Dear Friends, hello, and happy fall time!  Hope your week is going well.  Did you get a chance to see the full moon lunar eclipse last Sunday night?  We had clear skies here in doo-da-land so I got to see the entire eclipse.  It was BEAUTIFUL, and powerful too.  And yes, it really was a blood moon as some have said.  Meaning that the moon was actually RED for a little while (at least, it was here in doo-da-land).  But the best part of all (in my opinion) was after the eclipse had finished and the red had tapered down, and my entire backyard and driveway were immersed in the sparkly rays of silver moonlight.

I wanted some of my spiritual & magical tools to be infused with the vibes of this full moon/blood moon/supermoon/harvest moon lunar eclipse, so I placed some of my crystals and flower essences outside in the back were they could get a few hours of that radiant moonlight.  Personally, I think crystals really LOVE to set outside and soak up the moonlight from time to time.  It helps them to get recharged, rejuvenated and re-energized, the same way that being out in the sunshine for a few hours can re-energize us human beings.  It’s not that crystals ever really lose their power or energy.  But just like all other things in nature, they can get to where they are feeling depleted, worn-out or low on energy.  The moonlight helps to revitalize them and get them functioning once again at full capacity.

If you ever want to re-charge your crystals in this way, then on a clear night, put your crystals outside in your yard in a place where they can receive at least 3-4 hours of direct moonlight.  You can also do this re-charging inside by placing the crystals on a windowsill that gets the same amount of direct moonlight.  Although it is best to do this at the time of the full moon (since the moon is giving off the most light at that time), the moon actually doesn’t haven’t to be full for the crystals to benefit.  In my experience, the best time of the month for re-charging crystals is when the lunar energies are anywhere between 75% and increasing to 75% and decreasing. 

What that means in the simplest terms is that ideally you will set your crystals out to charge in the moonlight anytime from about 2 nights before the full moon all the way up until about 2 nights after the full moon.  That means that in most months there is a 4-5 night window of optimal time for charging your crystals by the moonlight (the 2 nights before the full moon, the night of the full moon, and the two nights after the full moon…sometimes it is 1 day less depending on the time that the full moon is exact).  This is useful information for you to know, because let’s face it, sometimes we get all jazzed up about putting our crystals out on the night of the full moon to get charged, and then it clouds over at the last minute and there is no moonlight to be had.  Or perhaps you are going to be traveling on the day of the full moon but will be home the night or two before (which in that case, you can still get your crystals charged).

That means that the best nights for charging crystals in the moonlight during October 2015 will be from Sunday, October 25^th through and including the night of Thursday, October 29^th.  Also, just so you know, the full moon is happening this month on Tuesday, October 27^th at 7:05 am central time (8:05 am eastern time).  That means that the best night for charging your crystals with lunar energy in October is actually going to be Monday, October 26^th.

The reason for this is because the lunar energies will be in the upper-ninety percentile that night (Mon, Oct 26) and climbing rapidly to their 100% mark at the time of the full moon on Tuesday morning.  By the time Tuesday night rolls around, the lunar energies will actually be slightly decreasing, since the full moon has already hit earlier in the day time, and the energy begins to immediately wane & decrease after the moment of the full moon.  Of course, the energies will still be quite high & strong that night, but not quite as strong as on the night of Monday, October 26^th.  Follow the same guidance during any other month when the full moon is exact in the early morning or early afternoon on a day.

Now, I do want to emphasize that it helps to have a sense of when the moon rises in your area and also when its light will visible in your yard or windowsill.  If you have ever observed the moon’s rising for a cycle, then you know that it rises the earliest in the beginning of its cycle (near the new moon) and rises a little bit later every night.  (By the way, that’s why you don’t want to wait until too late in the moon cycle to put your crystals out to get charged, because near the end of its waning cycle, the moon is barely out much at all during the night.)  If you aren’t sure of when the moon is going to rise in your area on a given night, there are tools on-line that you can use to get an approximate time. 

One helpful tool that I know of for easily calculating moonrise time that is currently available is at http://www.timeanddate.com/moon/.  Note that this tool also tells you the percent of lunar energy/light for the current day.  (Remember it is best to charge the crystals when the moon is at 75% or more of its light.)

However, if you are planning on setting those crystals out to charge, you need to know more than when the moon is going to rise….you also need to know when it is going be visible and shining its light over your yard or windowsill where you have placed the crystals.  I myself live in a pretty wooded neighborhood, and the trees to the east of my back fence definitely do block the rising moon during certain times of the year.  Depending on the time of year (and whether the trees have leaves on them or not), there can be a delay of anywhere from one to four or five hours from the time the moon is rising to when it is high enough to cast light on the crystals in my yard. 

You too might have trees or other elements in your environment that temporarily block moonlight.  It’s a good idea to remember to take this kind of stuff into account when planning on charging your crystals, and especially when figuring out where to put them & when to put them out so that they can get their minimum 3-4 hours of moonlight.  A few nights before you set your crystals out to charge, you might try observing the path the moonlight takes through your yard for a few hours after rising.  This will give you clues as to where it would be best to place your crystals for charging.

Charging spiritual tools by the moonlight is one of the easiest things you can do to add a peaceful, calming and soothing energy.  This works great not only for crystals, but for things like flower essences and special spiritually-significant jewelry.  You can also try writing down the current goals or affirmations you are working on for the month, and placing that paper under the light of the full moon to be charged with extra strength and energy from nature. Things like tarot cards or oracle cards can also be charged by the light of the moon.

Please note that some people also charge their crystals and spiritual tools in the sunlight.  I find this works well for some crystals and spiritual tools, and then not so well for others.  Some crystals or spiritual tools have a more delicate, sensitive nature and do not like being placed in direct sunlight.  Whether you charge something in the sunlight or the moonlight, light tends to have an energizing effect on most spiritual, magical and sacred objects. 

The sunlight method is particularly good for items that are gold, red or copper colored.  Silver, clear or black stones (or objects) usually prefer being charged by the cool moonlight instead.  Moonlight rejuvenates the helpful properties of a power object while also adding an energy of calm and peace.  Sunlight, on the hand, adds a bit of assertive punch & power to your power objects.  Some objects like to be re-charged BOTH by sunlight & moonlight.  When in doubt, go with the moonlight charging method, as it is more gentle and works on almost everything.