moon magick

Written By Bradley Doudna

For generations, Pennsylvania German families looked to the heavens as much as to the soil. The moon was not simply decoration in the night sky — it was a guide for when to plant, when to harvest, and even when to bless or heal. In Braucherei, the old healing and blessing tradition, lunar timing mattered. It wasn’t superstition for its own sake, but a way of aligning prayer, work, and medicine with the natural order of creation.

The Moon in Braucherei Tradition

Every farmhouse once had an almanac. Its pages told the days best for sowing beans, cutting wood, or brewing medicines. The moon was seen as a sign — not worshipped, but read as part of God’s handiwork. To work with the moon meant working with creation itself.

The Braucher, or healer, paid attention to these rhythms. If herbs were gathered, their potency was thought to follow the waxing or waning of the moon. If a prayer was spoken, its power could be aided by the moon’s timing. The practice was always rooted in faith, scripture, and the cycles that governed rural life.

Phases of the Moon & Their Uses

  • New Moon
    A time for beginnings. In Braucherei, this was when blessings were spoken over infants, when prayers were said for fresh starts, or when seeds were first placed in the soil.

  • Waxing Moon
    As the moon grew, so did intentions. This was the phase for prosperity charms, for strengthening the body, and for medicines aimed at restoring or increasing health.

  • Full Moon
    A night of fullness and blessing. The full moon was considered powerful for healing rites, for protective hex signs, and for blessing water or herbs with prayer. Many Braucher prayers were timed for this night.

  • Waning Moon
    As the moon diminished, so too could unwanted conditions. Wart cures, banishment of pests, and the cleansing of illness were best performed during this phase. The waning moon was a time to remove, to let go, to be free.

Moon Charms & Psalms

Charms in Braucherei were often prayers or Bible verses spoken aloud, timed with the phases of the moon. For example, Psalm 121 (“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…”) might be recited under the full moon for protection on a journey.

Wart charms, one of the most enduring forms of Braucherei, often called for the waning moon — a simple prayer spoken while touching the wart with a coin, then throwing the coin away under the moonlight. The act wasn’t about illusions or tricks, but about faith, timing, and intention.

Herbal & Healing Applications

Herbs were rarely gathered at random. A plant harvested in the waxing moon was thought to carry strength, vitality, and growth. Roots or purgative herbs pulled in the waning moon were believed better suited to draw out illness.

Moon-blessed water was also used: a jar of water set beneath the full moon overnight, then prayed over, became a simple tool for washing wounds, blessing the forehead, or cleansing a space.

Remedies often carried lunar timing in their instructions:

  • Drawing salves were best started on a waxing moon.

  • Wart cures were performed during waning.

  • Tonics for strength were brewed as the moon grew.

Modern Application

For the modern practitioner, you don’t need a farm or a cupboard of almanacs to observe the moon. Start by noting its phases. Align your self-care with it:

  • Begin a new habit or prayer at the new moon.

  • Build strength, exercise, or nourishment during waxing.

  • Hold rituals of gratitude and blessing under the full moon.

  • Release old patterns, cleanse your home, or address illness as the moon wanes.

Even small acts — journaling, a prayer walk or blessing a cup of tea take on deeper meaning when timed to the moon. This is not about superstition, but about slowing down, observing creation, and working with the rhythms that guided our ancestors.

Moon magick in Braucherei was never about illusion or trickery. It was about timing work, prayer, and healing in step with the order of nature. The moon remains a faithful guide, reminding us that life moves in cycles of growth and release.

Begin with observation: mark the moon’s phase tonight, and note how it shapes your own rhythm. In time, you’ll find what generations of Braucher knew..the moon keeps time not only in the heavens, but in the heart and the body as well.

Sources

Bradley Doudna
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