself to a ritual bath with epsom salts, diluted rosemary oil and herbs like lavender and chamomile for happiness and peace. Find a way to work cranberries, cinnamon, and clove into your routine to invoke some of the Cold Moon’s magical correspondences.

Crystals to carry with you: Obsidian, Serpentine, or Smoky Quartz 

Artwork: Gabriella Shery is an illustrator, graphic designer, and comic artist from Brooklyn, New York. You can find her work on Instagram at @gabshery, or on her website at gabriellashery.com.

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