Re-imagining how I work with the full moon

Does your full moon ritual feel a little stale? Can changing your approach to working with the moon shift your mindset and your magic?

As someone who has their hands both in astrology and witchcraft/mysticism, I sometimes feel the push-pull between the study of a topic vs. actually integrating it into my life in a useful way.

This struggle has long characterized my relationship with the moon, especially when observing the mini ‘holidays’ of the new and full moon on a monthly basis. Many witches and spiritual practitioners experience early initiations into this world through the practice moon rituals. It’s relatively easy, approachable, and there’s a ton of resources both online and in print. Therefore, I think many practitioners would agree that building a moon-based practice is how many start their spiritual journey.

So then what happens? If you’re like me, one day you realize that you’re following a lot of astrologers and spiritual influencers on social media. And every month your feed is flooded with posts when the full moon approaches. A quick scroll through instagram is back-to-back astrological predictions and tarot readings; posts about how the full moon will affect each sign; rituals and how to celebrate, etc.

And during eclipse season?! God help you… there’s no escaping the thousands of posts on how to best approach this transit.

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Eventually, it all just becomes a lot of noise.

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I’ve found it increasingly more difficult + overwhelming to focus on moon cycle content, because of how saturated social media has become. I admit, I feel a little guilty for even feeling this way, as someone who used to share general tarot readings each month. I know how hard it is for creators to churn out content on a regular basis, especially channeled information. I wonder if any of these creators start to feel that their efforts are futile? Or if they are borrowing the same content and reposting it each month?

Anyway, all of this to say that I have stopped consuming most of this type of content and typically just give a cursory ‘like + swipe.’

But this past full moon, I started thinking about how I could start to look at them in a new way.

How can we integrate astrological knowledge in a way that actually feels affirming and useful, without being overwhelmed?

How can I avoid that feeling of just going through the motions of a ritual or routine?

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

As someone who struggles to keep a routine, and enjoys “going with the flow” I typically forget about the full moon until it shows up in the sky. In my early days, I would end up doing something hurried (aka light a candle) or just let the transit pass by without doing anything. Then came the guilt… “Wow what a lazy witch! How can you call yourself a practitioner if you can’t even get your butt up to do a full moon ritual?”

So a few years ago, I started to give myself grace.

I decided to pivot, and began observing what I was *already* doing during the full moon. I realized that sometimes the best and most magical thing you can do is allow the transit to take you on its natural path.

For context, at this point in my life, I was working full time, single, with a decent social life but still mostly a homebody introvert. Typically, I would make plans with friends a few times a month, then spend additional time with family, with the remaining time happily at home - usually reading, writing, doing crafts, thrifting, etc.

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Over time, I realized that on a monthly basis, my busiest weekends always fell around the full moon.

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I would spend a few weeks at home, with no plans, no dates, just free.. but then a full moon weekend always came with a spontaneous invitation to hang out, a first date with a new guy, a birthday party or celebration for a friend, or even a small weekend trip with the girls or family.

*For the astrologers reading this, I would like to note that natally I have an 11th house moon.

Once I started realizing this, the reason why I couldn’t commit to a full moon ritual became clear. At the most basic level, I wasn’t usually home! I was out, living life, celebrating good times with friends and loved ones. And isn’t that the point?

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Life is meant to be lived, and our spiritual practices should ground us in our lives, not take us out of them.

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So, in true Venusian fashion (I am a Libra, and Venus ruled) I decided that my social plans would essentially become my spiritual practice. If I happen to have plans during the full moon, all that love, good energy, and fun that I generate is dedicated to enriching my spiritual practice and supporting my relationship with the spirits and deities who guide and protect me.

SYMBOLISM + APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE

For those who are not familiar with the symbolism of the full moon in modern spirituality, I want to give a quick overview in case this is something you would like to integrate into your own practice.

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The moon’s cycle (approx. 28 days) is extremely connected to feminine energy and therefore can most easily be understood in connection to a woman’s cycle, the process of pregnancy and childbirth.

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With that in mind, I like to think of the full moon as an extremely potent time, the moment when the energy flips from growth to release. The energy of the the full moon when it reaches illumination is mirrored to the moment the water breaks. The baby has been slowly, slowly growing, just as the moon slowly grows during the two weeks it waxes from new to full.

When the full moon reaches its apex, it’s reached its maximum level of light. The energy is at a high, and the potential energy explodes as it finally releases, and suddenly everything shifts to allow the birth process to begin.

As the energy culminates, its more about holding on for dear life than it is about anything else. It’s not the time to set intentions. If you ask a woman who’s going into labor what her plans are for the next year…. you will probably get punched. She’s thinking about the immediate future, what has to happen right now, and is fully embodied in the moment.

To connect back to astrology, the full moon happens when the opposition between the sun and the moon are exact. As with any planetary opposition, this aspect describes two forces pulling in opposite directions. The energy gets more potent as it pulls increasingly tighter and tighter, like a rope getting taut. But if you pull too much, it will break. The anticipation builds to such a level that it has to eventually break and release.

I also like using the image of a rollercoaster at the very top of the hill before it plummets to earth. That potential energy, the level of fear and excitement, is all symbolized within the full moon.

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How can you apply these metaphors to your own life as the full moon approaches?

How are you riding out this cosmic tipping point, and allowing all of the energy you have accumulated to be released?

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We know it’s not the time to plan, to strategize, or manifest.

(Some witchy pinterest posts may disagree with me on this. Manifestation is actually a common call to action, although I don’t agree.)

Instead, the full moon is actually the perfect time to take action, do something, take the risk, and fully live your life.

Everything you have worked for, carefully cultivated and grown will manifest at this time and be ready to be harvested. I would avoid trying to sit down and manifest anything new, as this is really a time for taking stock of what you are bringing in, both tangibly and energetically.

Here are a few ideas of how to spend the full moon, either alone or with others.

at work:

• giving a final presentation on a project you’ve been working on for the last few weeks.

• publishing or releasing a paper or update for your colleagues or clients.

• sharing or celebrating a milestone accomplishment you have been working towards

• finally seeing your biz hit new sales goals you have been working towards

in love:

• going on a first date with a person you’ve been texting on and off for the last few weeks

• meeting someone new at a bar or club after spending a few weeks mourning an old relationship & deciding to start over

• planning a cute date night somewhere new after a few weeks of monotony or busyness has gotten between you and your partner

• celebrating an anniversary or milestone with your partner

• reaching a mutual understanding on a disagreement or decision that has been coming between you and a significant other.

creatively & socially:

• hosting a party you’ve planned over the last few weeks

• a final performance you’ve put your heart into (a musical, playing in a band or orchestra, dance performance, poetry night, etc.)

• putting the final touches on your work of art (painting, sewing, knitting, etc.) or a DIY project around the house

• harvesting fresh fruit or veggies from your garden, making bread with your starter, or gathering all the ingredients and trying a recipe you’ve been eyeing

• attending a concert or museum or social event you’ve been looking forward to

• going on a little weekend trip to the beach or lake with friends or a loved one.

• spontaneously meeting up with friends for a drink and having it turn into one of those perfect nights where everyone is available to hang all night long

• family time: any gathering where everyone can be together. hikes out in nature, a pool day, sports day, BBQ, movie night, game night. etc.

energetically/spiritually:

• performing any ritual that requires significant time to prepare, and needs a potent energy boost (which you will get from the moon)

• meditating on what needs to be released

• rituals or practices that focus on celebrating, harvesting what has served you well, and thankfulness

• kitchen magic - cooking something that will be used in a celebration

• making offerings to deities

• offering your time to those in need - volunteering or helping others

• filling your soul’s cup with what you love: reading, writing, creating, making.

• exploring a new place in your town that you haven’t been to before.

• go on a hike, be in nature, and connect with those around you.

I hope that after reading this list, you can understand the ‘formula’ of how I chose these suggested full moon activities.

Basically, it’s all about being in the moment + harvesting the energy of anticipation. Being present and mindful enough in your life to fully embrace everything around you, and participate!

The key is allowing yourself to stop and be fully embodied in the moment, so that the energy of your life can peak.

Some life events, like giving a presentation or performance, force you to do this already. But if you don’t have a performance or something similar on the agenda, you can create the similar mindset of embodied oneness through the activities I suggested.

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The full moon is also a time for synchronicities to play out, and for you to commune with the universe. Because of how high the energy is, you can expect to get messages from spirit, but you must be open to receiving them.

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Whether you call a friend up for last minute plans, or venture somewhere new and see who you meet…. Or plan a party, a date, or a trip for the weekend - allow yourself to dive into those plans whole heartedly.

LET’S WRAP IT UP

OK so I know this is a long read, and believe it or not, I barely scratched the surface with what I wanted to share about the many magical ways to connect with the full moon.

This post is really just a jumping off point, to reframe your outlook on HOW to use the full moon in your life.

Next, for those who wish to apply more of the astrology to it, I will be connecting it back to the birth chart to plan WHEN the best time of the year is for you to focus on different areas of life.

Basically, one full moon may be better for your career, while another will be great for love. But that will all be in a future post!

Thanks for reading!

xx Hannah

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