The Makings of Moon Water
Right after this past Summer Solstice I was working in the Medicine Garden at Alemany Farm in San Francisco with another gardener, Monica (@acinomsqar). We were doing a bit of weeding and harvesting. The calendula, chamomile, catnip and daisies were thriving. Their blooms and leaves were abundant. As we groomed the pathways we discussed ideas for what to do with all this bounty. She mentioned that it just "so happened" to be San Giovanni Day and explained the meaning and traditions of this day.
In Italy June 23 is the day before the birthday of San Giovanni ( St John or John the Baptist - it varies.) To celebrate, flowers and medicinal plants are gathered from the garden, placed in a bowl of spring water and left out in the garden overnight to gather the dew. On June 24th the water is strained and used to clean the house, particularly the floors and to wash your face, hair and body to bring protection and good luck for the rest of the year.
Learning about this tradition felt very poignant because I have been exploring my ancestral spiritual practices and traditions as a way to authentically connect to my family lineage. I believe my father's family is from Italy but because he was adopted and never wanted to find his birth parents I don't have any way to verify or connect to this part of my heritage. Here was a sweet and lovely way to learn and celebrate this part of my history.
I took the bounty home, placed it in a glass jar of filtered water, then took it into my yard where I added rosemary, mint, roses, orange blossoms and nasturtium flowers. It was a riot of scents and colors. On top of everything that night there was a full moon in Sagittarius! .So as I tucked the jar full of flowers and water in a protected spot in the garden I asked for the blessing of my ancestors, to help me heal any harms that they may have caused and for protection as I did this work.
The Moon has a strong connection to water. The tides as well as menstrual blood ebb and flow as she cycles around us. Water symbolically represents our emotions which can feel wave-like and changing. Using the Moon to charge water is such a simple and powerful way to imbue it with intention for magical purposes. If you want to create Moon Water to aid in a magical or spiritual practice here are some things to ponder:
Set an intention. Sounds simple but I find it to be both the most important and the most challenging part. There could be a whole discussion on ways to really get to the heart of an intention and how to state it, but for now really get clear and what you are going for and write it down.
Next:
Consider the phase of the Moon; dark, waxing ( growing), full and waning (shrinking). Each has power and purpose.
Layer on Astrology: What planets and Zodiac signs are interacting with the Moon? Look ahead for the planetary patterns that would add extra zip and plan your Moon water for that time.
What Plants or stones, sigils or signs could be submerged in or placed near the water to strengthen and align with your intention?
What is the season of the year? Is it Winter and we are slowing down, turning inward? Or Summer full of hot energy and harvest? How will these energies interact with your intention?
What is the vessel to hold your water? Fancy to plain choose the one that best suits your goal.
You are creating a spell with each of your selections. Everything is Everything!
When you know what you want, the timing and all the extras to enhance your Moon Water simply set it up in an undisturbed spot (fire escapes, windowsills & rooftops count in urban settings) outside overnight when everything is in place.
Keep the finished Moon Water on your altar, drink it ( if you used safe consumable ingredients), water your plants with it & save it in a spray bottle (add a little vodka or other neutral alcohol to preserve it longer) to cleanse and protect yourself and your spaces. These are just few ways to incorporate Moon Water into your practices.
Share ways you have created & used Moon Water or other traditions that you have around charging water with the Moon in the comments or over in the COVEN Discord.
