Want to Align with the Lunar Cycle? 5 Must Read Books!

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Wondering why so many people are tweeting about what moon phase we’re in right now? Drooling over the beautiful moon phases calendars 2021 has flooded your Instagram feed with? Intrigued by the idea of moon magic or just following the lunar cycle to live a more balanced life of flow and alignment?

Then clear some space on your bookshelf, my friend! Below are five great books for aligning with the lunar cycle and incorporating lunar magic into your life.

The lunar cycle – the main moon phases plus everything in between – can affect us deeply. Depending on which moon phase we are currently in, our energy levels can fluctuate, our mood can change, and we can find ourselves relating and connecting differently to others, and even ourselves.

(Related: How to Follow the Moon Cycle for a More Balanced Life)

There are so many magical books about the moon cycle out right now! So, I organized my short list starting with most recently released.  It’s a fine time to be a witchy book worm indeed!

Plus, all of these lunar cycle books have a slightly different bent and focus. One is more spiritual than witchy, while another is first and foremost a spell book. That sort of thing.  So read on to see which one resonates the most with what the the moon cycle means to you right now.

1. The Moon Book: Lunar Magic to Change Your Life by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener (2020)

The Moon Book came out at the end of 2020. So it is perhaps no surprise that Sarah Faith Gottesdiener leaves little room for “love and light” folks who practice their magic without paying attention to the climate crises and systemic injustices that plague us.

It is a thorough treatment and explanation of the moon’s history, spiritual significance, and everything you need to know to start any spiritual or magical practice, but especially one that honors the moon. While the brand of witchcraft taught in this book is flexible, approachable, and fully customizable, spiritual bypassing, cultural appropriation, and marginalizing queer, BIPOC, or differently abled witches is a non-starter here.

So if you are tired of seeing writers and teachers of witchcraft and spiritual work (especially white, heterosexual, and/or cis-gendered ones) neglect the realities of oppression, marginalization, and discrimination and want to see witchcraft discussed in a way that holds space for all of that and more, then this is absolutely the book for you.

2. Moon Magic: A Handbook of Lunar Cycles, Lore, and Mystical Energies by Aurora Kane (2020)

A handbook is exactly right for Aurora Kane’s book, also published last year. Her book is much more of a how to guide for working with the moon cycle. She even breaks down her chapters into magical tools of choice: a chapter devoted to herbs, another to crystals, essential oils, and more.

She includes specific affirmations and incantations, like the one for November’s Beaver Full Moon above, to use in your rituals and spell work. If creating your own rituals from scratch and coming up with your own scripts and actions overwhelms you, Aurora Kane has got you covered.

3. Moon Power: How to Harness the Magic of the Moon to Improve Your Life by Lori Reid (2019)

Lori Reid’s Moon Power is like the cool astronomy textbook you wish you had back in high school or college or whenever people take astronomy (I never had the pleasure). It is full of moon charts and lunar cycle diagrams and tables and all sorts of visually organized information that make the book both more beautiful and accessible.

Reid’s book is also pretty astrology-focused (although not entirely). But there are lots of zodiac correspondences and birth chart references to dazzle astrology lovers and make them feel right at home.

(Related: How Astrology Shows up in Tarot – Free Cheat Sheet!)

4. Lunar Abundance: Cultivating Joy, Peace, and Purpose Using the Phases of the Moon by Ezzie Spencer, PhD (2018)

Dr. Spencer’s beautiful workbook is all about how the phases of the moon affect us and how we can use the lunar cycle to live a more balanced life of flow and alignment. She relies on the Chinese concept of yin and yang to explain how one (of many) powerful meanings of the moon cycle is that it represents duality and the need for balance in our lives.

Elaborating in painstaking detail (I’m talking names of moon phases you’ve never heard before!), Lunar Abundance is a step-by-step guide on how to follow the lunar cycle, the unique significance of each moon phase, and rituals and meditations galore. She even includes lunar cycle journaling prompts to help you track moon phases and learn how to incorporate all eight moon phases into your spiritual life.

5. Moon Magic: Your Complete Guide to Harnessing the Mystical Energy of the Moon by Diane Ahlquist (2016)

Diane Ahlquist’s book is the most comprehensive when it comes to specific moon rituals and spells. I’m talking spells for healing from illness, getting over a break up, improving your intuition, manifesting goals, and more. Heck, she even has a bunch of lunar recipes in this book (apparently Full Moon Breakfasts and Moon Magic Mint Mojitos are two things that have been sorely missing from my life).

So if, in addition to the magical history of the moon and general principles of intention setting with the moon, you want a spell book and recipe book to be able to pull out , thumb through, and get right to work, you’ll love this one!

(Related: Catch this book and others on The Ultimate Witchy Gift Guide for all your Spiritual and New Age Friends!)

Have you read any of these books already? And tell me: How much attention do you pay to the current moon phase?  Let me know in the comments below!