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Happy full moon! The full moon is an incredible time to practice your favorite rituals and even try some new ones.
If you find yourself needing some full moon ritual inspiration, you’re in the right place.
I’ve included 15 powerful (and easy!) full moon rituals that you can do to release unwanted energy and make beautiful space for the life you’re dreaming of.
Grab a cup of cacao and let’s dive in!
How to Use Full Moon Ritual to Create Space for More in Your Life
The key to full moon ritual is intention.
When you set the intention to release all of the extra baggage, the negative thoughts, the limiting beliefs, the bad habits- you free up so much space for goodness to rush into your life.
It’s all about plugging into the power source- the present moment.
Honoring the cycles of nature and knowing that if we choose to flow with her, she will gladly and lovingly support us and our dreams.
That being said, when the moon is full- there is no better time to release, clear, and completely let go.
There are so many ways we can work with the full moon and its energy. So many different rituals you can perform, circles you can join, and actions you can align with.
I’ll go over my favorite full moon rituals you can use to harness and work with the energy of the full moon.
You might also like: Full Moon Affirmations: Harnessing Lunar Power for Positive Change
#1: Attend (or host) a Full Moon Circle
The desire to find a full moon ritual circle was first sparked when I read the book Material Girl, Mystical World by Ruby Warrington in 2017 (great book by the way, highly recommend!). She shared about the power of joining together in ceremony with your community and I longed for that type of spiritual connection.
I set off to find a full moon circle of my own, and the universe delivered. I was brought to my (now dearest friend) Michelle Mahlman.
She hosts beautiful Full Moon Circles where women come together to reflect, ground, meditate and release the blocks that are holding us back from our desired life.
This type of gathering is one of the BEST full moon rituals you can offer yourself. Coming together with others, intending to hold space and create room for spiritual growth is a beautiful gift.
Tips for finding a Full Moon Circle near you:
- Search hashtags on instagram (#fullmooncircleYOURCITYNAME, #mooncircleYOURCITY, #YOURCITYmooncircle, etc.)
- Check with your local metaphysical shop (this is how I found mine)
- Check with your local yoga shop
- Google search using the same hashtag strategy listed above
- Other: you can also find full moon circles online, however I much prefer gathering in person for this!
#2: Full Moon Ritual Bath
Tools: Bathtub, Epsom Salt/ Soaking Salt, Essential Oils, Crystals / Crystal Essences, Candles
Full moon bath rituals are one of my absolute favorite ways to bask in the energy of the full moon and really release the things weighing me down energetically. (The soaking salt is largely to thank here!)
Here’s how to have your own full moon ritual bath.
Full Moon Ritual Bath Instructions:
- Clean. First, make sure your bathroom and bathtub are clean. When your environment is physically clean, it’s much easier to cleanse yourself energetically. Cleanse your bathtub and bathroom thoroughly and treat this step as a part of the ritual. You are preparing your sacred space.
- Grab towel and beverage. Set out your favorite, most plush and comfortable towel. Grab a glass of water, cacao or chakra tea to enjoy during your bath and if you like to- maybe your journal or a book.
- Begin to fill the tub and add your salt. As the tub begins to fill with water, pour in a generous amount of soaking salt like epsom salt, magnesium flakes, or himalayan soaking salts (or all 3 if you’re extra like me).
- Add your crystal essences, essential oils, and flower essences. To really amplify your full moon ritual bath, add in drops of your favorite essential oil, crystal elixirs, and flower essences.
- Recommended Essences and Elixirs:
- Light favorite candles. I recommend beeswax candles or intention candles.
- Add in water safe crystals. I like to use clear quartz points and rose quartz for my full moon bath rituals.
- Add herbs or flower petals. I recommend starwest botanicals bag of rose buds and petals (these are good to have on hand for cacao rituals too). You can also just add fresh rose petals if you have them available.
- Play some binaural beats or healing frequencies. Or your favorite album or podcast. Whatever makes you feel happy and relaxed.
- Soak. Envision any tense, heavy or negative energy being drawn out and released. Allow yourself to let go and relax as you let the releasing be passive. The power of release comes from our surrender.
- Body Oil. One of my favorite self-care treats and the best way to end your full moon bath ritual is this Agent Nateur Body Oil. It’s one of the most nourishing, luxurious and high quality oils I’ve ever tried. Apply liberally to your entire body, starting from the legs and moving upward as you contemplate all that your body does for you and the ways in which you appreciate it.
Also recommended: my Making Space for Abundance Full Moon Ritual Workbook.You can download it here. It’s full of journal prompts, meditation guides and everything you need to set the tone for a full moon release ritual.
#3: Sound Bowl Meditation (aka Sound Bath)
Another wonderful way to tap into the releasing power of the full moon is to attend a sound bath or listen to a sound bowl meditation.
Meditative Mind on youtube has tons of sound healing videos that you can use for a sound bowl meditation.
The sound frequencies from the bowls are so powerful for supporting release and insight.
You can also search youtube for “sound bath” or “full moon sound bath” and see what comes up for you.
Healing Vibrations youtube channel also has TONS of amazing sound bath / sound bowl videos. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you haven’t already!
Choose one that calls to you and set the intention of releasing to create space for abundance in your life. Allow the sound frequencies to guide your meditation and stay connected to your intention throughout.
The energy of the full moon will compliment and pair so nicely with this experience.
#4: Making Moon Water
Tools: Glass jar with a lid (mason jars work great) & water
Making moon water is so incredibly simple. All you do is take your jar and fill it with water then set it, preferably outside, under the moonlight.
As you set your jar out under the moonlight, pray or write your intentions out.
For example, “I intend for this water to absorb the energy of the full moon and become charged with its power for clearing and illuminating the abundance in my life.” You can write this on a piece of paper and leave it under the jar as it ruminates.
Leave the water out overnight, and collect it in the morning.
This full moon water can be used for whatever you wish!
A few examples of how to use your full moon water are:
- Water your plants with it
- Drink it
- Clean your crystals with it
- Make an energy cleansing spray. Just add a few drops of essential oil, crystal essence, or flower essences to it and put it in a spray bottle. Use it as a liquid energy purifier for yourself and your living space.
*Another fun tool to have for making moon water is this crystal glass water bottle.
#5: Smoke Cleansing Full Moon Ritual
Usually I combine this with some or all of the other full moon rituals, but it’s an important ritual to mention on its own.
Utilizing the power of herbs and smoke cleansing can be such a powerful way to amplify the release of unwanted energies from our physical body and space- full moon or not.
One important note I want to mention is to make sure you are sourcing your smoke cleansing materials ethically.
With the rise in popularity of this sacred practice- some herbs like sage and woods like palo santo are becoming exploited and harder for indigenous communities to access.
There are so many other herbs and materials we can use for smoke cleansing, you can also consider the following.
Alternatives to Burning Sage:
- Rosemary
- Eucalyptus
- Cedar
- Lavender
- Mugwort
- Lemongrass
- Juniper
- Pine
- Rose Buds
With that being said- there are still some places you can source your sage and palo santo from ethically.
For sage bundles I recommend Magic Star Sage.
They are cultivating and sharing these gifts ethically and respectfully.
When burning these sacred materials to cleanse ourselves with their smoke, it is tremendously important that we thank these plants for being of service to our healing.
How to Smoke Cleanse
When you light your bundle of chosen herbs/woods, allow it to burn for a moment so that it will give off the smoke needed for cleansing.
Once lit and has a good stream of smoke coming off, trace the outline of your body as you mindfully allow the release of all unwanted or low frequency energy to dissipate.
If you’d like, you can also smoke cleanse the energy of your room or home by walking counterclockwise around the space and fanning the smoke out towards any spaces where stagnant energy may have gathered. Don’t forget the corners.
When done, open up your door to outside or your window and allow the old energy to flow out.
#6 Full Moon Ceremonial Cacao Ritual
If you’re new to working with ceremonial cacao, I highly recommend you check out my other cacao articles here: Cacao Archives
When working with full moon energy and planning for your ritual(s), ceremonial cacao can be a great supplement to anything you decide to do. It has a beautiful way of supporting and amplifying the intentions you set when preparing it.
My favorite cacao is the Heart of the Earth Ceremonial Cacao from Soul Lift Cacao. You can shop for it here and get a discount using my affiliate code: BLOOM.
When preparing your cacao (instructions can be found in this article) be sure to stir your intentions into it.
For more info on cacao ritual, read this post: Cacao Ceremony: Ultimate Guide to Awakening the Soul
RELATED READING:
- 15 Ceremonial Cacao Recipes to Up-level Your Life: Ultimate Cacao Recipe Guide
- How Ceremonial Cacao Protects Your Energy &Strengthens Your Connection To Purpose
- 10 Incredible Benefits of Ceremonial Cacao
- Cacao Ceremony: Ultimate Guide to Awakening the Soul and Healing the Heart
#7 Full Moon Release Ritual Burning Paper
One fun way to combine the energy of the full moon and the element of fire is by doing a paper burning ritual.
Simply write down what you want to release with the full moon- this can be a relationship, a bad habit, a negative thought pattern, etc.
Then, over a fire safe bowl or cauldron (I love this triple moon mini cauldron from amazon!) burn your paper. As the flame overtakes your paper, observe the way it moves and meditate on your intention of releasing.
Dispose of the ashes by offering them to the earth, burying them, or pouring them into a stream of running water.
#8 Full Moon Journaling Release Ritual
Journaling is a great way to release any negative emotions or energy you’ve been holding onto.
My Full Moon Release Journal is a great tool to guide you if you’re in need of prompts and ritual set-up.
#9 Full Moon Manifestation Ritual
I tend to manifest with the New Moon (you can read more about that here) but if you feel called to manifest on a full moon, there is nothing wrong with that.
I believe in following your intuition and making your spiritual practice your own. There are no rules in spirituality so always do what feels good to you.
To manifest with the full moon, you can gaze into the moon and allow it to charge the energy of your manifestation intentions.
You can also use the full moon to release anything that’s in the way of you receiving your manifestation.
Ask the universe to clarify and clear out anything that’s in the way of you receiving your desire. Let the light of the full moon wash it away.
RELATED READING:
- 2023 New Moon Affirmations: Embrace New Beginnings and Manifest Your Goals
- 15 Powerful New Moon Manifesting Rituals
- Manifesting with Candles: Everything You Need to Know
- Bay Leaf Manifestation: 21 Easy Methods that Work Anytime
#10 Full Moon Prayers or Affirmations
Some prayers or affirmations you can state with the full moon are:
- I release all that does not serve my highest good.
- I illuminate the things blocking my path to my desires.
- I release all negative energy, feelings and thoughts that are not serving me.
- I release the belief that I am not worthy or capable of manifesting anything that I want.
- I call in the energy of the full moon to cleanse my field of anything that is not aligned with my higher purpose.
#11 Candle Ritual
I have a massive post on candle rituals that I highly recommend here: Manifesting with Candles: Everything You Need to Know
A great full moon candle ritual you can try is as follows.
You’ll need a white candle, rosemary sprigs and sage leaves, and this Road Opener Anointing Oil or other anointing oil of your choice.
- Dress your candle with oil.
- Roll your candle in the rosemary and sage.
- Light your candle and state your intentions aloud or write them on a piece of paper.
- You can burn the paper and combine this with the paper burning ritual, or set the paper underneath the candle as it burns.
#12 Cleanse and Charge Crystals
The full moon is a great time to cleanse and charge your crystals.
I like to cleanse my crystals with smoke (sage or cedar), then leave them either outside on the porch to soak up the full moon energy or indoors on the windowsill nearest to the view of the moon.
More on cleansing crystals here: How to Cleanse Crystals: Easy How-To Guide
#13 Full Moon Embodiment Ritual: Dry Brushing and Gua Sha
One great way to cleanse during the full moon is by connecting to and caring for your body. It’s incredibly grounding and benefits your ability to let go of stagnant energy.
Dry brushing and gua sha are incredible for this.I like to combine them with my full moon bath ritual above.
You would add in this step: before soaking, dry brush your entire body.
MindBodyGreen has a great Dry Brushing Instructional article here: Dry Brushing: A Step-By-Step Guide + The 3 Best Skin Benefits
After your soak, moisturize your body with a nourishing oil. Massage it into your skin intentionally, considering all your body does for you. Offer gratitude, thanks and appreciation to your body as an act of self-love.
One of my favorite self-care treats is this Agent Nateur Body Oil. It’s one of the most nourishing, luxurious and high quality oils I’ve ever tried.
I also use their face oil for my gua sha ritual, which you can learn more about here.
You can shop for my recommended dry brushing and gua sha tools here: Self-Care and Embodiment Ritual Tools
#14 Ground Yourself
My article on grounding goes into depth of the beautiful benefits of grounding and the necessity it has for your spiritual well being and energetic hygiene. Read it here: How to Ground Yourself for Balance, Protection & Inner Peace
The best way to ground yourself is by putting your bare feet on the earth. I like to take my cup of cacao outside and sit in the grass for the ultimate grounding experience.
Shop Grounding Ceremonial Cacao Here
RELATED READING:
- 10 Most Powerful Crystals for Grounding
- How to Ground Yourself for Balance, Protection & Inner Peace
- Cacao Ceremony: Ultimate Guide to Awakening the Soul and Healing the Heart
#15 Do a Full Moon Card Reading with Tarot or Oracle
One of my favorite tarot decks, especially for using with the full moon is this guardian of the night tarot.
It has beautiful nature themes and a guidebook that helps you to interpret the meaning of each card you pull.
Some questions you can ask are:
- What is this full moon illuminating for me?
- What do I need to let go of with this full moon?
- What should I focus on moving forward?
How the Astrology of the Full Moon Affects Us and Our Rituals
When planning your full moon rituals, it’s helpful to pay attention to the astrological sign that the moon is in. You can use your Magic of I Astrological Planner (my favorite!) or check on a moon tracking app or website. *Astro Seek is a quick and easy website to navigate when checking the sign of the full moon.
After you discover which sign the moon is in, you can keep these themes in mind as you go through your full moon rituals and focus on what you’re releasing:
- Aries: identity, leadership, fire, initiation or beginnings.
- Taurus: aesthetics, art, nature, grounding, earth.
- Gemini: mental stimulation, conversations, air, knowledge, social life.
- Cancer: emotions, water, homemaking, comfort, moon.
- Leo: creativity, fame, sun/fire, sovereignty.
- Virgo: goddess energy, analytical abilities, Earth.
- Libra: balance, beauty, harmony, air.
- Scorpio: shadow self, rebirth, transformation, past, intimacy.
- Sagittarius: travel/adventure, fire, education.
- Capricorn: hard work, career, structure, earth.
- Aquarius: revolution, new ideas, air, uniqueness.
- Pisces: water, mystical, subconscious mind, collective consciousness, dreams
Recommended Tools for Full Moon Rituals
- Cacao, Ceremony Mug, Frother
- Crystals
- Crystal Essences
- Flower Essences
- Cleansing Herbs
- Beeswax Candles
- Printable Full Moon Release Journal
Recommended Books for Full Moon Rituals
- Moon Spells
- Witch: Unleashed, Untamed, Unapologetic
- Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
- Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within
Full Moon FAQ
How do you set a Full Moon Intention?
I have a great article on intention setting here: How to Set Daily Intentions (and Actually Stick to Them)
Give that a read and utilize it for your full moon intentions.
Can you do a Full Moon Ritual the next day?
From my observations, the energy of the full moon is powerful 3 days before and 3 days after the actual full point. That being said, you can do your full moon rituals anywhere in this time frame. Remember, there are no rules and your intentions are the most powerful thing behind any ritual you choose.
I tend to feel the energy amping up right before the moon becomes full but like to do my rituals on the night closest to its full point.
New Moon vs Full Moon Rituals
New moon rituals tend to be best for manifestation and calling in new desires. Full moon rituals are best for illuminating the things you need to let go of, and then actually releasing them when the moon is full.
Related Reading: 15 Powerful New Moon Manifesting Rituals
What Ritual Should I Do on a Full Moon?
Any of the rituals listed in this article are great to try. I recommend reading through each of them and choosing the ones that resonate with you the most. If one ritual listed here excites you or piques your curiosity, that’s a good indicator that you should start with that one! (I am biased to full moon cacao rituals, those have been life changing for me!)
Do you cleanse on a full moon?
Yes, the full moon is definitely a great time to focus on cleansing and releasing stagnant, unwanted energies. The light of the full moon will support these efforts.
RELATED READING: Energy Cleansing for Empaths
Can you wish on a full moon?
You can wish to your heart’s content on ANY ol’ day, including the full moon. I like to “wish” or manifest on a New Moon, but there is no harm in wishing on a full moon. You may actually find that its fullness and brightness inspire you to wish on big dreams.
Conclusion
These rituals can be done all in one night for a massive full moon releasing ritual, or they can be done one by one as you feel fit month by month.
Hopefully this helps you to prepare for powerful release and renewal work.
By doing these full moon rituals we create so much space- and with space, abundance can flow to us freely.
What’s your favorite moon ritual? Planning on trying any of these out?
XO
Thank you gor sharing. You are the best. I really enjoyed everything listed here. They are easy to follow.
Be blessed in abundance.
Namaste