Moon Magic · Lystaria

Moon magic is the practice of working with the moon’s phases and natural energy to support spiritual intentions, emotional awareness, and personal growth. For as long as humans have watched the sky, we’ve noticed how deeply the moon seems to affect the world around us—and ourselves. Its cycles have shaped everything from farming and tides to myths, rituals, and astrology.

Even now, many people feel a natural pull toward the lunar cycle. Working with the moon can help create a stronger connection to intuition, inner rhythms, and the subtle shifts happening beneath the surface of everyday life. Each phase of the moon carries its own tone and purpose, offering opportunities to release what no longer serves you, set clear intentions, and invite growth, abundance, and meaningful change.

Whether you’re just beginning to explore moon magic or you’ve been following the lunar cycle for years, it can be a grounding and supportive tool. At its core, moon magic isn’t about doing things perfectly—it’s about listening inward, honoring cycles, and allowing yourself to move with intention rather than against the current.

New Moon

The new moon marks a powerful point in the lunar cycle when the moon is not visible in the sky. This phase represents beginnings, potential, and the quiet space before growth takes shape. It’s a time for planting seeds—setting intentions that you want to nurture and develop over the coming weeks.

Because the new moon exists in darkness, it also invites reflection. This is a moment to sit with both the light and shadow within yourself, acknowledging your full humanity without judgment. By embracing this duality, you gain deeper self-awareness and a clearer sense of what you truly want to create moving forward.

Themes:

New beginnings
Manifestation
Self-reflection
Planning for the future

Correspondences:

Colors: Black, navy blue, dark purple, deep indigo, silver

Crystals: Amethyst, rose quartz, bloodstone, clear quartz, onyx, obsidian, citrine, malachite, moonstone

Plants: Sage, copal resin, myrrh, jasmine, yarrow flowers

Essential Oils: Lavender, jasmine, frankincense, patchouli

Tarot Cards: The Moon, The High Priestess, The Fool

Elements: Earth and Water

Planets: Moon

New Moon Spellwork:

A Self-Love Ritual: During the new moon, take intentional time to focus on self-love and appreciation. Light a candle and reflect on qualities you admire about yourself—strengths you often overlook or take for granted. As you meditate, affirm these traits and visualize your sense of self-worth expanding outward, steady and rooted.

New Intentions Ritual: The new moon is an ideal time to set fresh intentions. Write down what you hope to achieve in the days or weeks ahead, then visualize yourself already living those outcomes. Create a small space with crystals or objects that align with your goals, allowing it to serve as a daily reminder of your commitment to growth.

Cleanse and Recharge Crystal Ritual: Use the quiet energy of the new moon to cleanse and recharge your crystals. Place them in a bowl of salted water overnight, ideally beneath the moonlight, then rinse them with fresh water in the morning. If water isn’t suitable, you can place crystals in soil or among cleansing plants that align with their natural properties.

Abundance Manifestation Ritual: The new moon is also a supportive time for working with abundance. Light a candle and visualize financial stability, opportunities, and ease flowing toward you. As the candle burns, focus on aligning your actions with your intentions in areas like love, success, and overall well-being.

The new moon offers a meaningful opportunity for change through intention, reflection, and mindful action. This phase encourages personal growth while honoring the parts of ourselves that are still forming or healing. Approach your magical work with honesty and patience, trusting that clarity and guidance unfold naturally when you move in rhythm with the lunar cycle.

Waxing Crescent

The waxing crescent is the second phase of the lunar cycle, appearing just after the new moon. During this phase, the moon begins to grow brighter in the sky, symbolizing movement, growth, and emerging momentum. What was planted during the new moon now starts to take shape, making this an ideal time to introduce fresh energy into your life and begin actively working toward your intentions.

This phase encourages gentle but intentional action. You don’t need everything figured out yet—progress here comes from curiosity, experimentation, and taking small steps forward with purpose.

Themes:

Growth and development
Creativity
Exploration and discovery
Taking action

Correspondences:

Colors: Yellow, light blue, green, silver

Crystals: Citrine, aventurine, tiger’s eye, carnelian, clear quartz

Plants: Bay leaf, cardamom, chamomile, cinnamon, ginger, jasmine

Essential Oils: Bergamot, cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint

Tarot Cards: The Empress, The Magician

Elements: Water and Air

Planets: Moon and Mercury

Waxing Crescent Spellwork:

Abundance Attraction Ritual: Work with the growing energy of the waxing crescent by focusing on attracting abundance into your life. Visualize yourself surrounded by opportunity, stability, and positive momentum. Write down what you want to manifest during this cycle, then begin taking real-world steps toward those goals. Creating a vision board can be a helpful way to keep your intentions visible and emotionally grounded.

Creative Visualization Ritual: This phase is especially supportive for creative pursuits. Light a candle and visualize your project as already completed, allowing yourself to feel the satisfaction and pride that comes with finishing it. Balance this visualization with practical planning, giving yourself both inspiration and structure to move forward.

Set Goals and Intentions Ritual: The waxing crescent is a powerful time for setting goals that require growth and development. Write down what you want to accomplish and create a step-by-step plan to support your progress. Check in with yourself regularly and acknowledge each milestone you reach, no matter how small.

The waxing crescent is a time to build momentum and support positive change through action, creativity, and focused intention. It’s also a phase that encourages openness—new ideas, insights, and opportunities may surface unexpectedly. Stay attentive and flexible, trusting that steady effort and curiosity will guide you toward growth and accomplishment.

First Quarter Moon

The first quarter moon is the third phase of the lunar cycle, arriving about a week after the new moon. This phase often brings tension or obstacles that test the intentions set during the new moon and waxing crescent. Rather than something to fear, these challenges serve as checkpoints—moments that ask you to commit, adjust, and take deliberate action toward what you’ve chosen to create.

This is a phase of effort and accountability. It invites you to engage fully with your plans, make necessary decisions, and move forward even when things feel uncomfortable or uncertain.

Themes:

Action
Overcoming challenges
Decision-making
Taking responsibility

Correspondences:

Colors: Red, orange, yellow, white

Crystals: Topaz, garnet, ruby, fire opal

Plants: Geranium, pepper, pine, rosemary

Essential Oils: Basil, black pepper, ginger, pine

Tarot Cards: The Chariot, Strength

Elements: Fire and Water

Planets: Mars and Saturn

First Quarter Moon Spellwork:

Empowerment Ritual: Use this phase to strengthen your ability to take action and follow through on your goals. Meditate on what makes you feel capable and grounded, then visualize yourself moving forward with confidence and resilience. Physical movement such as yoga, stretching, or intentional exercise can help embody this energy and release built-up tension.

Breaking Unwanted Habits Ritual: The first quarter moon supports change that requires effort and commitment. Write down habits that no longer support your well-being and create a realistic plan to release them. Focus on replacing old patterns with healthier behaviors and affirmations, allowing progress to be steady rather than all-or-nothing.

Increase Intuition and Creativity Ritual: This phase also offers clarity and insight when the mind is given space to settle. Practice mindfulness or quiet meditation to clear mental noise and reconnect with your intuition. Techniques like automatic writing or free journaling can help unlock creative ideas and reveal solutions that may not surface through logic alone.

The first quarter moon marks a turning point where intentions meet action. It asks for focus, perseverance, and conscious effort, especially when obstacles appear. Move forward with intention, trust your inner strength, and remember that challenges are often signs that meaningful growth is already underway.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

The waxing gibbous is the fourth phase of the lunar cycle, appearing roughly one week after the first quarter moon. During this phase, the moon continues to grow brighter, symbolizing expansion, preparation, and steady progress. It’s a time to fine-tune what you’ve already started, paying attention to details and making small adjustments that support long-term success.

Rather than pushing forward aggressively, the waxing gibbous encourages reflection, refinement, and patience. This is the moment to assess what’s working, what needs adjustment, and how you can better support your intentions before they fully come into fruition.

Themes:

Preparation
Refinement
Attention to detail
Progress

Correspondences:

Colors: Light blue, silver, yellow

Crystals: Aquamarine, clear quartz, moonstone

Plants: Cactus, chamomile, lemon balm, sage

Essential Oils: Juniper, lavender, peppermint

Tarot Cards: The High Priestess, The Hermit

Elements: Water and Earth

Planets: Jupiter and Neptune

Waxing Gibbous Spellwork:

Cultivating Patience Ritual: Use this phase to practice patience while refining your plans and allowing goals to develop naturally. Meditate, stretch, or practice yoga to calm the mind and body while keeping your intentions present and steady.

Increasing Abundance Ritual: Work with the growing energy of the waxing gibbous to support abundance in all areas of your life. Light candles, burn incense, and speak affirmations that focus on prosperity, opportunity, and sustained growth. Keep your attention on consistency rather than immediate results.

Protection and Transmutation Ritual: As the moon continues to brighten, use its transformative energy to release lingering negativity. Visualize a protective barrier forming around you, supported by the grounding elements of water and earth. Allow unwanted energy to be transformed into something supportive and neutral, rather than resisted or suppressed.

The waxing gibbous phase represents building potential and thoughtful preparation. It reminds us that progress doesn’t require perfection—only presence, patience, and care. Trust the process, stay open to adjustment, and allow your efforts to mature naturally as the full moon approaches.

Full Moon

The full moon is the fifth phase of the lunar cycle, appearing about two weeks after the new moon. This phase marks a point of illumination, culmination, and heightened awareness. What has been growing beneath the surface now becomes visible, offering clarity, insight, and emotional intensity.

The full moon often brings things to the surface—feelings, realizations, or outcomes that ask to be acknowledged. It’s a natural moment for completion and release, allowing space for reflection on what has come together and what is ready to be let go.

Themes:

Illumination
Completion
Release
Manifestation

Correspondences:

Colors: White, silver, blue

Crystals: Moonstone, selenite, clear quartz

Plants: Jasmine, peppermint, sandalwood, ylang-ylang

Essential Oils: Clary sage, lavender, rosemary

Tarot Cards: The Moon, The Sun

Elements: Fire and Air

Planets: Sun and Moon

Full Moon Spellwork:

Releasing Ritual: The full moon is an ideal time to release what no longer supports your well-being. Write down emotions, beliefs, or patterns you’re ready to let go of, then safely burn the paper under the light of the full moon. Allow this act to symbolize closure and emotional release.

Charging Ritual: Use the full moon’s energy to charge crystals and other spiritual tools. Place them outside or near a window where moonlight can reach them, or hold them intentionally while focusing on their renewal and amplification.

Manifestation Ritual: This phase also supports manifestation by helping you fully embody your desires. Visualize your intentions as already fulfilled, allowing yourself to feel gratitude and alignment. Creating a vision board or meditating with symbolic images under the full moon can help anchor this energy.

The full moon represents a moment of fullness, awareness, and energetic peak. It’s a time to honor what has come into being, release what feels heavy or outdated, and reconnect with your intentions from a place of clarity. Embrace the power of this phase while staying grounded, present, and intentional with your next steps.

Waning Gibbous

The waning gibbous moon is the sixth phase of the lunar cycle, appearing roughly one week after the full moon. As the moon’s light begins to fade, this phase invites reflection, integration, and gentle release. It’s a time to look back on what has unfolded, take stock of what you’ve learned, and begin loosening your grip on what no longer feels aligned.

Rather than pushing forward, the waning gibbous encourages slowing down. This phase supports thoughtful evaluation and emotional processing, allowing you to make sense of recent experiences before moving into deeper release.

Themes:

Reflection
Gratitude
Evaluation
Letting go

Correspondences:

Colors: Purple, violet, green

Crystals: Amethyst, turquoise, peridot

Plants: Lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus, lemongrass

Essential Oils: Cedarwood, lemon, rose, vetiver

Tarot Cards: Judgement, The World

Elements: Earth and Air

Planets: Saturn and Jupiter

Waning Gibbous Spellwork:

Letting Go Ritual: Use this phase to release emotions, relationships, or behaviors that no longer support your growth. Write down what you’re ready to let go of and safely burn the paper under the waning moon, allowing the act to symbolize closure and emotional release.

Gratitude Ritual: Reflect on what you’ve accomplished throughout this lunar cycle. Write a list of milestones, insights, or moments of progress, and light a candle in acknowledgment of your efforts. Consider expressing gratitude toward others who supported you along the way, whether through words, actions, or quiet presence.

Evaluation Ritual: Take time to assess your progress with honesty and compassion. Notice what has worked well and what may need adjustment moving forward. This isn’t about judgment, but about learning and refinement so future intentions can be set with greater clarity.

The waning gibbous moon offers space for integration and awareness. By embracing reflection, gratitude, and evaluation, you prepare yourself for future cycles with deeper understanding and intention. Move gently during this phase, giving yourself permission to process emotions and rest as needed.

Last Quarter Moon

The last quarter moon is the seventh phase of the lunar cycle, arriving about one week after the waning gibbous. This phase invites reassessment, intentional change, and preparation for the coming new moon. As the cycle winds down, it becomes easier to see what is ready to be released and what still deserves your energy.

This is a phase of clearing and course correction. It supports honest reflection and conscious decisions, helping you create space for renewal without rushing the process.

Themes:

Reassessment
Change
Letting go
Preparation

Correspondences:

Colors: Black, brown, grey

Crystals: Onyx, smoky quartz, hematite

Plants: Sage, rosemary, patchouli

Essential Oils: Frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh

Tarot Cards: Death, Temperance

Elements: Water and Earth

Planets: Mars and Pluto

Last Quarter Spellwork:

Letting Go Ritual: Use this phase to release anything that feels heavy, limiting, or emotionally draining. Write down what you’re ready to let go of, then bury the paper in the earth or safely flush it away, allowing the act to symbolize release and closure.

Reassessment Ritual: Take time to reflect on your progress since the full moon. Notice what has shifted, what no longer aligns, and where adjustments are needed. Approach this reflection with honesty and compassion rather than self-criticism.

Preparation Ritual: Begin preparing for the next new moon by clarifying your intentions and goals. Create a simple, realistic plan for how you want to move forward, allowing space for rest and integration before the cycle begins again.

The last quarter moon marks a time of clearing and completion. It encourages you to finish what feels unresolved, release what no longer serves you, and consciously prepare for new beginnings. Trust the process, stay open to change, and allow this phase to gently guide you toward renewal.

Waning Crescent Moon

The waning crescent moon is the final phase of the lunar cycle, appearing about one week after the last quarter moon. During this phase, the moon is barely visible in the sky, signaling a time of rest, quiet reflection, and renewal. Energy naturally turns inward here, offering a pause before the cycle begins again with the new moon.

This is not a phase of action or effort. Instead, it invites stillness, surrender, and compassion toward yourself. The waning crescent encourages you to release lingering emotional weight and allow your body, mind, and spirit to fully rest.

Themes:

Letting go
Rest
Peace
Renewal

Correspondences:

Colors: White, silver, black

Crystals: Moonstone, clear quartz, selenite

Plants: Lavender, chamomile, lemon balm

Essential Oils: Lavender, chamomile, frankincense

Tarot Cards: The Hermit, The Star

Elements: Water and Air

Planets: Neptune and Mercury

Waning Crescent Spellwork:

These spells and rituals are suggestions you can incorporate into your moon practice during this phase of the lunar cycle. They are meant to support reflection, intention, and alignment rather than strict rules to follow. Feel free to adapt them to fit your energy, beliefs, and personal needs, or simply use them as inspiration for creating your own meaningful practices.These spells and rituals are suggestions you can incorporate into your moon practice during this phase of the lunar cycle. They are meant to support reflection, intention, and alignment rather than strict rules to follow. Feel free to adapt them to fit your energy, beliefs, and personal needs, or simply use them as inspiration for creating your own meaningful practices.

Letting Go Ritual: Use this phase to release anything that feels heavy, unresolved, or draining. Write down what you’re ready to let go of and safely burn the paper under the waning moon, allowing the act to symbolize closure and emotional release.

Rest Ritual: Prioritize rest and gentle self-care during this phase. Choose activities that help you slow down and recharge, such as meditation, journaling, warm baths, or quiet time in nature. Honor your need for stillness without guilt.

Renewal Ritual: As the cycle comes to a close, begin gently turning your attention toward what comes next. Reflect on positive affirmations and visualize the energy you want to carry into the upcoming new moon. This is a time for soft intention-setting rather than concrete planning.

The waning crescent moon marks a sacred pause between cycles—a moment to rest, release, and restore. By honoring this phase with care and patience, you prepare yourself for new beginnings with greater clarity and balance. Allow yourself to slow down, trust the rhythm of the cycle, and welcome renewal in its own time.

The lunar cycle isn’t rigid or perfectly segmented, and neither are we. The phases often overlap in feeling and experience—rest can exist alongside action, release can happen even as something new begins, and clarity doesn’t always arrive on schedule. That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It simply means you’re moving through a living, breathing cycle.

Each moon phase offers its own perspective, lesson, and opportunity, even when the lines between them blur. Some cycles will ask more of you, while others invite softness and surrender. What matters most is not following the phases perfectly, but listening to what resonates with you in each moment.

Moon magic is ultimately about awareness, intention, and honoring natural rhythms—both in the sky and within yourself. By returning to the lunar cycle again and again, you create space for growth, reflection, rest, and renewal, trusting that every phase has something valuable to offer when approached with presence and care.