Latest / Old Ways New Days / The Blue Moon: Folklore, Magic, and the Sacred Rarity of Becoming

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The Blue Moon: Folklore, Magic, and the Sacred Rarity of Becoming · Old Ways New Days

• 0:00
  There are nights when the moon feels familiar, predictable, comforting, part of the ancient rhythm we've always known.
• 0:10
  And then there are the rare moons, the ones that seem to bend time itself.
• 0:19
  The blue moon is one of those moons.
• 0:22
  Not truly blue in color, though folklores sometimes say otherwise, but blue in feeling.
• 0:32
  Unusual, powerful liminal.
• 0:37
  A moon that exists outside the expected rhythm.
• 0:43
  For centuries people have looked toward these rare lunar events with awe, some believing they intensified magic, others viewing them as omens, some seeing them as opportunities for transformation and deep reflection.
• 1:01
  Tonight we step into the folklore and spiritual energy of the blue moon, exploring its myths, rituals, symbolism, and the quiet invitation it offers us to pause between cycles and listen closely to what is changing within us.
• 1:23
  Welcome witches, pagans, heathens, spiritualists, and seekers of the unseen.
• 1:30
  This is Old Ways, New Days, Magic episode, where ancient magic meets the turning of the seasons.
• 1:39
  I'm Kayla and I'm Nell.
• 1:41
  Here, each full moon, we wander the winding path of Earth-centered witchcraft, honoring the spirits, cycles, and subtle energies that shape our world.
• 1:51
  From spellcraft to star lore, heart magic to hedgewalking, we're reclaiming the old wisdom rooted in the land, whispered by our ancestors, carried in the quiet beneath heartbeats.
• 2:04
  Whether you're lighting a candle, casting a circle, or simply listening with an open spirit, this is a space for wild soul practitioners weaving intention, intuition, and everyday enchantment into their lives.
• 2:18
  Welcome to the magic and to the many ways it moves through us, and we've got to do that.
• 3:22
  I'm so glad to see you.
• 3:26
  Well, wait it's been a month.
• 3:28
  I suppose, because I left two weeks the last two weeks in April, and it's now the end of May, right?
• 3:35
  So Yeah, that that's probably about right.
• 3:38
  It has probably been about a month.
• 3:40
  And a lot's happened in that month.
• 3:43
  I know.
• 3:43
  You've you are you officially 100% moved?
• 3:47
  Well, me?
• 3:49
  No.
• 3:51
  Out of the townhouse?
• 3:52
  Yes.
• 3:53
  Okay.
• 3:54
  Out of my apartment?
• 3:56
  No.
• 3:57
  That's a long way to go yet.
• 3:59
  Okay.
• 3:59
  But it's a you know, it's it's a work in progress.
• 4:02
  Yeah, it's not like you have a timeline for the apartment, do you?
• 4:06
  November.
• 4:06
  Okay.
• 4:07
  Yeah, that's you have plenty of time to get out of the apartment then.
• 4:11
  Geez.
• 4:12
  Right?
• 4:13
  And even then it might be later because he'll still probably be living there.
• 4:17
  And I'll just pay him like a storage fee.
• 4:22
  There you go.
• 4:23
  Your your ex-roommate.
• 4:25
  Yep.
• 4:26
  Okay.
• 4:27
  Um, well, I mean, my trip to New Jersey was successful in some ways and uh not so in others.
• 4:34
  Um the auction never happened.
• 4:37
  No one ever showed up.
• 4:38
  Really?
• 4:39
  Yes.
• 4:40
  So as disappointing as that was.
• 4:42
  Um, but I was able to sell a few things um that needed to get, you know, gone, and we donated a lot to a local thrift store and packed up about 75% of the basement into boxes.
• 4:57
  So there was a lot of stuff down there.
• 4:59
  I yeah, for so much for my dad saying, I'm getting rid of stuff.
• 5:05
  Sure, sure.
• 5:07
  This is your reminder, folks.
• 5:08
  Right?
• 5:09
  Declutter, declutter, declutter.
• 5:11
  I'm working on it.
• 5:12
  I'm working on it.
• 5:13
  Uh yeah, I I definitely have a newfound appreciation for living a minimalist life.
• 5:20
  And once I'm done with my dad's property and it's been sold and everything is finalized, then I will definitely be downsizing on the amount of crap I have in my house.
• 5:35
  Mm-hmm.
• 5:37
  We'll have to have one big, huge sale.
• 5:40
  Yes.
• 5:41
  I mean, I'm gonna have a sale in August pretty much the entire month while I'm recovering from surgery, but Yeah.
• 5:49
  So uh but I don't know where it is uh what the what the summer, the beginning, early stages of summer are looking like for our listeners, but here it is hot.
• 6:00
  It is grossly hot.
• 6:01
  And it was like nice and gorgeous when I got back from New Jersey, and then all of a sudden, like overnight.
• 6:07
  And then it gets sweltering, and then it will get nice and cold, and then it goes back to sweltering.
• 6:15
  Yes.
• 6:16
  Ugh, the Midwest, right?
• 6:18
  Yeah, the upper northern Midwest to boot.
• 6:22
  And of course, the the other thing that I came back to was a plethora, an overabundance of dandelions.
• 6:31
  Which have all now gone to seeds, so my goal is every day to fill one bag, minimum of one bag of dandelions.
• 6:40
  And right now I'm just doing the dandelion heads so that I don't have You're gonna make the tea for it?
• 6:46
  Uh with the root, yes, I probably will.
• 6:48
  Um once I once I take care of all the dandelion seed heads so that I don't have more a thousand times more problems.
• 6:59
  Then yeah, I will probably and maybe I could make a video of how to make dandelion root, you know, like how to prep the roots for dandelion tea.
• 7:08
  Because dandelion tea is or was uh the poor man's coffee um it for the longest time.
• 7:16
  That's that's people cultivated it.
• 7:18
  They actually grew it in their garden as a as an herb, because you could eat the whole thing.
• 7:23
  Yep.
• 7:24
  And right now they're too large, so the leaves are too bitter.
• 7:27
  And since they're all to seed, I think you could probably eat the seeds, but they're so tiny.
• 7:33
  Yeah.
• 7:33
  I don't know if it would be worth it.
• 7:35
  I don't know.
• 7:36
  Plus the fluff to defluff them all.
• 7:40
  You have so much, it looks like it's snowing.
• 7:43
  Well, then you got the cottonwood on top of that.
• 7:45
  Yeah, I mean, between the cottonwood trees and the dandelion puffs, it's it looks like winter.
• 7:54
  But it doesn't feel like winter.
• 7:55
  It doesn't feel like winter.
• 7:57
  So yeah, today um we are talking about the uh blue moon, which is not the song.
• 8:05
  No, we're talking about um the second full moon in the month of May.
• 8:15
  Which this will be our second episode that we're it'll be posted on Sunday, and we'll have an episode before that.
• 8:25
  So whoops, don't hurt yourself.
• 8:28
  It's been a long day.
• 8:30
  It has.
• 8:32
  It's been a long week.
• 8:35
  Month?
• 8:36
  Year?
• 8:39
  We're only in May and already 2026 is Oh well because I had pool tournaments while you were gone.
• 8:49
  And both teams I'm in won, so I'm still in 'em.
• 8:56
  Congratulations.
• 8:57
  Thank you.
• 8:58
  And so I'm on to the next round.
• 9:01
  Oh.
• 9:02
  And we play this weekend.
• 9:04
  Okay.
• 9:05
  And then we have a weekend off.
• 9:06
  And then we play again the following weekend.
• 9:09
  Well, I hope I'm glad you have a weekend off because that weekend should be the weekend we're doing bridesmaids dresses.
• 9:18
  After I'm done with the work?
• 9:21
  Uh oh.
• 9:22
  Because I cannot get it off of work.
• 9:25
  Oh no, okay.
• 9:26
  Um unless it's on a Sunday.
• 9:28
  Nope, it's Saturday the 6th.
• 9:30
  Uh at 11.
• 9:32
  Well, I can always try to leave early.
• 9:34
  Okay.
• 9:35
  Tell them you have an appointment that you forgot about and Yeah.
• 9:39
  We'll make it work.
• 9:40
  And not miss.
• 9:42
  I know.
• 9:42
  Whoops.
• 9:43
  I know my well, my daughter's not sure if she can get it off, so I said, and but she doesn't usually start till like 1 or 1.30.
• 9:49
  So I said, well, if that's the case, you just drive there now that she has a car.
• 9:55
  Yay! I know.
• 9:56
  Very mobile, it's so happy.
• 9:59
  Uh, you can just drive there, meet us there.
• 10:01
  You'll be the first person to try on dresses, and then you can skedaddle.
• 10:06
  Right.
• 10:07
  Because the color will come later anyway.
• 10:09
  Yeah.
• 10:10
  We'll just figure out style and type and you know, we got plenty of time anyway.
• 10:16
  I know, but I I just I like checking off all the boxes.
• 10:20
  I know you do.
• 10:21
  That means next year we'll be hopefully super not stressful.
• 10:28
  There's always something to stress about.
• 10:30
  Oh, please don't tell me that.
• 10:32
  But it'll be fine.
• 10:34
  Okay, but we're getting off topic.
• 10:36
  Alright.
• 10:36
  So um, we are talking, like I said, we're talking about the blue moon.
• 10:40
  Um, so what is a blue moon?
• 10:43
  It's the the phrase once in a blue moon comes from the rarity of the event.
• 10:49
  Traditionally, a blue moon referred to the third full moon in a season containing four full moons.
• 10:56
  More commonly today, it refers to the second full moon occurring within a single calendar month, which is this month.
• 11:04
  Uh, blue moons are uncommon because lunar cycles don't fit perfectly into uh human calendars, and they that mismatched energy created mystery.
• 11:15
  Historically, anything that disrupted expected cycles was viewed with spiritual significance.
• 11:22
  The blue moon became associated with thresholds, change, intensified intuition, hidden truths, rare opportunities.
• 11:31
  It represents the extraordinary appearing within the ordinary.
• 11:38
  So blue moons have inspired folklore across cultures through interpretations varying, because they are rare, they were often seen as portals between worlds, times of amplified magic, moments when the veil between spiritual and physical realms thinned.
• 12:01
  European folklore in parts of the European folk tradition, unusual moons were connected to prophecy, weather omens, strange happenings.
• 12:16
  Farmers watched lunar cycles closely, believing rare moons could influence harvest timing, animal behavior, and human emotions.
• 12:26
  The blue moon carried a feeling of unpredictability, a reminder that nature does not always move in perfectly controlled patterns.
• 12:36
  In Appalachian folk practices, rare moons were often considered especially potent for divination, protection rituals, ancestor work, manifestation prayers.
• 12:48
  People believed intentions set during unusual moons carried extra weight.
• 12:54
  While the term blue moon itself is modern and western in language, many cultures around the world have long honored unusual lunar events.
• 13:06
  Across traditions, full moons are tied to fertility and abundance.
• 13:11
  Rare celestial events often symbolize transformation or spiritual openings.
• 13:17
  Communities gathered to sing, dance, feast, or pray beneath powerful moons.
• 13:23
  The moon has always acted as both a clock and a mirror for human emotion and spiritual life.
• 13:32
  Spiritually, the blue moon is often associated with amplified energy, not chaotic energy, but concentrated energy.
• 13:42
  It represents culmination, revelation, rare chances, emotional clarity, and spiritual recalibration.
• 13:49
  This is not typically a quiet inward moon like the dark moon, nor is it the fresh beginning energy of the new moon.
• 13:57
  The blue moon is illuminating, intense, transitional.
• 14:01
  It often brings hidden feelings or truths to the surface.
• 14:04
  People may experience heightened emotions, strong dreams, increased intuition, and a sense of urgency or awakening.
• 14:12
  Alright, psychologically rare celestial events can act as symbolic interruptions to routine.
• 14:19
  They remind us life is cyclical but not always predictable.
• 14:26
  So colors of the blue moon.
• 14:29
  The silver is intuition and lunar reflection, a deep blue is mystery and wisdom.
• 14:39
  Violet, spiritual transformation, white, clarity and purification.
• 14:46
  Herbs associated with the blue moon include mugwort for dream work and intuition, lavender for emotional balance, jasmine for spiritual openness, blue vervain for calm and clarity, chamomile for grounding after emotional intensity.
• 15:05
  So foods for the blue moon rituals.
• 15:08
  Traditionally lunar celebrations often include herbal teas, honey, bread, berries, milk or cream-based foods, seasonal fruits, simple foods shared intentionally under moonlight can become ritual themselves.
• 15:30
  So the we're gonna do a blue moon ritual for releasing and calling forward.
• 15:37
  Yes.
• 15:38
  This ritual is designed for reflection and transformation.
• 15:42
  What you'll need, a candle, white, silver, or blue if possible.
• 15:46
  A bowl of water, pen, paper, and pen, optional herbs or incense.
• 15:53
  For the ritual, you want to sit quietly beneath the moon, if possible.
• 15:58
  Light the candle, place the bowl of water before you and allow it to reflect the moonlight.
• 16:03
  On one side of the paper, you want to write what no longer belongs in your life.
• 16:09
  This could be old fears, exhaustion, habits, or beliefs you are ready to release.
• 16:14
  Work.
• 16:15
  Work.
• 16:17
  Can I release work?
• 16:19
  Do you like a paycheck?
• 16:21
  Yes.
• 16:22
  Okay.
• 16:22
  So probably not yet.
• 16:24
  Darn it.
• 16:26
  On the other side, right, what you wish to grow into.
• 16:30
  What you are what you want more of.
• 16:33
  What your spirit has been asking for.
• 16:36
  So promotion.
• 16:38
  There you go.
• 16:39
  But work.
• 16:41
  More money.
• 16:44
  More money.
• 16:45
  I know, and you can't yeah.
• 16:48
  I'll figure it out.
• 16:49
  Fold the paper, hold it in your hands, and say, Under this rare moon I honor what is ending, and make space for what is becoming.
• 17:00
  Place the paper beneath the bowl overnight or safely burn it if appropriate.
• 17:05
  Then sit quietly and simply observe the moon for several moments.
• 17:09
  No rushing, nor for no forcing, just witnessing.
• 17:15
  So now we're gonna go into the meditation of this.
• 17:21
  So find a comfortable place to sit or even lay down.
• 17:27
  Take a slow breath in and out.
• 17:39
  Imagine yourself standing beneath a vast night sky.
• 17:45
  Above you hangs the blue moon.
• 17:48
  Luminous, rare, radiant.
• 17:52
  Its light spills across the earth in silver blue waves.
• 17:57
  You feel that light touching your shoulders, your chest, your hands.
• 18:04
  Not demanding anything, only illuminating it.
• 18:09
  Now imagine a path appearing before you.
• 18:41
  Not erasing your past, but helping you carry it differently.
• 18:46
  Now stop.
• 18:48
  Place your hand over your heart.
• 18:51
  Ask quietly, what truth am I finally ready to see?
• 18:58
  Do not force an answer.
• 19:00
  Simply listen.
• 19:02
  Breathe deeply once more.
• 19:05
  And when you are ready, reach her.
• 19:12
  Nicely done.
• 19:13
  Thank you.
• 19:16
  Blue moon celebrations do not need to be elaborate.
• 19:20
  Historically, moon gatherings often centered around community, reflection, firelight, storytelling, music, shared meals, and simple ways to honor.
• 19:31
  Simple ways to honor the blue moon include moonlit walks, journaling, bonfires or candles, tea rituals, stargazing, silent reflection, gathering with trusted friends.
• 19:43
  The key is intentionality.
• 19:46
  The moon reminds us to pause.
• 19:48
  In a world constantly demanding movement, that pause becomes sacred.
• 19:55
  So the blue moon does not appear often, and perhaps that is part of its wisdom.
• 20:02
  Not every season of life is meant to be constant.
• 20:06
  Some moments arrive rarely, but change us deeply.
• 20:10
  The blue moon reminds us that transformation is not always gradual, that rare opportunities matter, that life occasionally breaks its own patterns.
• 20:21
  And when it does, we are invited to pay attention, to listen, to reflect beneath the strange and beautiful light of becoming.
• 20:30
  Because sometimes the rarest season reveals the clearest truth.