WITCHING HOUR
"Two pairs of eyes are watching me now, from the couch and the ledge by the window. Faerieland shines in those eyes. And I must leave you, for it's the witching hour and a full moon is rising. . . ."
~ Washington Irving
Oh how I love the "Witching Hour"! I am a night owl by nature...my circadian sleep rhythms are not normal. The clinical term for this 'disorder' is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Basically, that means that people with DSPS tend to fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning. It also tends to be hereditary and people with DSPS tend to be extreme night owls. They feel most alert and say they function best and are most creative in the evening and at night. DSPS sufferers cannot simply force themselves to sleep early. This is all VERY true....and it is precisely why my favorite time of the day is Midnight...The Witching Hour. I've always maintained that I don't even start to get my creative groove on until the midnight hour. Then I'm alert and my creativity seems to peak. I am a nocturnal creature to be certain, but I've never really considered this to be a problem for me as it has always just been the natural state of things. So here's a little info for you on my favorite time of day...The Witching Hour.
The witching hour is the hour of midnight on a full moon. It is at this time that the witches spell casting powers are at their fullest. The witching hour is a time of change and transformation.
The history of the witching hour may be traced to the ancient times of the worship
of Goddesses associated with the moon and fertility. As the moon waxes in its phases so do the powers of those, until they culminate at the full moon. In European folklore, the witching hour is the time when supernatural creatures such as witches and ghosts are thought to be at their most powerful, and black magic at its most effective. This hour is typically midnight, and the term may now be used to refer to midnight, or any late hour, even without having the associated superstitious beliefs. The term "witching hour" can also refer to the period from midnight to 3am. So next time the clock strikes twelve...remember it's the Witching Hour and the veils between the worlds are thin.
The history of the witching hour may be traced to the ancient times of the worship
of Goddesses associated with the moon and fertility. As the moon waxes in its phases so do the powers of those, until they culminate at the full moon. In European folklore, the witching hour is the time when supernatural creatures such as witches and ghosts are thought to be at their most powerful, and black magic at its most effective. This hour is typically midnight, and the term may now be used to refer to midnight, or any late hour, even without having the associated superstitious beliefs. The term "witching hour" can also refer to the period from midnight to 3am. So next time the clock strikes twelve...remember it's the Witching Hour and the veils between the worlds are thin.
![](<img src="http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i149/fotobabe1111/My%20Photos/Me%20Witch%20Halloween/Magickal-Moon-Animated-GIF.gif">)
2 comments:
I didn't know that...I like that you are educating me more on witches. I often refer to the "Midnight Hour" but now I know the difference. So technically, the true Witching Hour is only once a month. I will pay attention to that next month...thanks!
Yeah...surprising how many things were derived or borrowed from the Goddess/Pagan religions. I remember the discussion of the "witching hour" between 12-3am from the movie "Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil"...it's when the voo doo lady worked her magic in the graveyards of Savannah. I need to watch that again now...it's been a long time.
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