I harnessed the power of a Super Moon and my boyfriend left me.
So naturally, I reached out to discuss it with the Witch who keeps things real @cultmother
Hydromancy is an ancient method of divination by means of water. Also known as Scrying, it can range from the reading of reflections to interpreting the movement of floating objects to observing the ripples from pebbles dropped into a pool.
The washing machine broke a few days after he left me.
It took its place in a long line of problems that evolved mostly around things dripping; the radiator in the living room, the bathroom sink, the dishwasher.
Clothing piled up in bundles - his on the floor of the spare room, mine on the floor of the bedroom.
Separate laundry, separate problems, separate lives.
Drip, drip, drip.
I called my Mother and told her about my weeping appliances
“That’s your emotions,” She said “Water is about emotions.”
It was ironic, given that the washing machine had stopped and I was the one left spinning.
Astrology is the practice of forecasting earthly and human events through the careful study of the Sun, the Moon and the Planets. Horoscopes have been published for the masses since 1827. A practitioner of Astrology is commonly referred to as an Astrologer.
According to my Google search, as well as being associated with emotions, symbolically water is also related to change, femininity, fluidity, healing and the moon.
I had been thinking about the moon in the days leading to the break up.
It was September and my newsfeed seemed inundated with talk of the Autumn Equinox, planetary transitions and more specifically the upcoming Super Moon.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, a Super Moon is essentially a larger-than-usual Full Moon, appearing so due to its closest proximity to Earth.
For Astrologers and those who follow the lunar cycle, a Super Moon is said to be even more powerful than a Full Moon. This 'Super' aspect particularly appealed to me because for several months, I had been feeling rather flat.
As well as reading my horoscope (which suggested that the Full Moon is a great time to let go of things that no longer serve you), I read an article entitled Full Moon Rituals and Spells; 8 easy ways to harness the magic and use it to your benefit.
Listed there were 8 steps which, on the eve of the Super Moon I carried out with precision;
Take a full moon bath
Clean and organise your home
Perform a releasing ceremony
Place your crystals in the moonlight
Visualisation meditation
Cleanse your home and bring in new energy
Tie up loose ends and relax
Sing dance and play
The next day, my boyfriend of 4 years left me.
Crystal Gazing involves dropping into a trance like state which induces visions within a static object such as a crystal ball. Some practitioners claim that Crystal Gazing produces supernatural insight, while others assert that the visions arise from the subconscious mind.
I’ve heard that when the moon is full, its light is so bright you can see things you wouldn’t ordinarily see in the dark.
This became a stark reality when the next day, I found myself sitting alone on a concrete ledge beneath the golden chestnut trees of central Berlin.
I had looked into my own future many times (inside my head, as opposed to the pellucid depths of a crystal ball) and this reality was a version that I had admittedly foreseen but was doing my best to avoid.
It had been bold of me to partake in a moon ritual on a whim.
Though I knew a little about the cycle of the moon and how to incorporate it into practical everyday decisions such as haircuts and gardening I think I underestimated the impact such a ritual could have on my life or more importantly, why I had chosen to partake in a “letting go” ritual in the first place.
Palmistry is the practice of fortune-telling through the study of the palm. Palm Reading involves interpreting the naturally formed lines on a person's palm and within them finding indicators of future events concerning the person being read for.
About a month before the Super Moon, I booked a consultation with a Palm Reader.
She asked for photos of my hands which I took on my iphone and sent via email.
We met on Zoom.
I was nervous.
My 4 year relationship was unstable and I had no idea if she was going to forecast something traumatic, which she did; She told me that my current boyfriend would probably be my life partner and that we would have 2 children.
Over the coming weeks, the prediction came as a relief because amidst the continuous waves of relationship doubt it gave me something positive to cling on to. But when it became apparent that this version of my future was completely off the cards, I could not forget what she said. This, on top of the gut-wrenching pain, caused some additional panic.
Cartomancy is fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards. Forms of Cartomancy appeared soon after playing cards were introduced into Europe in the 14th century. Practitioners of Cartomancy are generally known as Card Readers or simply Readers.
All that being said, I’m no stranger to dabbling in the divine.
During my twenties my Mother, Sister and I would frequently read Oracle cards together.
Oracle cards are simple, fast and sold in mainstream bookshops with pamphlets that clearly translate the card's meanings.
I was unlucky in love then. My dates were abundant but one in the same; well dressed, fascinating, full of empty promise.
I would frequently pull the snake, which in the deck we used translated as ‘Somebody charming but unreliable’.
I eventually stopped reading the cards because they spooked me and seemed to taint all my potential suitors.
Nevertheless, I continued dating snakes without much thought on the matter.
Hannah Graves aka @cultmother is a Tarot Professional based in Belfast. Hannah has been practising Tarot for 7 years and teaches the art as well as giving private readings in person and online. Tarot reading is a form of divination using a deck of 78 cards divided into what’s known as the Major and Minor Arcana. Tarot Readers interpret card meanings in specific spreads to provide insights into past, present, and future events.
When life gives you Super Moons and you recklessly perform an ill fated ritual the best thing to do is consult a Witch.
So, that's exactly what I did next.
Hannah, should I refer to you as a Witch in my essay?
Absolutely, I identify quite openly as a Witch.
What does being a Witch mean to you?
It’s always been for me the idea of somebody who moves on the fringes of society, that is maybe marginalised a little bit but who has inherent knowledge or wisdom when it comes to healing, connection with the earth and community. For me, anybody who is rebellious, who kind of pushes against the status quo and is willing to seek their own meaning in their own tools is someone who would probably fit quite well under the mantle, Witch.
Is magic making a comeback in modern daily life or has it always been there?
It’s always been there. It’s one thing that’s really important for me to remember because I sometimes worry that the bubble is going to burst and it’s not going to be trendy anymore. It’s always been there because of peoples intrinsic need to seek meaning and understanding.
What is Tarot?
Tarot provides us with a framework for exploration in developing self awareness, insight and intuition.
Do people come to you with an expectation that you are going to be able to read their future?
I’ve always said, I’m not a Fortune Teller. That’s not to do any disservice to people who actively work, thrive and do meaningful work as Fortune Tellers but for me the real reason why I can’t tell you the future is because I don’t believe that it’s set in stone. I think that everyone is the architect of their own destiny. You make choices and you and you make decisions. And what we would do with this practice is equip someone with as many different insights or perspectives as they need to feel empowered in making their own choices and their own decisions.
Can we talk about my super moon ritual please?
Yes please Alice.
It was the Super Moon in September. I was seeing a lot of stuff about the Super Moon online and I found an article called “Full Moon Rituals and Spells; 8 Easy Ways to harness the magic of the Full Moon and use it to your benefit”. I just wanted to do it. I said to myself ‘I’m going to do everything on that list on the eve of the Super Moon.” I was at a crossroad in my relationship, things hadn’t been right since my boyfriend had moved in with me almost one year before. We slipped into a codependent existence which began with romantic walks to cemeteries and adventures on frozen lakes and ended with arguments about cleaning, evenings spent indoors drinking and a feeling of no longer understanding one another. But on that day I wasn’t thinking about my relationship, I was just hoping for some clarity in terms of moving forward in my life. So as per the 8 steps, I had a Full Moon bath. I cleaned my house from top to bottom and opened all the windows. I performed a releasing ceremony where I wrote down a list of all the things I wanted to release from my life including “Anger with Paul” I then burnt the list and threw the ashes out the window. I placed all my crystals directly in the moonlight, including a rose quartz as big as my head. I did a visualisation meditation where I imagined myself being happy in the future. I went through the house with Palo Santo, starting at the back, all the way to the front with special focus on the front door. I went out for a drink in a red silk jumpsuit and then I danced in my bedroom. The next morning, he left me.
Was it moon magic or was it a manifestation of my subconscious?
I’m going to say that the most important thing for me in the way that I work is that actually it’s not important what I think. Because it’s about intentionality and you didn’t do a releasing ritual with the intention of breaking up with him or him leaving. So you weren’t deliberately trying to manifest that but I do think it’s interesting that sometimes when we focus on something like releasing the anger the Universe goes “Loud and clear!” I’m sure more serious Witches than me would say maybe there's a footnote here in terms making sure that you're bringing real clarity to your intentions. But I wouldn’t. You know what one of my favourite motto’s is at the moment Alice?
What?
It’s just not that deep. It’s probably not that deep! What I’m living for is the image of you, having that time for you. Separate from everything that was happening between you two and honestly just the image of you in a red jumpsuit, going out for a good time and then dancing around your apartment under the energy of a Super Moon. That’s more the thing I would want to focus on regardless of what happened the following day and whether or not you are with this person or not. Like are you a powerful Witch? Hell yeah. Do any of us really have the ability to shed things, remove things, adjust what it is that’s meant for us? I honestly don’t know but the belief our actions have consequences or the way the energy we move in is going to create ripple effects in our experience is as much as I lean into it.
When I say it’s never that deep, don’t get me wrong, if I’d been through that experience I would be feeling all kinds of freaked out.
Your intention was to be in this ritual so you could optimise your awareness and now here you are, deep in this process of evaluating and analysing your role; what impacted, what didn't, what tools might be beneficial, what might not. So it's just continuing to evolve for you.
Oneiromancy, prophetic divination from dreams, is considered a divine act in most ancient cultures and survived to modern times in certain folk traditions. Oneiromancy is based on the belief that dreams are messages sent to the soul by gods or the dead, most often as warnings.
Shortly after my palm reading I had a dream that my boyfriend and I were due to take a flight somewhere new. In the dream, the plane looked unstable and we decided to drive instead. From the road we saw the plane falling from the sky and bursting into flames. I moved from the back seat of the car into the passenger seat and we continued our journey, leaving the smoking wreckage behind us.
Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. Often chosen by those looking for meaning or seeking answers, it can provide insight during life's challenges. It’s important to note that the perception of Witchcraft as fringe is often rooted in societies influenced by white supremacist ideologies. Ritual and prayer are all practices of mainstream religion, the most common examples being Christianity and Catholicism. Witchcraft, often associated with women, has been vilified and wrongfully punished throughout history.
I performed a Super Moon ritual with the intention of finding clarity and direction and something that was causing me unhappiness promptly exited my orbit.
Whether or not Lunar magic is real, there is one thing I know for certain.
Approximately 14 days after the Full Moon comes a New Moon.
And with it, the rest of my life.
With my deepest gratitude for her wisdom, power of healing and love this essay is a tribute to my Mother, a Homoeopath who has spent her life helping people find answers others can't and White Witch by true name, Wanda Whiting.
Heartfelt thanks to Hannah Graves @cultmother for giving me space for her amazing interview and to Claire Pollard, poet and author of Delphi who has inspired me since I started writing and from whom I borrowed the structure for this essay. Thanks also to the brilliant
who edited this piece for me at last minute on a flight to Philadelphia.
ALICE! This is sooooo good wow.
I loved reading this. Thank you!