In addition to the Sabbats, the Wiccan year contains 12 (sometimes 13) Full Moon celebrations, known as the Esbats. While the Sabbatstend to focus celebration on the God and his association with the Sun, the Esbats honor the Goddess in her association with the Moon.Covens traditionally meet on the Esbats to celebrate a particular aspect of the Goddess, such as Aphrodite, in a celebration of abundance,or Persephone, in a ritual for renewal. They work with the Goddess to bring about healing and assistance for their members andcommunities, and often work for the good of the wider world as well.The Full Moon is also seen within the context of the Wheel of the Year, with names and seasonal attributions for each. For Wiccansworking with particular aspects of the Goddess, the specific goddess called upon during an Esbat will often correspond with the time ofyear. For example, Aphrodite is an appropriate goddess to celebrate abundance under a Summer Moon, whereas Persephone, with herunderworld associations, is more appropriate to work with under a late Autumn or early Winter Moon.The names for each Moon may vary from tradition to tradition, but are generally related to the time of year and the corresponding levelof abundance and activity of life on Earth, as well as the Sun’s point in its journey around the Earth
Many Witches consider astrological influences in addition to seasonal influences and will work according to the particular sign the Moonis in while full. They will refer to the Moon accordingly, such as the “Gemini Moon” or the “Aquarius Moon.”When more than one Full Moon occurs in a given calendar month, it’s called a Blue Moon. Occurring roughly once every two and a halfyears, this is considered a particularly powerful time in many Wiccan traditions, and special attention is paid to working with the rareenergy of a Blue Moon.