What time is the witching hour?

Question

Is energy the strongest on a full moon during the witching hour?

Answer 1

In European folklore, the witching hour is the time when supernatural creatures such as witches, demons 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.

In neopaganism, it is sometimes used to refer solely to midnights occurring during a full moon, when a witch's power is supposedly at its greatest.

In Gypsy beliefs the "Witching Hour" is actually at 1 o'clock as opposed to midnight because it is the "Thirteenth Hour".

Answer 2

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. The Real Witches Handbook
Midnight, as in They arrived just at the witching hour. This term alludes to older superstitions concerning a time appropriate to witchcraft and other supernatural occurrences. Shakespeare and others wrote of "the witching time of night." The precise phrase was first recorded in 1835.

Answer 3

I have two answers. I'll give you the serious answer first;

It all depends on what the Witch or Magician is trying to do. Some kinds of Magick are better performed during a Full Moon, some during a New Moon. Typically, if the spell is to increase something, or draw something in (like prosperity, for example), it is done during a waxing moon. If the idea is to decrease something, or drive something away (like illness) it is done during a waning moon.

Also, each day of the week corresponds with a planet -- Sunday and Monday are the Sun and the Moon. Tuesday is Mars. Wednesday is Mercury. Thursday is Jupiter. Friday is Venus. Saturday is Saturn. So, what day the spell is performed on can depend on the day of the week -- Sunday for healing spells, Monday for divination, Tuesday for protection, Wednesday for travel or wisdom, Thursday for prosperity, Friday for love spells, Saturday for "hex breaking," etc., just examples.

As for the hours of the day, these also correspond to the planets, and there are tables of Planetary Hours in grimoires such as the Key of Solomon for Magicians who choose to use them. Some prefer to use astrology to chart the best time to do a spell or working, others just do it when it "feels right."

So, it's not that the energy is particularly stronger at any given time, just "fine-tuned" to a particular purpose.

And now for the silly answer!

It's about an hour later than "mundane time." If I tell the Coven that the Sabbat meeting starts at 8:00, most of them won't even start showing up until 9:00, and we won't get to the ritual until about 10:00ish. If I want the ritual to start at 9:00, I have to tell the Coven to show up at 7:00, so that they will start getting here around 8:00. That means, also, that I can wait until the last possible moment to clean. We call this "Pagan Standard Time."

Answer 4

Typically it is midnight. And I suppose the full moon could make energy stronger, but it depends highly on what type of energy and exactly what it is affiliated with.

But anything strange, mysterious, unknown, or Yin-related would be powered and enhanced by the full moon, as the moon's energies, very higly associated with Yin, would be very strong.

Likewise, the witching hour would logically be at midnight since it is considered the darkest time of night. However, this connection is not physically true, existing only in human society and culture. It only has as much power as you lend it by believing in it and supporting the image. Witching hour could be any time of night (or even day, possibly) if you perceived it that way.

By the way, I love the full moon. What a beautiful sight. And it is definitely very powerful, but also very benign in a way... it all depends on each person looking. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Answer 5

Typically ref. to as the thirteenth hour by Neo-pagans today
When the world(Rome) reformed to Christianity they took some time with them.
removing an hour to divide the days(the witching Hour got swallowd by daylight savings time)
A day from the weeks (leap year)
And a month from the Seasons(yes there used to be more than 12 and less depending on where you were in those times...look to the variations in -Chinese calender-Druids calender,and the Hebrew Orthodox timeline for comparisons)
The timing of spells depends soley on the rituals performed and the practitioner(s) for there are still Sun worshipers out there and some stuff that can only happen during an eclipse, or when other planets alighn during the year
A true practitioner needs only their own will and an understanding of the holistic universe!!!!!!

Answer 6

In European folklore, the witching hour is the time when supernatural creatures such as witches, demons 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.

In neopaganism, it is sometimes used to refer solely to midnights occurring during a full moon, when a witch's power is supposedly at its greatest.

In Gypsy beliefs the "Witching Hour" is actually at 1 o'clock as opposed to midnight because it is the "Thirteenth Hour".

Answer 7

3 AM

Answer 8

The witching hour is the time, according to Christian folklore, when evil spirits and demons come out during the night, and it is said to be at around 3 AM.
Even from a modern Christian perspective, its not true though. Still gives me the creeps when it rolls around though (thanks to "The Conjuring").

Answer 9

Midnight

Answer 10

The Witching hour is at Midnight.

The Devil's Hour is 3am ish, the opposite of Christ's death.

Peak paranormal activity occurs between 12a and 3a.