Full Moon Ceremony

I have participated in Full Moon Ceremonies for over 20 years, although I tend to not do them monthly-- (and in fact did not participate much at all during my most hectic and exausting parenting years). I have found them to be helpful at times to extremely powerful at other times. So I wanted to share the what, the how and the WHY of this ancient practice. It is important to note that there are many variations of Full Moon gatherings and this is what I was taught and have followed, with my own addition of adding a written gratitude piece.

Why the Full Moon Time?

The Full Moon is a powerful time, one that can help us see parts of our lives that need transformation. To put it simply, it’s a time to illuminate parts of your life that may otherwise be difficult to see. The power of prayer magnification is at its highest as the moon moves into its fullest, so all ceremonies should take place as close to the moon coming into full as possible. The energy that emanates during the full moon time has the power to amplify our prayers and allows the channels of communication to Creator and Spirit Guides clear and open.

What is it for?

It’s a time to get clear on which dreams you wish to bring to fruition, as well as parts of your life that need to be released and let go of. For me it helps me to take the time to look at what things in my life aren’t working and to let them go. But on the flip side it is a very important time to look at where I am heading and what I am creating in my life and get clear on what my goals are. We begin by taking some time to sit in gratitude for everthing in our lives We know that when we take time to be grateful, we are actually inviting more of what we are grateful for in our lives. Then, take the time to recognize parts of your life that you are willing to let go of. Finally, cultivate a vision for your ideal future; look at areas where you need to receive, things you need to create or manifest in our lives.

What do we do at the Ceremony?

The Ceremony itself is very simple, any number of people—or solo—gather somewhere in nature. I like to be by water: ocean, lake or river. Each person finds a quiet spot to reflect. Then do the writing exercise:

• Write down all that you are grateful for in your life.
• On another page write down all of the problems, challenges or stagnant aspects of your life that you are willing to let go of. Ask yourself what is holding you back? Write down significant things that are not serving your growth and development, to release them.
• Finally, write down the things you would like to bring into or create in your life. Put all of the things you would like to manifest on paper. You can do this from a short term, month by month perspective then at significant times such as Winter Solstice do a longer term/yearly visioning. But it is up to you how you decide to focus on short term or long term goals.

When everyone is complete with writing, the group comes into a circle, to smudge, and in prayer we ask for the healing, release and highest and best hopes for each person. Each person has an opportunity to share as much or as little as they choose from what they wrote down. Although it may sometimes be difficult to share what we have written with the group, in my experience the healing is more profound, and your intentions are backed more strongly when said verbally. It also allows the group to invest good vibes in your growth as well. When we are able to share what is in our hearts (the good and the bad) we are rewarded. Of course this type of ceremony can be done individually, however the power that is felt when in a group setting is profound because your prayers are further amplified by the good intentions of the group supporting you.

Then, once the sharing is complete each person smudges the writing pages and burns them to ash, with the knowing that the burning also amplifies the prayers for the gratitude, the release and the creation of our goals.

Practices such as this, although very simple, can really help us grow, evolve, enhance our vision of our future and stay on a healthy balanced path.

What to Bring

• Weather appropriate clothing
• Blanket or something comfortable to sit on
• Paper and Pen
• Matches & any type of smudge medicines
• Good intentions for yourself and others

I hope you try this practice and offer it to your friends, as it truly enhances the intimacy between people when you can come together for the purpose of empowering each other as well as to strengthen our spiritual connection. The world needs us to show up more fully in our lives, so why not take the time to help focus our energies in the right direction?