Full Moon Ritual Bath

Sinking into a hot bath can be one of the joys of life. Though it serves a purpose on a physical level, it can provide much more than just rinsing off the day.

Bathing in many cultures is a sacred act. It signifies purification, renewal, and a time for self-care. When combined with the energy of the lunar cycles, the result is a potent combination. By bringing intention to your bath, you offer yourself a precious gift.

Deborah Hanekamp, known for her ritual baths prescriptions, shared the following wisdom with Spirituality & Health for the full moon of November:

The November full moon offers revelations about shadow aspects of ourselves that we are in need of integrating. All of those parts of yourself where you're feeling shame, guilt, regret, or places you'd rather not look at are being resurfaced and revealed in this full moon so they can be integrated, processed, and healed.

A massive part of being our own healer is no longer allowing our inner self-critic to have such a loud voice. In order to not be so judgmental and hard on ourselves, we need to take the shadow aspects of who we are—all the decisions that we've made that we regret.

Then we need to understand the place we were in at the time we made the decisions that we made. After that acceptance and understanding, we can find forgiveness. From that place of forgiveness, we find compassion. Then we carry the energy of compassion with us.

Self-confidence is having compassion for yourself. You recognize that you did things you may regret or feel ashamed of, but you still choose to love yourself.

The medicine that this full moon is bringing in is a great way to honor that compassion. We submerge ourselves in water because water gives us the energy of reflection.

The ritual bath offered below is designed for self-reflection and integration of our shadow selves:

Ingredients

Moonstone crystal

3 cups of Epsom salt

3 drops of plumeria essential oil

10 drops of rose absolute essential oil

1 cup of milk (Any type)

Dried lunaria flowers (Looks so much like full moons, but is a big ask because it's hard to find. Consider it optional.)

Mix the salt with essential oils in the bath, pour in the milk, and add the white rose petals, moonstone, and lunaria if you are using it.

Ritual

Cleanse your aura with a selenite wand.

Light a candle and then turn off all artificial light.

Climb into the bath and dunk your head under the water.

Place the moonstone crystal on the place in between your throat and your heart center.

Say to yourself:

I accept you

I understand you

I forgive you

I love you

Repeat these words and let all the little (and big) things bubble up. You are not getting rid of your shame and guilt, but rather integrating and turning it into wisdom. When you begin that process, you'll start remembering other little things that you realize that you've been hanging on to that you don't need to carry anymore.

Keep saying those words to yourself in the bath.

See what starts to come up, and remember to end with, “I love you, I love you.”

The November full moon is so strong around this time because we are preparing to be around family, which can dredge up so many emotions. It’s a time we can get raw and sensitive, so it's such a good time to get ourselves in a head space of confidence.

Find Deborah Hanekamp on Instagram @mamamedicine.

You might also enjoy a Full Moon Ritual for Release.