The Hazel Full Moon

Moon of Awen and the Well of Wisdom

In the Celtic wheel of the year, the Hazel Full Moon shines as a beacon of inspiration, knowledge, and the marriage of seen and unseen worlds. It most often falls in late July or August, gracing the tide of Lughnasadh, the festival of the Shining One, Lugh.

The Hazel tree is the keeper of Awen, the divine inspiration that flows from the Otherworld into the hearts of poets, seers, and makers. Lugh, the Shining One, embodies this same current of brilliance. Just as the Hazel drops its wisdom-nuts into the Well of Segais, feeding the Salmon who swims between realms, Lugh gathers the gifts of every art and craft, carrying them into the human world. The Hazel’s offering is pure potential; Lugh is its living expression, the bright mind, nimble hand, and radiant vision through which inspiration becomes form. When the Hazel Moon rises near Lughnasadh, the two currents meet: the wisdom of the tree and the golden light of Lugh’s presence, blessing all who seek to bring their gifts into the world.

The Hazel tree, tall yet supple, was revered by our ancestors as the guardian of sacred wisdom. In the Otherworld flows the Well of Segais, encircled by nine mystical Hazel trees. When their nuts ripen, they drop into the clear waters, releasing sparks of Awen, the divine breath of inspiration. The Salmon of Wisdom rises from the depths to eat these nuts, carrying their knowing in every scale.

This myth is not merely a story, it is a teaching. The Hazel Moon invites us to drink from our own Well, to gather the fruits of our life’s experiences, and to allow insight to rise from the quiet depths. It is a time when the Sky realm/Upperworld’s illumination mingles with the Sea realm/Underworld’s rich dreaming, and we stand in the Land realm/Middleworld as the bridge.

Under this moon, the veils between realms feel thin in a way that is not ghostly, but luminous. Messages may arrive through dreams, sudden creative surges, or the voice of nature itself. The Hazel Moon teaches that wisdom is not hoarded, it is meant to flow, to inspire action, to feed the soul of the community.
To work with this moon is to court inspiration as both a gift and a responsibility. Whether through song, craft, poetry, or ritual, the Hazel Moon calls us to become vessels for Awen, letting it move through us like water through roots, carrying the nourishment of the Otherworld into the living tapestry of this one.

Hazel Full Moon Ritual: Drinking from the Well of Segais
Lets call in Awen, gather wisdom, and bridge the realms of Sky/Upper, Land/Middle, and Sea/Lower worlds under the Hazel Moon.

You Will Need

• A small bowl of pure water (representing the Well of Segais)
• A Hazelnut, Hazel twig, or symbolic item from nature (stone, shell, feather)
• A candle (gold or white for Sky/Upperworld light)
• Optional: drum, rattle, or soft background music

Preparation

1. Choose your space, somewhere where you feel safe, quiet, and connected to the land (indoors or outdoors).
2. Ground into the Land/Middleworld, stand barefoot if you can, feeling the weight of your body dropping into the earth. Notice your breath, the air on your skin, and the sensations in your body.

Ritual Steps
1. Light the Candle - Call the Upperworld
“I welcome the light of the Hazel Moon.
I open to the breath of Awen,
the song of inspiration,
and the guidance of the Shining Ones.”
As you light the candle, imagine the sky realm opening, sunlight pouring into you, filling your chest and crown.

2. Bless the Well - Call the Sea/Lowerworld
Place the Hazelnut or Hazel twig by the bowl of water.
“I honour the Well of Segais,
keeper of ancient knowing,
where the salmon swims between worlds.
May the waters of wisdom rise in me.”
Gently stir the water with your fingers, imagining Hazelnuts falling into the Well, releasing sparks of insight.

3. Somatic Bridge - Anchor in the Land/Middleworld
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Breathe slowly, letting the breath move between the two points like a current. Imagine yourself as the Hazel tree, roots deep in the Underworld, crown open to the Sky/Upperworld, trunk steady in the Land/Middleworld.

4. Drink the Awen
Dip your fingers into the bowl and touch the water to your forehead, heart, and lips. If you feel called, take a sip (if the water is clean and safe). As you do, silently ask for a message, a vision, or a creative spark to guide you.

5. Listening Time
Close your eyes and sit in stillness for at least a few minutes. Notice any sensations, images, words, or emotions that arise. Let them come without forcing them.

6. Closing
Thank the Hazel Moon, the Well, and the guides who have walked with you. Extinguish the candle, knowing the light continues within.
“The Well flows in me,
the Hazel roots hold me,
the Awen sings through me.”

After the Ritual

• Journal what came through, even fragments or symbols may hold meaning later.
• Create something, a drawing, a song, a weaving, a dance, to give form to what you received

Journal Prompts

1. What personal truth or insight is rising to the surface for me under this Hazel Moon?
2. Where in my life am I being called to speak with more clarity and integrity?
3. What am I ready to release so my creativity and wisdom can flow more freely?
4. If I were the Hazel tree, what stories would my roots, trunk, and leaves tell?

Somatic Integration Practice…

• Hazel Spine Breath:
  Sit or stand tall, imagining your spine as the trunk of a Hazel tree.
  Inhale and picture roots spreading deep into the earth.
  Exhale and feel your crown lifting towards the sky.
  Continue for 7 breaths, allowing yourself to feel steady, open, and connected between realms.

"I am rooted in the earth, open to the sky, and nourished by the
well of wisdom within me."

Hazel and the Salmon of Wisdom