Mythic Time and Cosmic Cycles — Side Notes
Before time was something to be optimized, it was something to be read. Nights waxed and waned. Suns climbed, declined, returned. Ages were born, flourished, collapsed, and left stories behind like fossils in myth. Mythic time isn’t measured in minutes—it’s measured in meaning, repetition, and the uneasy sense that history doesn’t move forward so much as it spirals.
The Side Notes in this section explore how humans have understood time as a living structure rather than a straight line. These pieces look at lunar calendars, solar cycles, great ages, astrological aeons, and end-of-era thinking across cultures—how time becomes sacred when it’s patterned, and how cycles offer both comfort and warning when the present feels unstable.
This isn’t about predicting the end. It’s about recognizing when a story believes it’s at a turning point.
Featured Side Notes
You can also find these articles—and many more—within the main Grimoire Blog.
Astrology for Witches: Timing Spells with Eclipses & Retrogrades — Learn how witches align their magic with astrology, timing spells during eclipses and retrogrades for transformation, banishment, and deeper cosmic alignment. Explore advanced spellwork techniques and the secrets of celestial timing in witchcraft.
Best Times for Spellcasting: Moon Phases, Days of the Week, and Astrological Timing — When is the best time to cast a spell? From the phases of the moon to the secret rhythms of weekdays and the whispers of astrology, timing can magnify your magic. Learn how to weave your spells into cosmic cycles without losing sight of the most vital ingredient—your own will.
Moon Phases for Spells: Lunar Magic 101 Guide — Unlock the secrets of lunar witchcraft with this beginner’s guide to moon phases for spells. From new moon intentions to full moon power and waning release, discover how each phase enhances your magic. Explore practical rituals, lunar correspondences, and tips for working with moon energy in spellcasting.
New Moon Rituals for New Beginnings: Set Intentions & Manifest — Discover New Moon rituals that help set intentions for fresh starts. Perfect for beginners to make each ritual uniquely powerful.
The Wheel of the Year Explained: Pagan Sabbats and Their Meanings — Discover the Wheel of the Year, pagan Sabbats, and their deep meanings. Learn rituals, symbolism, and seasonal magic for beginners and solitary witches.
Working with the Full Moon: Spells for Release and Renewal — Explore full moon magic with powerful spells for release and renewal. Harness the lunar energy for transformation, growth, and positive change.
Cosmic cycles persist because they give structure to uncertainty. When time feels chaotic, humans return to patterns that promise continuity: moons that return, suns that rise again, ages that end only to begin anew. Mythic time reassures us that change has precedent—even collapse can be part of a larger rhythm.
The Side Notes don’t claim that we’re living at the end of an age—or the beginning of a golden one. They examine why those ideas surface when societies feel stretched thin, and how cyclical thinking shapes behavior, belief, and ritual. Some entries may feel grounding. Others may feel uncomfortably timely.
Watch the cycles, but don’t mistake them for commands. Time doesn’t demand obedience—it invites attention. And mythic time, more than anything, reminds us that no moment exists in isolation, no matter how singular it feels while you’re living through it.
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