The Full Moon is obvious is the sky, right? Yes, and, well, no. As an astrologer I have learned that there is a moment when the cycle shifts from growing to fading. But it’s not clear to the naked eye. In reality, there are a few days where we can all look up and say, hey, it’s a full moon.
To know exactly when the cycle, or lunar phase shifts from a waxing and building moon, to a Full Moon, to a waning fading moon, we have to check with the scientists. A quick internet search will find the exact day and time of the changing lunar phase. Here is one website, but believe me, there are lots more with this info.
The Farmer’s Almanac site is interesting because it also tells you the type of full moon. There are as many types of Full Moons as there are months in a year. Like the famous blue moon, there is also a snow, worm, pink, flower, harvest, and more types of Full Moons. Make sure you are checking the time and date for your time zone.
My focus here is on helping people find ways to celebrate the Full Moon and to offer a free resource for doing Full Moon Releasing Rituals by element (fire, water, air, earth). You can always find the information on the next Full Moon on my Astroblog, where I usually post a few days ahead of time so you can be prepared.
Get the free Full Moon guide for each month delivered to your inbox by signing up here.
Before you start your releasing ritual, check to see when the actual Full Moon phase starts. It may look like a full moon, but if you rely on your eyeballs, it could be a day or even a few hours before it starts. Energetically, you want to do your Full Moon Releasing Ritual in the Full Moon phase or within the few days after it starts.
Full Moon Energy
Full Moons are about releasing, culminating, being full of something, birthing, blooming, and overflowing with light. It can be the maturity of something, or the completion. It contains flowing and abundant energy. It signifies the halfway point of the Lunar cycle moving from youthful curiosity to wisdom and sharing.
Prepare
Plan with your family and housemates for privacy and no interruptions. You may want to do this with a close friend or partner, plan ahead with them and get it on your calendar.
Organize, plan, and purchase any supplies you want to use ahead of time.
Set Your Space and Clear Your Mind
Get your space set up with all your materials and trinkets (candles, essential oils, crystals, sage, etc.).
It should be a quiet space with soft lighting.
Some of your rituals may be outdoors. Be conscious of and respectful to nature, and the possibility that public outdoor space like a park or hiking trail may not be private.
If you do any releasing ritual using the fire method, please be careful and do not light fires where it isn’t safe or you are not allowed to do so. As a former California resident, I know how wildfires can get out of control.
Play music or nature sounds if it helps you engage.
Prepare your body by doing a few stretches and be mindful of your breath by taking deep breaths in and out.
If stretching isn’t your thing, just move a little, dance, or sway so your mind and body are relaxed and ready to engage.
Get into a mindful vibe where you are conscious of being in the present moment.
The Fire Releasing Ritual
The fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Fire is the spirit that moves inside us. It represents our passions, our inspirations, and our knowing intuition.
The fire-releasing ritual should focus on releasing anything standing in the way of your passion, inspiration, and intuition. Meditate on this as preparation for your fire-releasing ritual. What will clear obstacles to your well-being and let your passion, inspiration, and intuition flow?
This ritual involves burning a piece of paper, be sure you have a place where you can safely do this.
Get your fire burning. For example: A candle, fireplace, fire pit, grill.
Meditate on: What obstacles are in your path to well-being that have to do with your passion, intuition, and inspiration? That is what you want to release in this ritual.
Write down on a piece of paper what you want to release.
Focus on your breathing and take a few inhales and exhales. On an exhale, throw (release) your paper in the fire as a symbolic release. Let it go.
On your inhale, visualize a healthy replacement for what you are releasing and hold it in your mind’s eye.
Meditate on this new visualization as long as you want.
Come up with a mantra you can use to reinforce this new visualization into manifestation.
Supplies needed: A piece of paper you can burn, pen or pencil, safe place to burn something – like a fireplace, grill, or large candle holder.
The Water Releasing Ritual
The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The water element represents our emotional fluidity, nurturing capacity, compassion, and feeling intuition.
The water releasing ritual should focus on releasing anything causing emotional blocks, problems with nurturing others or allowing others to nurture you, obstacles to holding compassion for yourself or others, or causing you to doubt your feeling intuition.
Meditate on this as preparation for your water releasing ritual. What will clear obstacles to your well-being and let your true emotions flow? How can you open up to being nurtured, or nurture others you love? How can you increase or safeguard your compassion and feeling intuition?
Fill a container with water.
Think about what is pulling you away from your emotional well-being?
Meditate on the water and imagine you are releasing that which is blocking your emotional fluidity, compassion, nurturing, or feeling intuition into the water.
Release until you feel the energy blockage has moved into the water.
Take the water and throw it down the toilet and flush it. If you do this out in nature, ask mother nature to take your release, and recycle it in nature by pouring it out in the wild. Mother nature has an amazing regenerative ability, trust her to support you in this journey.
Take a shower or bath as a purification ritual. Or take a dip in an ocean, sea, river, or lake as a cleansing bath. Make sure the body of water is not polluted or stagnant. A jacuzzi, spa or sauna would be a nice touch as well if you have access.
Drink fresh water with a bit of lemon or mint.
Spend the rest of the day relaxing in solitude.
Supplies: Container of water, post ritual glass of water to drink with optional lemon and/or mint.
The Air Ritual
The air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Air is about connection, sharing of ideas, and being socially active. It is about our mental energy, our thoughts, and our intelligence. Air is connected to the body through the mind-body connection. Ruminating thoughts and physical manifestations of stress are areas to consider for the air ritual.
The air-releasing ritual should focus on releasing negative thinking, clearing obstacles to healthy social connecting, and anything blocking your creative and idea-making mind.
What is blocking positive social connections with others? What is getting in the way of your creative thinking and idea-making? Do you experience ruminating or negative thought patterns? Does your mental stress manifest in your body? Meditate on this as preparation for your air-releasing ritual.
This ritual is best done outside if you have the privacy to do so. You can go out in nature, in your backyard, or to a park. If you are doing this at home, open a window where there is no screen. You need access to the outdoors in order to do this releasing ritual.
Get something from nature to represent the thing you are releasing.
Identify what you are releasing.
Take a few deep breaths and focus your mind on the present moment. It’s okay if you mind strays, gently bring it back to this present moment.
As you exhale, send what you are releasing through your breath into the item from nature you are using. You are symbolically releasing through your breath (air).
On your inhale, look up to the sky and breathe in the fresh air.
On your exhale lower your hands towards the ground and let the item fall out of your hands, releasing and returning it to nature. Alternatively, you can let the wind carry away the item.
Ask Mother Nature to absorb the energy and recycle and regenerate it.
Maintain focused breathing and create a visualization of you now that you have released the blockage or obstacle. What do you look like? Do you feel lighter, excited, relieved? Take note of the process.
Our amazing earth knows how to incorporate, recycle, and re-balance energy. I believe Mother Nature is always ready and listening to help us out.
If you are out in nature, finish your hike. If you are at home, take a walk around the block, breathe in some fresh air. Put some essential oils in a diffuser and cleanse the air.
Supplies: Something from nature (a feather from the ground, a leaf, a flower, etc.).
The Earth Ritual
The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Earth is about material possessions, feeling grounded, and practicality. What is weighing you down? What sort of blocks are you experiencing with material things? Is it physical stress, dis-ease and illness, or too much stuff?
The earth-releasing ritual should focus on releasing negative attitudes and behaviors around material things like finances, routines, and possessions. It can also refer to your physical body. Meditate on this as preparation for your earth-releasing ritual.
What is interfering with your material security? Are there physical blocks or behaviors you would like to let go of?
Spoiler alert: You hands are going to get dirty and you will be playing a bit with mud in this option.
Go out into nature and scoop up some ground. Yep dirt, that soft mix of stuff that turns into mud when it rains and sprouts living organisms like food, flowers, and trees. You don’t need a lot, just enough to hold a mound of it in your cupped hands. You can use soil if you have a bag laying around for planting as long as it will turn into mud and take shape when it’s wet.
Once you have your piece of ‘mother earth’ from the ground, take it to a place where you can get a little messy.
Turn that earth into mud so that it is malleable like clay by adding water. Add the water slowly to make it moist, but not soggy or dripping. Gently knead, or mix with your hands, the water and dirt so it becomes similar to the consistency of clay – or mud.
As you are kneading and mixing your piece of earth, release out through your hands and into the earth. Imaging the blockages, pain, and problematic energy flowing out of your body and being absorbed into the earth in your hands.
Once you feel like you have released, start forming a symbolic form or structure with your earth. It can be a heart or a star. You can be elaborate like a sculptor and create a goddess statue. The creativity is all yours for the taking. You can simply make it into a ball also. It should be an enjoyable experience. If you start feeling stressed or pressured to make something artistic, let that go and just use the ball.
Once your piece of earth has been formed, it’s time to release it. Take it outside and plant it in the ground. Now don’t worry about digging up the ground. If the ground is soft and you can push it into what is already there, do that. You can also simply set it on top of the ground.
Tell your piece you don’t need it and you are returning its energy back to the source. Ask mother nature to take it away and recycle the energy for a better use.
Wash your hands and make yourself a healthy meal. Include fresh vegetables, organic if possible. Eat your clean and healthy meal, and follow it up with a seasonal fruit (organic if possible).
Rest your body for the rest of the day. Only engage in activities that boost your energy like stretching, yoga, or massage. Anything that brings that tingly feeling of goodness to your body and senses.
Remember to drink water too for extra post-ritual purification.
Supplies: Dirt, water, ingredients for a healthy meal with fresh vegetables, a fresh fruit.
After Your Ritual Tips
Journal about your ritual. If you already have a journal, reflect back on your growth and successes from previous rituals of the same element. Look for themes and patterns as catalysts for self-development and growth.
Accept, acknowledge and love that you are taking care of yourself.
Create a mantra and visualization for change. Imagine what your life looks like without that thing you have released. Hold that visualization in your mind's eye so that you can return to it when needed.
Write a short mantra you can say every day that supports your releasing ritual. Mantras are powerful tools and are best repeated daily. It helps you focus on what you want, not what you don’t. Put your Mantra on a sticky note, place it where you see it, and say it out loud or to yourself every day.
Make contact with your mantra and visualization as part of your daily routine.