A Full Moon Ritual for Release

The sky at night is a constant reminder of the rhythms of life. Each night offers subtle shifts: the stars are different, the moon waxes and wanes, meteor showers come and go. The night sky calls to us to observe and tune in, offering a chance to contemplate our own rhythms.

We all live under the same sky, I see the same moon as a shepherd tending his flock in Palestine. Stars are an important part of ancient navigation techniques for sailors, and the cycle of the moon dictates which crops should be harvested and planted for certain communities.

The full moon offers a potent time to create rituals. There is an intensity that arises with the full moon, a type of frenzy, where things that must be looked at rise to the surface. By bringing our intention to a full moon ritual, we invite a sacredness into our experience, harnessing the intensity of the full moon energy. In The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide to Ancient Self-Care, authors Emma Loewe and Lindsay Kellner invite readers to bring their sacred intention to rituals, offering a year’s worth of rhythms to ground them.

According to Loewe and Kellner, the full moon is a time to release what is not serving us, and to create a space for forgiveness. “Every full moon,” they write, “is a chance to metaphorically and physically drop anything that no longer serves you.” A common ritual is to write down negative self-talk or old habits that are getting in your way, and then rip them up or burn them on the full moon, signifying a release of their old energy.

“Full moons, those that arrive in autumn in particular," write Loewe and Keller, “are opportunities to release what is no longer serving you.” They invite readers to use humming as a way to facilitate this release. Harvard medical school completed a review of research and found many healing properties that come from the vibrations of music. In addition, humming during stressful situations can also soothe the nervous system.

Loewe and Keller concede that it may feel strange to hum out loud, but they suggest trying this ritual as a powerful self-care practice during the full moon. The idea is to “use humming as a tool to move from the doing mind into the receiving or practicing mind and to open to the energy of the full moon.”

• Sit quietly in a space where you will not be disturbed.
• “Imagine yourself in your mind’s eye, and then begin to deconstruct that image. What colors, scents, temperatures, textures, and other qualities are you made of? Are you oceanic or made of desert, or flowers?” Consider the qualities of how you are now compared to how you would like to be next year, and what you would need to draw in and to release in order to become those qualities.
• Let your senses fully experience the qualities you want to draw in. “If you decided fire was your element, feel the heat. If mint was your flavor, taste and smell it”
• Let yourself release those elements, become open, and invite an element to come to you, rather than you choosing it. “Listen to what wants to be heard.”
• Close your lips and take several deep breaths, in and out through your nose.
• “On your next inhale, engage your low belly and start to hum. Hum into your colors, smells, tastes, and textures. This will help you translate the sound and find your frequency. Don’t be afraid to play if it’s not right at first.”
• Allow several full belly breaths, and return to humming.
• Bring the focus of your vibration to a single point, and choose an item to place in the light of the full moon to charge. “Let it be a reminder of your desired reality and the person you want to become.”

As we focus on the qualities we want to become, we allow those that no longer are serving us to fall away. This ritual invites us to stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone, and welcome those qualities into our cells.