If you expend any of your time on any social media platform in a day, chances are, you have at least one “weird”, “witchy” or “hippie” acquaintance, who believes in energy healing from crystals, negative energy denouncing by burning herbs, incense, or candles, reads tarot cards, and worships the moon phases by performing monthly rituals. You can always tell who these people are, because chances are, they share the lunar calendar or spiritual quotes on their social media platforms. Don’t hate me, it’s true. I do it too. With full/new moon rituals becoming a bit of a “trend” in the last couple years, I myself have fallen victim to my curiosity surrounding the practice.
But before I dig into the details of a full/new moon ritual, lets take a step back into my past, that will help you understand my heightened curiosity.
I have always been fascinated by the moon, and felt a deep connection to it. My earliest childhood memory that I can recall, took place under a summer full moon. My mother figures that I was about 2 years of age, and myself and my family, were at my grandparents’ secluded cabin, out on Lac La Ronge. I was up through the night screaming and crying, and nothing would help me settle. My father was exhausted, and terrified I would wake up the rest of the cabin, so clad in his underwear, he scooped me up, and took me outside. He carried me down the long wooden walkway, to the boat dock, where he sang to me under the moon. As weird as it sounds, I remember that moment so vividly. I remember him holding me, I remember him singing to me and soothing me, and I remember the way the full moon reflected off of the lake. Now as an adult, since losing my father, when I catch the reflection of the full moon over a body of water, a massive chill washes over me, as I experience major déjà vu, and instantly feel calm.
Let’s fast forward to my teenage years. I was OBSESSED with witches. Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Craft, Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Charmed…you name it, I loved it! I also spent many hours in the local library doing research on the topic, fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials…just for fun. I also would pretend with my friends that we were witches, concocting our own “potions”, and reciting our own “spells.” The odd séance attempt may have also taken place. You know that movie “Now and Then”? Where the girls go to a graveyard to try and contact the mysteriously departed “Dear Johnny”? We were those girls.
Obviously as an adult, I look back and laugh at our childhood antics. We were such little weirdos, but little weirdos who were channeling our sacred feminine strengths, and open to believing in a healing power through nature’s energy, and manifestation, which is something I am still intrigued in as an adult.
I am of Christian religion, but I also find my beliefs to be spiritual as well. Maybe it’s contradicting, but I believe in a higher power that created this world, and EVERYTHING in it. I believe in energy from the sun, the moon, and nature overall, that coincide with our physical anatomy. If there are energy healing properties to crystals dug from the earth, God knows about it. He helped make it. No? I believe everything on earth is there for a reason, including the people that he helped create, and I believe that some of those people have special gifts to connect to parts of that higher power, like mediums, energy healers, psychics etc. I believe that our minds are extremely powerful tools. Manifesting, focusing on radiating high vibrations, and possessing a positive overall outlook, will lead to achieving goals, and living a fulfilled life. Whether you believe the universe provided just because you asked, or because you worked your ass off and didn’t give up, that’s up to you, and ultimately, your mentality. It doesn’t hurt to be more positive and self-reflect often, regardless. That all being said, full/new moon rituals, are ALL about manifesting, positivity, and self-reflecting.
Upon research, you will find that full/new moon rituals were practiced by many ancient cultures from places all around the world, such as Egypt, Greece, China, North America, South America, etc.
Greek culture, celebrates the goddess “Selene”, the Titan Moon Goddess, and her 50 daughters, who represented the 50 lunar months that marked the beginning of the Olympic Games.
Indigenous cultures worship the full moon for its rhythms of life, referring to it as “Grandmother Moon”, practicing the belief of a feminine energy at it’s most powerful, and a time to cleanse oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
This feminine energy belief, was also a part of the ancient “Mexica Moon Dance”, where communities would gather in the evenings, for a three-night event of sacred teachings, singing and praying to mother earth, for the sake of healing.
To Chinese culture, the full moon is a carrier of emotions, that embodies harmony, abundance, luck and reunion. They will celebrate with a “Moon Festival” on the 15th day, of the 8th lunar month, feasting with family, gift giving, lighting paper lanterns, praying for good fortune, and enjoying the moon’s beauty.
Many different cultures, celebrating the moon cycles in different ways, and yet sharing many common beliefs. All believing to some degree, that the moon holds feminine energy, and power for renewing, good fortune, and healing.
So, now I ask, what can it hurt to give a full moon ritual a try? Even if it’s all in your head as a placebo effect, can it really hurt taking time to relax, focus on your goals, self-reflect, and pray/express gratitude and ask for direction to lead your best life? I personally don’t see any harm.
What’s the difference between a Full moon and a New Moon? Here is a little bit more information, to help you craft your evening with as much intention as possible.
Full Moon: Phase of the moon when the whole disk is illuminated. A great time to release and let go of what no longer serves you. Use the energy to renew yourself from all the things weighing you and your goals, down.
New Moon: Phase of the moon when it is in conjunction with the sun, and invisible from earth. A great time to reflect on the past month, and start fresh. Set your intentions and goals for the current moon cycle, to aid in your manifestation practices.
So, without further ado, here are my moon ritual practices, that I keep evolving to fit the current phase of my life.
1. Tidy my space
For me to truly relax and focus, I need to rid myself of the clutter. I’m not talking about a deep clean, just a “put your shit away” clean.
2. Make Moon Water
I put water in a clear vessel, and either place it on a window sill directly in the moon light during the winter months, or outside on top of my car in the summer months. Yes I have driven away with it still on my car. The idea of Moon Water, is that the moon's energy is naturally attracted to water, and the water will absorb the essence of the moon, to further cleanse your body, and aid in your manifestation practices.
3. Cleanse Negative Energy
I burn herbs, or incense, spreading the smoke around my home, to cleanse the aura, and deflect negative energy from entering. Now, if only that would work for mother-in laws. I KID I KID! Haha, let’s see if she reads this! I may not get a Christmas gift.
4. Cleanse/Charge Crystals and Gemstones
I firmly believe in crystals emitting energy for healing. Even my husband has become a believer, after wearing a few of my bracelets. I place them either in my windowsill, or outside in a dish, to cleanse their energy, and recharge their properties by the moon. Hey, if I think it works, whether true or not, no harm done! Just let me hold my pretty rocks. I'll do me, and you do you boo!
5. Take a bath
I try to drown out my husband struggling to put my kids to bed solo (bless his soul), or ignore my son coming into the bathroom wanting to poop, I will then light my favourite candles, and draw myself a warm bath with essential oils, and Epsom salts. I take this time to relax, read, groom, detox my body, and focus my energy.
6. Journal
I diffuse essential oils in my room, turn on my salt lamp, and I write in my journal. For a full moon, I will write down things that I wish to let go. I then take that list, and burn it.
(PSA: don’t go outside and do it on a windy evening, during a drought. Your husband may almost have a heart attack. I most definitely didn’t do that.)
For a new moon, I write down a list of my intentions and goals that I wish to focus on and manifest during the next month. I then fold it, keep it somewhere handy to read throughout the month, and I will reflect on that list during the next full moon.
7. Meditate
I will turn down the lights, go on my Beach Body app, and follow a guided meditation for 10-15 minutes. I used to really stress about how bad my mind would wander during this time, now I genuinely look forward to it, as a part of my every day routine. It's nice to decompress from the day, and prepare my body for sleep. My husband will even meditate with me! Only the odd time, have I caught him scrolling Princess Auto on his phone when my eyes were closed, or finding he has fallen asleep.
8. Practice Gratitude
This practice is something that my husband and I try to do every night before bed, but ESPECIALLY during my moon rituals. When we are together, we both take the time to verbalize out loud to each other 3 things we are both grateful for, whether from that day, or just in general. If I am alone, I will include this step as a part of my moon ritual journaling, which is always nice to reflect back on as well.
9. Go the Fuck to Sleep
Let’s face it, it’s a full moon… you probably won’t have a good sleep, or your children are super affected by the full moon like mine, and will be up all night crying! So put away your oils, rocks, tarot cards and incense, and get some shut eye while you still can!
The next full moon is July 13th 2022, in case any of my fellow “hippie”, “weird”, or “witch” sisters were wondering, though I know you already know.
If you are a full moon worshiper virgin, wanting to give it a try? Go for it! I promise you will at the very least feel relaxed by being self-indulgent! You won't go to hell, or be burned at the stake. Your church pastor and religious mother will still love and accept you!
Happy full moon!
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