The Moon’s gravitational pull causes predictable rises and falls in sea levels.
And with our bodies being primarily made up of water, it makes sense that we can also benefit from the phases of the Moon on a much smaller scale.
People often find when they align their energies with the specific energies of the Moon, they feel more inspired and productive.
Tuning into nature and the environment around us has been shown to help us understand ourselves on a deeper level. This is why many people engage in monthly “full Moon rituals” to get in alignment with the cycles of nature in order to gain perspective and reconnect with themselves.
How The Full Moon Can Help Us Heal
An increasing number of people are discovering that utilising the magic of the Moon helps to amp up their spiritual practices.
Using the phases of the Moon with rituals to your self-care has been claimed to aid in delving into emotions and intuition. Repeated “rituals” of self-love can have major healing effects on our minds and bodies. A monthly Moon ritual can help you disconnect from the busyness of life, get back in tune with nature, and live life with more intention.
Utilising The Moon’s Cyclic Energy
Rituals around the energy of the Moon. Harnessing the Moon’s power has been an ancient tradition across cultures for millennia, originating in places such as Egypt and Babylonia.
The power of syncing up our internal rhythm with the rhythm of nature can be refreshing and energising. The Moon’s entire cycle is around 29+ days, in which it goes from a new Moon to a full Moon and back again.
These changes in phases indicate a change in energy.
Waxing Moon Energy—When the Moon is waxing (growing), it is said to be an ideal time to manifest what you want.
Waning Moon Energy—When it is waning (shrinking), it is the ideal time of the month for letting go and cleansing.
Full Moon Energy—Cosmically speaking, the full Moon is the time of the month where energy peaks and then releases, like a “cosmic sigh.”
Because the full Moon is considered the “energetic peak” of the month, it’s the perfect time to tap into its power and practice a little self-care. Cleansing physically or emotionally, “manifesting with the Moon” as it’s called, is gaining in popularity as a way to promote taking care of yourself and to better manage your daily stress.
'Think of each full Moon as a new chapter, a chance to start over, much in the same way the Moon itself does in its cycle'
16 Self-Care Full Moon Rituals To Try
Try these simple full Moon rituals to help harness the powerful energy of the full Moon. Choose a few—or all—of these rituals to perform in the 48-hour window surrounding a full Moon each month.
1. Ground Yourself
The time leading up to a full Moon can often make people moody, sensitive, and fatigued. It is helpful to use this time to pause and ask yourself how you are feeling physically and mentally? How are your relationships and career? Being in tune with your feelings will help you stay grounded and help you efficiently make positive changes. The full Moon is the perfect time to look inward and recalibrate.
undying effect. Amping up your call to nature around the full Moon may help calm any unsettling feelings or bring some clarity to unanswered questions. Time spent in nature has a healing effect and can better help your body tune into its natural rhythms. Find a spot to sit quietly and take in its splendour, or take a walk or hike in the woods.
3. Try Meditating
Meditation offers the perfect opportunity to sit with your thoughts and reflect. Use the energy of the full Moon, when emotions often come to the surface, for some meditative introspection. Not good at meditating? There are many guided meditations online you can tune in to for some guidance.
4. Explore Deep Breathing
The pull of the full Moon can often trigger strong emotions and uncomfortable sensations. Engaging in deep breathing can allow you to unfurl these emotions. Turn off your phone and find a quiet place where you can sit and pay attention to the rising and falling of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. It sometimes helps to place your hand on your heart and belly and take a few deep breaths. Repeat as often as you like to help you relax and ground your body.
5. Keep A Journal
Around the full Moon is the perfect time to dust off that old journal. It may be helpful to write down how you are feeling or write answers to questions you’ve asked yourself. This is also a good time to write down things you wish to manifest in your life or goals you may have. This time of the month can cause some people to feel unsettled or unfocused, so brainstorming or journaling can help you focus on what you want and what you want to let go of. Expressing through writing can help you identify what is weighing you down, (a habit, a situation, a person, etc.) and can give you more clarity than simply thinking about it.
6. Clean your Physical Space
Cleaning your physical space helps to clear out any negative energy, making room for what you are asking to come in. Clear your home of clutter and things that no longer bring you joy. Open the windows to let fresh air in, put on clean bedsheets, wipe down surfaces, or water your Air-purifying plants. Some people will also perform a Smudging ceremony to cleanse the negative energy in the air.
7. Give Thanks
Recognising what we presently have has a tremendous effect on our self-care. Celebrating and being thankful is amplified at the full moon and can have positive effects on your body and can even help you too manifest your future wants and wishes.
8. Eat A Healthy, Natural Meal
Just as it is important to cleanse your physical and mental space, eating a healthy meal during the full moon helps to cleanse your body. Choose fresh, unprocessed ingredients, with lots of vegetables and grains. In the summer, fresh, raw locally grown fruits and vegetables can be cleansing. In the winter soups, stew, or curry can be very comforting.
9. Tie Up Loose Ends
Look at the full Moon as the completion phase in its cycle. This is a great time for you to also bring things to a close. Finish any odd jobs you have been putting off and check off any annoying things still lurking on your to-do list, making space for new projects during the waxing phase. It is also helpful to look back at what you have already checked off. Pat yourself on the back be proud of what you have completed!
10. Dance It Out
Full Moons are about letting things go, this includes some of that energy. Go ahead and dance it out! Dress up, or dance right in your PJs. Get that body moving and expel some stored-up energy. The tradition of full Moon dancing actually dates back to ancient times, and many cultures throughout the world are known to gather in circles and dance under the full Moon.
11. Take A Moonlight Walk
Walking in the light of a full Moon can be magical. Its gentle glow can have a calming effect, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed. Stand outside in the light of the full Moon and bathe in its power. Tune into how the trees and sky look in the moonlight. Pay extra attention to the sounds and smells of the night air.
12. Take A Bath (Or Shower)
There are many benefits of taking a cleansing Bath as part of you full Moon ritual. Use this time to relax, meditate, and Center yourself, focusing on your breath. When you let the water out of the tub, imagine you are letting go of whatever is no longer useful to you—right down the drain. If you’re not a bath person, take a shower. Focus on washing away the dirt, negative energy, and things you have collected throughout the day (or month), and imagine the water healing you as it rolls off your body.
13. Write A Letter And Burn It
Because the full Moon is all about completion—cleansing, releasing, and removing what no longer works for you—this is the best time to write down your deepest inner thoughts and then release all that spent energy by watching it burn up (safely, of course).
14. Write Down Your Intentions
Writing down your intentions helps you to manifest them in your actual life. Are you accomplishing your goals? If not, ask yourself why and begin devising a plan for being proactive. Re-evaluate your goals. Do they still resonate with you? If not, modify your plan and make them fit into your new vision.
15. Make Moon Water
Some people “brew” up a batch of Moon water as part of their full Moon ritual, claiming it to be a powerful cleansing tool for the body and home. To make Moon water simply place a glass jar of water outside under the direct light of the full Moon, allowing it to soak up its power. You can drink it daily, reminding yourself of your intentions. You can also use it to water your plants, cleanse your home, or put it in a spray bottle with a few drops of essential oil to create a facial toner.
16. Relax
Sometimes the best way to celebrate this lunar phase is by chilling. Cleanse your space, mind, and body, and then sit back and relax. Oftentimes, it is only in stillness that we can fully see what is happening inside and around us.
8 Phases Of The Moon And the Moon Meditations For Each phase.
New Moon – Pause And Set Intentions
A new Moon is the opposite of a full Moon. It is when the Moon and Sun and closest to each other in the sky. When they are perfectly aligned, the Moon causes a Solar Eclipse.
- Make time for yourself.
- Pause and reflect.
- Set intentions for the weeks ahead.
The New Moon is a period of initiation. It is time to quiet yourself and discern which goals are most important at this time. Set aside an hour at a time convenient for you and bring a journal.
Try to dump all the ideas of what you’d like to do in the month ahead onto one sheet of paper. See if there is one important goal you want to accomplish in the next 30 days.
Write statements in present tense that will help keep you focused. To bring the exercise further, break the goal into tasks that you can log into your calendar under the new Moon. The idea is to ground in your current desire.
Waxing Crescent Moon – Visualise Goals
- Meditate on your desires.
- Embrace your dreams with hope.
- Work towards your intentions.
The waxing crescent Moon occurs halfway between the new Moon and the first quarter moon. Use this time to meditate and envision your goals as if they were already accomplished. Embracing your goal with a feeling of hope and expectancy brings an internal alignment to the external goal.
Do additional work to activate your intentions such as writing a list of physical needs that you must gather in order to help the goal realise.
First Quarter Moon – Overcome Resistance And Take Action
- Think about what is currently developing.
- Make decisions.
- Overcome resistance and take action.
The first quarter Moon is your opportunity to release any feelings of resistance that are present. First identify any fears or blocks. You’ll notice what those fears are when you feel tension in your gut as you think about your goal. Once the blocks are known, use any kind of releasing ritual that is comfortable for you.
Under this energy you can also make any decisions that need to be addressed and take action toward them. Something, namely your goal, is growing. Imagine a seed sprouting its first roots and use that same idea with your goal. Imagine your goal in its infancy and see it beginning to expand.
Waxing Gibbous – Refine Plans
- Assess situations.
- Speak affirmations to gain confidence.
- Refine your ideas.
Halfway between first quarter and full Moon is the waxing gibbous Moon. During this time you can use your thinking mind to assess and evaluate your progress toward the goal and perfect the plan.
If your goal is too big to your analytical mind self-sabotage may creep in so develop your confidence and manage your expectations carefully. Mantras or writing “I Am” statements will help. Example: “I am fully prepared to do what it takes to reach my goal.”
Full Moon – Let Go And Focus On Healing
The Moon is “full” when it is furthest away from the Sun in the sky.
- Quit bad habits.
- Focus on healing.
- Release and let go.
Under the light of the full Moon, block time for a releasing ceremony! The time has come to release and let go anything in the way of the goal you set under the new Moon. Will Their patterns of behaviour to change? Habits that need to shift?
Focus deeply on healing mental and emotional wounds that would keep you from attaining the goal at hand. The Emotional Freedom Technique (ask Lilith how) is powerful protocol you can use for breaking negative patterns.
You can try writing a fear inventory or a letter of forgiveness to someone involved in your life. Choose a method that best suits you and use it under the light of the Moon.
Waning Gibbous – Review Your Progress
- Revisit your intentions.
- Take stock of progress made.
- Express gratitude.
The waning gibbous Moon which happens halfway between full Moon and last quarter is your occasion for analysing both your intentions and your level of progress. It’s okay now to express what you’ve learned and share your findings with others. It’s even better if you express your gratitude. Your knowledge base is expanding, there is much to be thankful for and others will gain through your sharing.
Last Quarter Moon – Clear Your House And Mind
- Clean your house
- Get rid of old things.
- Meditate to clear your mind.
When the Moon is three-quarters of the way through its journey you are primed for cleaning. You don’t invite a house guest and have your abode a mess, and you can’t invite the successful attainment of a goal without cleaning out your environment either. There needs to be space for the goal to reside, so rid your physical space of clutter and then meditate to clear your mind. Honour yourself with solitude. Dwell upon your goal in its completed stage.
Waning Crescent – Integrate Lessons Learned
- Rest and reflect.
- Be still and at peace.
- Understand lessons learned.
The Moon between last quarter and the new Moon is the waning crescent. It is a period of resting in excited anticipation of the goal fulfilled. There’s no need for more work to be done. Rest now and reflect. If you can clearly see the goal will be achieved, journal what you learned. If it is apparent that you won’t receive the fullness of your intention, then what lessons can you now understand?
Each of the Moon phases have a role to play in the successful attainment of your goal. By applying the power available under each of them you give momentum to your dreams, you become an active energetic participant in them. Goals don’t happen by chance. Though miracles are real, goal-generating involves action on the part of the dreamer. The blueprint for realising a vision is built into the moon phases. Don’t let it be “just a phase,” use the light inside as well.