Everything Under the Moon

I was just wondering if drawing down the moon is a strictly Wiccan ceremony. I feel a draw to do this ritual, but not sure of the heritage or process.


Thanks;-)

If you feel drawn to do it, then I would do it and not worry about where it comes from. My practice borrows from many different paths. I just use what Im drawn to do, and what feels right for me.

Thank you.

Old post, so I know the OP won't see this, but others may. The topic just happens to coincide with my current reading. Raven Grimassi has written about some of the verifiable and recorded history behind Drawing Down the Moon as a practice of infusing oneself with lunar light. That is different from an invocation of Calling the Goddess by a priest into a priestess. Invocation into the priestess apparently was more a part of a priestess' work in formally established religious shrines like Nemi and Delphi. In his book "the Witch's Craft, Roots of Witchcraft and Magical Transformation" pg. 141-142 Grimassi briefly covers both techniques, to be accomplished without the aid of a priest. He further mentions trance on pg. 156-157.

According to RG, Drawing Down the Moon is in writings going back to Aristophanes in 423 BCE, supported later by Roman writers Lucan and Ovid. (uh-huh, remember them?). And Carlo Ginsberg also cited references in Witchcraft trial transcripts approximately from 1300s and onward, but no details were given, just the phrase "drawing down the moon from the heavens".

Personally, my favorite solitary method is to stand outdoors in the path of the full Moon's light. I stretch out my sense of my aura, which i feel as a larger than my body space i physically occupy, so my awareness is all the way to the edges of my space. I pull the moon light into me, rather similar to feeling the warmth of sunlight on the skin, only this is the moonlight. Then I pull my awareness from the edges of my space, along with the aura full of light, and draw back into my center point.

Another way I've read of it has been described as imagining wearing a hooded cloak of moonlight.

And still another way is if you are fortunate to be near open water that catches the reflection of the moon. Stand so that the path of light comes straight to you on the water. It can be done with a large bowl filled with water too, and positioning it to catch the light.

Sometimes I just gaze at the moon, and let it be.