Moon water is a type of consecrated water. It has holy and magickal associations for witches and pagans.
Moon water was widely used by witches in Greece and Anatolia, for various purposes. Its main use, was to ward off evil and bless whatever the witch wanted. They often used it to wash the house and the body, and expel the negative energy, or activate amulets. One of its practical uses included washing the door, windows, and walls with this magic water. In the same way, they were washing their doorsteps to clean the remnants of the oils - otherwise known as magolada (witch oils)- that were smeared on their door by other witches who were in dispute.
Another use of them was the bath of new-borns -especially girls- with the magic water, so they get energy from the moon, as they believed that the child would be lucky and blessed if bathed in this water. Likewise, the young girls were bathing with moon water to have beauty.
The cunning women put the water in a glass container to see on the surface visions from the future.
The process to make the moon water had to start three days before the full moon. The witch would go out at night and take unspoken water (we wrote about it on the first issue) collected from three wells or three lakes or three springs. As its name implies, the witch did not have to talk to anyone while collecting and transporting the water. She put the water in a glass container, brought it home, and left it in the moonlight for three nights before the full moon. The reason that had to be done specifically at that time, was because the power of the moon reaches its peak three nights before its full glory. Every night the witch was working with the water by saying the following words:
"Queen of the night,
Lady of the moon and the silver light,
you who embrace with your light the World;
and in your arms the creatures of the night perch,
cast your gaze on me tonight.
Artemis, Luna, Selena, Astarte,
I call you .... (name) her daughter of (mother's name) ..... to cast your gaze on this water.
In the dark tonight, I call you to scatter your light on this water and bless it with your power.
Silver Lady, three-faced Moon come to me and touch this water,
cast your silver rays upon it and sprinkle it with your power,
exorcised it from evil and turmoil and blessed by your hand may be".
As she said the above words, she held the container of water close to her mouth, so that her breath fell on it. As she did the studying (as was called the process of focus and intention setting in Greek witchcraft), she was stirring the water clockwise with her right finger. That was being done for three nights. Every morning she would pick up the bottle before the sunrise and hide it in a dark place with no light. Then the water was ready. She had it closed in a cupboard, away from sunlight, of course, until she had to use it.
By Anastasia Diakidi
Imaginarium Magazine Issue 2
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