The Full Moon
A full moon occurs when the earth is located directly between the sun and the moon. At a full moon, the elliptical longitudes of the sun and moon are 180 degrees apart. This is the only time of the lunar cycle that these two celestial bodies are completely opposite each other. Due to the positions of the moon and earth, we can see all of the reflected light of the sun on the moon’s surface, making her our collective lantern, our glowing crystal ball in the sky.
The full moon rises in the east at sunset, and sets at sunrise in the west. Depending on the weather, we can see her above our heads all night long. If our lunar cycle observance began at the new moon, then the full moon is the third of the primary moon phases. It is the halfway mark of an entire lunar cycle. This time marks a potent point on our moon map. We recognize what we now know, what we’ve learned, and name everywhere we have traversed since the new moon. The full moon lights our path to the embodiment of all we are becoming.
Before electricity, nighttime was a dark and treacherous place. Evening was synonymous with danger and the unknown. The moon was a light bulb in the sky before streetlights existed. Full moons made connection easier. Your lover could look into your sparkling eyes and adore you. Traditionally, the full moon was a time for witches to gather. Sabbats, the religious and spiritual gatherings of witchcraft, were scheduled around full moons. The word sabbat comes from the Hebrew shabbat, which means “cessation” or “rest.” In Judaism, Shabbat is a weekly holy day observed from sundown to sundown at the end of every week. As Judaism follows a lunar calendar, many of its major holidays coincide with the full moon. Many Indigenous and pagan traditions also mark their rituals and holidays with this lunar phase. Folks could gather, could feast and commune safely, could get home safely. This time became an auspicious one. The cauldron—a means to nourish, a container of magical concoctions, a site of alchemy—is a metaphor for the full moon.
Full moons also made it possible for people to stay up later to do agricultural work like harvesting. Traditionally, herbalists made medicine at this time. During the full moon, people knew they would be fed, knew their loved ones would be taken care of. It is still a time when farmers sow seeds. Depending on the time of year, this is also when gardeners divide cuttings and propagate more plants, as the water in the soil is closer to the surface.
The tides are highest at this time. The water inside of us is heightened, making its way to our surface. Folklore has it that we bleed more during a full moon. During a full moon, our water, our emotions are moved around, brought up; we are forced to reckon with them. This can be unsettling. Emotions are powerful—they control elections, cause people to sail across oceans, lead civil rights movements, write operas, and create new life. When we don’t know which way our waves will crash, or how to ride our waves, we experience emotional uncertainty and instability, which leads to fear.
The heightened emotions we may experience during this phase led to a belief in being “moonstruck” during the full moon—overcome with emotion and lust, overtaken by heated reactions that the full moon supposedly triggers. But the moon does not create anything that isn’t already there. She is only underscoring that which needs an outlet. Her reflection is simply showing us the aspects of ourselves that need attention and tending to.
When we are in touch with our emotions, our needs become known. When we can work with our emotions, when we can emotionalize our thoughts, and when we program our emotions to help us heal, evolve, and move toward our desires, we become profound vehicles of alchemy.
The full moon is the stuff of legend: human beings morph into werewolves, witches cackle around cauldrons, and people turn into lunatics. The lunatic stigma could have origins in the Church wanting to turn people away from lunar worship: one of the names of a Roman moon goddess was Luna. Her followers were condemned by the Church as “mad.”1
A lot of the fear around the full moon can be attributed to old-fashioned misogyny. The full moon has long been associated with the feminine, with feminine sexuality, with menstrual blood, with the untamed, the uncontrollable, the wild. The feminine has long been associated with the internal and all that resides in the realm of the emotional, the intuitive, the intangible.
The full moon is where our subconscious and consciousness meet. Our desires and fears commingle. It is a site of alchemy. It is an opportunity. The “everything all at once” feeling that the full moon heightens for us is not a gift to be wasted. We receive revelations and illuminations. We are shown what we must next process in our own particular process. The more we experience it as a gateway into our body, as a decoder of emotions, as a rope leading us down into the tunnels of our subconscious, the more we can access its powers as a guide. Our transformation becomes tangible under the portal of the full moon.
FULL MOON TIMING
The moon is technically in her “full” phase for a few seconds. To the human eye, the full moon appears “full” for about four days. That’s because it takes about four days for the moon to move from 95 percent illuminated to full to 95 percent illuminated on the other—waning—side.2
The moon is in one astrological sign, on average, for about two days. If you are working with the astrology of the full moon to harness the particular energy of “a full moon in Aries,” then you have about two days to create your ritual and cast your spell. A good rule of thumb is to observe the full moon within three days of its occurrence. If you are very sensitive to full moon psychic downloads or heightened messages, it might make sense to cast your spell or create your ritual a day or two after the full moon, once you’ve received more guidance. The way to decide when and how to work with your full moon is a similar process to figuring out the nuances of your new moon experience. Check in with how you feel physically, energetically, emotionally, and intuitively. This is your practice, and you get to create it in a way that resonates personally.
Full moon timing is one thing; full moon feelings are another. The Full Moon Feels may start coming up as early as a week before the actual full moon. Fitful sleep, insomnia, feeling wired, anxious, or overwhelmingly emotional are all effects of an almost full or full moon.
The full moon, along with the new moon and dark moon, is one of the moon phases that has an all caps lock, exclamation mark of intensity around them. The full moon reminds us that everything eventually comes back around again. If we can, we deal; we are here, now. If we are too overwhelmed, too harried, too distracted to look up at her and receive her messages, we have another opportunity the next night, or at the next full moon. If we pay attention, are mindful, we become more available to ourselves and those around us.
WHEN A FULL MOON IS HARD FOR YOU
The full moon phase is downright uncomfortable for so many. It is challenging to be exposed: all the squirmy secrets and your seeming worst parts projected on the big screen of your life. The full moon can reopen very private wounds. This can feel like shining a cruel flashlight on the exact place you wish to keep hidden. If this happens, try to sit with whatever emotions come up. Be with the hurt, give it some space. Give the inner child, or your shadow, the support and validation it needs.
Under the intensity of a full moon, we can no longer ignore the tension between what we need and what we want. Or what we have and what we actually need. These contrasts can feel unbearable. Ambivalence can be a friend, actually, because in between the worlds of heart and logic, dreams and action, present and future are vital spaces to explore. Time spent blending those lines instead of compartmentalizing them can transform patterns.
The full moon might also be a rough time for you if it is challenging for you to name and ask for your needs and desires to be met. Vulnerability is not for the faint of heart. This time of downloads and messages can also be rough for sensitive folks who do not practice energetic clearing regularly or could use some stronger boundaries.
Then there are the physiological effects. For many folks, the full moon is a time of little to no sleep. If the glaring full moon is keeping you up at night, work with what is coming through. Journal the downloads you receive in the middle of the night. Pay attention to what familiar patterns lie underneath the wired inner chatter. If you know that you generally do not get a lot of quality sleep around this time, proceed accordingly. Do not overschedule. Preplan meals, chores, hard decisions, hard conversations. Be your own best friend.
The full moon falls directly in the middle of the lunar cycle. Middles are hard. The spark of the unknown and fresh experiences keep us engaged at the beginning of something. Everyone loves a sexy new moon! Once we get going, though, issues arise. Problems pop up that need to be solved. There are more reasons to quit than to keep going. At the full moon, we’ve been through the waxing moon phase. There’s been mountain climbing and tears and sweat. We might be a bit bruised or banged up; we might have encountered the embarrassment of things not panning out the way we had thought. Maybe we’ve quit and are dealing with the shame around that. Or, we have put in all the work: lived through the late nights, survived the difficult conversations, put in the spiritual and physical effort, and by the time the full moon comes, we are totally wiped out.
There can also be a pressure to perform ritual or spell work under a full moon, as if it were the only chance available to spark big magic. It is not. The point of a successful spell is to be present, to be able to shift energy, to transform, and to even have some fun. If you are unable to do those things, that is your reality. Don’t beat yourself up. Maybe an overwhelmed full moon means a movie in bed, or pulling a couple of tarot cards and journaling. Maybe you give yourself ten minutes to stand outside, gaze at the moon, and allow gratitude to shine down on your beautiful body. Working with the cycle holistically means making magic through the entire spiral of it—not only on a new or full moon. As we collaborate with the energy of the moon through each phase, we are connected to the whole cycle, full moon included.
WHEN YOU ARE IN A FULL MOON PHASE
When you are in a full moon phase, you are all the way turned up. You are overflowing at the edges of self, and it feels so, so good. There you are, precious earth angel, feeling alive, feeling inspired, feeling invigorated. Feeling yourself. You are held by the cosmos as you navigate through the rapids on a river called destiny.
Practice gratitude by way of enjoyment and celebration. On any other day, you might want to change one or two things, but for now the present moment is impervious to criticism. The fact that these magical moments do not come along every day makes the experience of it all the more humbling. Pace yourself through the firework parade of your moment, however—if you aren’t careful, you could tip over into burnout.
When you are in a full moon phase you are nourished by connection with others. You gather, you listen, you want to hold space. The threads you’ve followed now weave into the magic of the collective.
When you are in a full moon phase you anchor down deep, reconnect with sheer will, and get to the finish line. Reach for what you previously could not. You grab the vine and soar to the other side of the chasm; give that last push up the switchback and get to the top of the metaphorical mountain.
When you are in a full moon phase, answers are everywhere because you have fully paid attention to the wisdom within. You’ve jumped off the dock and swum too far out to go back. Intuition and faith steadily carry you to another shore.
THE FULL MOON IS AN “EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE” ENERGY TO BE USED HOWEVER YOU’D LIKE
The future is not promised. Every human has a unique list of wished-for “one days.” One day I’ll go on a hot-air balloon ride. One day I’ll get over my fear of being onstage. One day I’ll get certified in CPR, stop being late to yoga/therapy/movies, explore my sexual fantasies, meditate every morning, apologize to that friend I fucked over, commit to eating breakfast every morning, write that important teacher a thank-you letter, and actually get eight hours of sleep on weeknights. One day one day one day one day!
At a certain point, our “one days” need to become “todays.”
What our lives look like is in part due to what we’ve done in the past. And much of what the future looks like will be directly influenced by what we do today. What full moon spells will you cast by doing what you’ve needed to do for ages? How can “one day,” in some way, begin today?
The full moon shows us the one days. What we are ready to examine, what we are ready to embody, why we are ready to release. What has been forgotten that is now ripe for remembering. Let the full moon help you see and accept the entire spectrum of yourself. The full moon phase is an especially potent time to consider larger life themes and patterns that relate to both our subconscious and consciousness.
The full moon can show us what we must address in order to turn the corner in one or more areas of our lives. This reflection often illuminates those places where we are most vulnerable, most afraid to attempt transformation, as well as our deepest desires and potential. That dreamed-of life you keep yourself from going for, over and over again, because if you try and don’t get it, you are sure you would be heartbroken beyond repair? That is exactly where you must go. There is no wrong way, there is no right way to decide to truly meet ourselves. When we operate from an empowered place, we know we can hold ourselves through hurt and shame. Our energy shifts as we remind ourselves that we are the magic, we are the spells.
In terms of traditional magic and spell work, we know that the full moon is the most potent time for casting spells for anything one feels drawn to: manifestation, guidance, protection, energy raising, abundance, fertility, closure, peace, harmony, support, creativity, psychic messages, and so much more. Those who know clearly what they want are most poised to benefit from this.
Some full moons demand more introspection. Sometimes we can just sit, awakening to the pause between our inhale and exhale. Sometimes the victory is remembering the pause is always there waiting for us, a way to expand time and space. Sometimes all we may be capable of is just getting through the day and leaving it at that. Bed is the celebration. The fact that it is over is the celebration. That can be enough.
Remember that the stars and the moon don’t know how they shine, but they gleam and enchant just the same. Remember that you shine too. Give yourself a wink in the mirror. Let yourself crack open into a smile that lights up your entire beautiful face. Then do whatever you must under the potent energy of the full moon.
The full moon is the brightest permission slip in the night sky.
It reassures us that the answer is yes.
Yes it is okay to cry.
Yes it is okay to quit.
Yes it is okay to say no. Or yes.
Yes it is okay to love yourself.
Yes you are beautiful.
Yes it is okay to unfollow/ignore/block that person.
Yes you are allowed to stick up for yourself.
Yes it is okay to walk along your own path.
Yes it is okay to Go For It.
Yes it is okay and safe for you to trust yourself.
Yes.
THE FULL MOON IS A TIME TO HARVEST
Harvest is both a verb and a noun. The harvest refers to mature crops that are ready to be gathered. Harvesting is being in a state of discernment and labor. Harvesting is the culmination of all our efforts sowing, growing, and nurturing. From the new moon seeding and tilling and the waxing moon tending comes the full moon fruits bursting against our lips.
On farms, harvesting is the most labor-intensive activity of the growing season. Harvest season requires the most human power and the most resources. Your harvest season might last longer than you think and take a bit more energy than you’re prepared for. If you’ve been giving it your all during the length of the waxing moon, your energy is already compromised by the time the moon is full. You may need to adjust accordingly.
The harvest itself isn’t always a longed-for thing. It can be an important lesson learned. It can be an experience gained. Internal harvests are absolutely as meaningful as external ones.
In our culture there is a very real pressure to grind, to hustle, to push so hard that many of our daily lives teeter on the edge of unsustainability. Growth is as much about being rooted securely as it is reaching out. The soil needs to stay fertile, needs to be able to support life for long periods of time. We want our success to be intertwined with others’ strong roots. We want the collective canopy to remain vibrant and strong. Part of a sustainable process includes the acceptance that our success is ultimately woven in with the success of the whole. We need one another. This is the shift from a “me” to a “we” state of being.
What would it mean to harvest healthily? Not pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion. Taking care of ourselves as if we were our most precious resource. Acknowledging that our energy is infinitely more valuable than gold. Expressing gratitude for the resources, for the ancestors, for the lessons that got us here. Not taking just because we can. Valuing human lives and the earth over profits. Thinking of others—maybe even folks we will never meet—and how we can help them. These are the kinds of harvests that will feed us the longest.
Ask yourself: What am I harvesting? How and why? What are my long-term plans and goals for my work? Am I in survival mode? Why? How can I switch to thriving?
Be Strategic About What You Are Harvesting
This part of the cycle demands strategy. Work smarter, not harder. The pace of our harvest must be measured by the amount of self-care we administer along the way. If you tend to think of yourself last, only after almost every drop of energy you have has been given away, then this harvest time could be an opportunity to give a cornucopia of care back to yourself. If your pattern is to quit just before you’ve reached the finish line, then figure out how to circumvent your tendency to give up right before the fruit ripens. Develop your strategy to do more with less.
It might be that at the full moon, or when you are in a full moon phase of your life, part of your harvesting strategy is to let the blessings you’ve been cultivating come to you. Take your foot off the gas. Coast for a while. Share older work that didn’t get enough attention the first time around. There’s a reason you’ve learned certain lessons. Use and share that wisdom.
Effective harvesting is also about taking the path of least resistance. Not trying to make those who won’t budge, bend. Imagine that being in a long hotel hallway lined with eighty-two doors, and I tell you that behind just one of those doors is an amazing party that a loved one has planned in your honor. All your favorite people are there, your favorite food is being served, your favorite music is playing with a dance floor right next to the hot tub. All you have to do is open the right door. Would you stop at the first door you see and then, when it won’t unlock, try to bang it open all night? No way. You’d knock on every door until you found the one that was just for you. Life can be like that exercise. We have to find the door that will open easily for us, not force the ones that will never swing ajar. This isn’t about giving up on a dream. It is actually about trying a variety of different ways to actualize your dream. Don’t let one not-so-great outcome determine the next phase of your life. Don’t force a situation that isn’t working after you’ve given it an honest and healthy effort. Go where you are wanted. Go where the love is.
Look around you to see what in your life is ready to be harvested. What is blooming? Everything has its own cycles, its own timing. Just because something isn’t coming up right now doesn’t mean it won’t at a later date. Patience means experimenting with different methods, mindsets, and vibrations. Focus on what is here now. Focus on what you can try doing differently.
Embodiment as Harvest
Embodiment is where we get down and dirty with our actual, factual, overwhelmingly exciting desires. Embodiment is harvest magic. The harvest is a time of receiving plenitude. So it would make sense that the full moon is the time to double down on embodiment, which directly relates to our abundance—to fill in the space between what we long for and what we actually believe we deserve. Consciously practice receiving. Behave as if you live in abundance, not scarcity.
Start simple, if need be. One of the students in my Moonbeaming class set an intention around an office get-together she was planning: “I want my holiday work party to be a fun celebration.” This is a very clear statement and intention. The words fun and celebration define some of the sensations to embody. In your own harvest work, be clear with your intentions. Identify the feelings inherent to the intention, connect to them, and embody them in your actions.
It can be hard to become a bridge between states of longing and embodiment. It can be tricky to go from the promise of an expectation to the hours of sitting with the reality of what it will take to fulfill our actual needs. It isn’t a lie when folks say that sometimes, the hardest part is getting out of your own way.
Embodiment takes time and practice. The only ingredients you need are a body, your consciousness, and your desire. After practice comes progress. Once there is progress, we practice presence. After presence has been established, then we root. The present moment becomes our grounding technique. There is no lost time. Our fuck-ups are no longer reasons to hate ourselves or quit. A fear-based mindset is diminished, so missteps aren’t daggers puncturing our dreams anymore. In practicing embodiment, our current harvest becomes easy to gather.
Harvesting and Release
Many astrologers and magic workers consider “release” to be one of the dominant themes of the full moon, and suggest “releasing” any strong emotions you may experience at this time—usually by shunting them aside. From my perspective this is a waste of the energy of the full moon and stems from people’s fears around emotions.
Many people’s first reaction to being flooded with emotions is to get rid of them, which often means bypassing and ignoring them. The problem is, when we stuff our emotions down without properly processing them, they aren’t actually released at all, just stifled.
True releasing includes doing the emotional work of processing that the full moon sometimes asks us to do. Don’t discard your emotions by way of rejection, feel them. Listen to them, sit with them, and channel them into something greater than you. At the very least, you name the emotion, acknowledge the source, give yourself compassion, then move the unwanted energy out of your body in some fashion.
If you are going to work on release at the full moon, be clear about how you will think differently, what you will do differently, and actually commit to changing yourself so that what you are releasing goes easily and will not return. Ask yourself: Am I using release as a stand-in to avoid dealing with really challenging feelings? Where must I take accountability? Does this situation just need me to look at it and address it head-on, not ignore it? How can I take this energy and channel it into something greater?
Rotten Harvests Happen
Sometimes the harvest shows up as a lesson of what we really, really don’t want. Outcomes can be used as lessons; these are all information we use for the future. Sometimes the greatest lesson we can give to ourselves is the knowledge that fundamentally, we are resilient—we can withstand almost any kind of weather.
Often, all failure means is that you tried.
Success is usually found on the other side of many failures. Don’t let one or two rotten harvests in a row make you feel like you are the one who is rotten. In nature, there is disease and illness. In nature, not all seeds grow. Try to shift your perspective and hold the energy of compassion through the setbacks.
So-called failures are necessary in order to experience success. Learning what not to do is invaluable for future endeavors. Sometimes, knowledge does happen to be gained the hard way. At the time of a failure or setback, we can’t see the future, and so the snag becomes all-encompassing. In time, what is learned will offer us new insights, opportunities, and relationships.
If you are having a less-than-stellar full moon time, be gentle on yourself. Take some deep breaths through it. Notice what is coming up for you. Are there some patterns that are being illuminated here that echo an ongoing larger issue? Is this about how you treat yourself over perceived failures? Take note of where you can make different choices. This moment will pass eventually. Turn off your phone, close your eyes, and place your hands over your heart. If you can, go outside, and let the moon listen to you as you cry. She can hold your sorrow. She can be present for your grief. In her 4.53 billion years of existence, she has witnessed many tears.
The next beginning is around the corner. But for now we rest. We gather ourselves within the forgiveness of a long sigh. Later we assess. What can I learn from this situation? What did I do well? Where can I do better? Who am I now?
With all endings come the glimmers of different beginnings.
THE FULL MOON IS A TIME TO CONNECT TO OUR INTUITION
To work with the moon is to work with our intuition: our inner knowing. The processes of lunar work reveal varied aspects of the self as we move through the moon’s phases, which broadens the scope of our intuition. Our senses, our inner wisdom, our impulses, our creativity, our emotions, our actions are all under this umbrella. Our intuition is the most direct gateway to intimacy with the self.
When the moon is full, this gate is open widest. A full moon is an incredibly rich time to experiment with any and all focused activities that consciously expand our intuition. Traditionally, there are held to be seven types of psychic abilities: clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairempathy (clear emotional feeling), clairsentience (clear physical feeling), clairtangency (clear touch), clairsalience (clear smelling), and clairgustance (clear tasting). Each one of these is a channel for intuition. Though almost no one is able to strongly access all of these abilities, each of us have clear access to at least one—and we can practice tuning in to our intuition through strengthening our natural gifts. Try not to overcomplicate accessing your intuition. Your intuition is a part of you no matter what—even if you have anxiety, or if you do not feel confident accessing any of the previously mentioned abilities.
Simply notice what you notice. Pay attention to what you are most drawn to. If it is art and visuals, you could have a stronger connection to clairvoyance. Clairvoyance is not just being able to visualize and see things in your third eye; it is also the ability to receive messages and interpretations through visuals—i.e., the way tarot readers, film critics, and art historians do. Every “clair” functions in this same way. If you are particularly sensitive to music, or are a musician, then you might be clairaudient. This “clair” isn’t just hearing voices internally. It could also be that when you talk, freestyle sing, or just start chanting in a flow state, that you access this arena of psychic ability. You may be particularly sensitive to song lyrics; hearing the right chorus at the right time helps you to answer a current quandary. The only way to develop your intuition is to experiment and play with practices that you are drawn to—you don’t need to explain why you like nature walks, tarot, or meditation. Start with what you are most interested in and drawn toward. Swim in the most familiar ponds of your nature.
Channeling is another related intuitive ability and activity that connects directly to the full moon. This is a process of connection to something greater than ourselves. We allow information, emotions, archetypes, or spirit to flow through us. We become both the vessel and the gifts it holds. We are both medium and messenger.
Being both receiver and transmitter requires concentration. This involves a close listen before imparting information. In taking the information we’ve received and moving it along, we stay in our flow state. Be open to playing around with channeling. Ask yourself, or spirit source, your angels, your guides, or the moon questions and allow energies to flow through you to answer them.
Once in a while, I meet someone who is nervous about channeling. They are worried that cruel spirits or entities will come through them. Or they worry that they will lose control. I believe a lot of such fears stem from both religious dogma and also from social stigmas around psychic abilities as a result of misleading media representations. When we set clear intentions and instructions to receive loving, helping, kind guidance only, then that is what will come through. Grounding and putting up energetic boundaries before channeling is always a good idea.
There exists a misconception that if you are very in touch with your intuition, then everything becomes much easier. That isn’t necessarily the case. Often, trusting your intuition and following its guidance means making inconvenient, even difficult changes. Moves, breakups, and career loss may accompany heeding your intuition. Following your intuition can be painful at times. It is heeding the call of the soul and spirit. This is not always convenient!
Intuition teaches us to detach from the unhealthy parts of our ego. That which keeps us separate or unavailable to transcendence. While the information we receive is sometimes not what we had hoped, if collaborated with, it will foster growth.
Our intuition helps us to help ourselves, and also the collective. In my experience, intuitive hits and downloads tend to carry potent truths not only for us personally, but for others as well. One sign that a message or download contains greater collective wisdom is when you receive it with no ego or resistance involved.
Some Ways to Access Moon Messages
There are many ways to access spirit and self. Divination tools include coffee grounds, tea leaves, pendulums, tarot or oracle cards, bibliomancy, runes, and much more.
Scrying, or the art of second sight, is the act of gazing into a reflective abstract object in order to receive information by way of images and insights. Objects that have been used for scrying include crystals, mirrors that have been painted black, and even a bowl or glass of water with droplets of black ink added to it. Think of it as a psychic Rorschach test.
When the full moon has risen, gaze into a bowl of water. If possible, position it so you see the reflection of the full moon in the water. Gaze into the reflection of the moon. Stay watching for many moments. Let any and all answers or impressions float across your subconscious without edits.
You can also try filling up a black bowl with water and gazing into it in the dark. What do you see in the water, in the darkness? Noting patterns or types of symbology that frequently occur in your divination helps you to connect to your own intuition.
Use the full moon as your scrying device. Magic makers throughout the ages have done this. Look so long at her that she looks back at you. Stare so deeply that you begin to see yourself. Describe what you see.
Free writing also connects us to our intuition. Sit down, put pen to page, and start writing whatever is on your mind. If you are interested in gaining messages from your subconscious, start with that intention. Do not edit, do not pause. Just keep writing, even if what you are writing is gobbledygook. Keep writing until what is coming out has some sort of message, content, or form. Keep writing until something of interest shows up for you, something clicks, or you’ve gained an insight or two.
Start slow. Sit by your window, or outside somewhere safe. Get quiet and gaze at the moon. Ask her a question and then answer it. Think about all the ways the messages ring true. Act upon one or more of the truths. Allow the lunar-fueled intuition to ripple into the artistic expression that is your life.
THE FULL MOON IS A TIME TO CREATE OUR OWN MYTHOLOGIES
The full moon has been a rabbit, a buffalo, a tortoise, a frog, a toad, a man, a woman. The moon has been the sun’s lover, the sun’s sister, and the great goddess in the sky. Full moon deities have been ambassadors of peace, harbingers of destruction, creators of the entire universe. Every culture has lunar deities, every people has their own moon mythologies.
Myths give our lives meaning. Myths are a translation of our collective subconscious and its yearnings. Myths act, at times, as metaphorical guidebooks on how to live our lives. Myths also serve as a mirror of their cultures—including those cultures’ problematic ideologies. There are many cultural myths that need revising or destroying altogether. There are present-day myths we need to recognize as lies and leave behind. Doing so will grant us the space to explore what we really think. To name who we really are.
There is power in sharing our stories. We discover and rediscover ourselves through this expression. There is power and liberation in sharing parts of ourselves we were told were wrong, were weird, were too wild for this world. When we tell stories about these parts, the repressed is expressed. Our subconscious self, our exiled parts are reassured that they are safe to come out, safe to play, safe to exist. This is one way to integrate the shadow. This is one way to heal.
The full moon is an opportune time to reflect on what myths you’ve subconsciously taken in about yourself that aren’t actually true. The myths you’ve told yourself that have stopped you from being brave enough to live your life the way you really want. Think about your own relationship to these beliefs. Think about what personal stories you are ready to revise and rewrite.
Write in the past tense, and write in the future tense. The past tense helps us to turn the page. “I used to be scared of public speaking, but I’m excited to be using my voice now.” Be aware that when we are beginning to rewrite our stories, it is likely that imposter syndrome will try to start subletting space in our psyche. Pay attention to those doubtful voices, but do not let them take the wheel. Prove to yourself who you truly are with your actions and your energy. This can also be an important part of your moon-mapping process. We tell our own story in the way we wish to be remembered. We write and speak ourselves into existence.
At the full moon, think carefully about all of the ways you wish to share your story. You may wish to share your story with others in a moon circle, or in a memoir. Your story may work best in mentorship: in helping someone younger than you who might need your advice or guidance through your counsel.
We need every remembering. Every last one. We need to encourage the telling of other people’s stories—particularly those who have been historically marginalized and oppressed. We need to ask our loved ones about their lives. We need to listen compassionately, we need to buy books and zines about people’s stories, we need to feel safe to share. We need to lift up and signal boost one another as much as possible.
A lot of our ancestors were not able to tell their own stories. There are only remnants of some of their legacies, in ruins and fragments, in artwork not destroyed by the ravages of time and violence. In some cases there are only tiny clues in old books of what the dominant culture was afraid of, wanted to ignore, and wanted to bury. There tend to be more accounts of the ways that humans tried to destroy one another, tried to make certain beliefs and traditions disappear altogether. It is part of our responsibility to both research forgotten ways and also to create new ways. The creation of new tales sends love letters into the future. The witch adage reminds us: “What is remembered, lives!” We remember, and our stories live on.
Little Activities and Rituals to Try During a Full Moon Time
Plan a full moon circle with friends. A craft night, a movie night, a spell night, a potluck. Share yourself with someone you love. Share yourself as you have never shared before. Delve into a part of yourself, your skill sets, your talents, your intuition, your interests that you haven’t practiced. Think about where you need to close some loops, wrap it up, close the circle. Ponder where and how time functions as a spiral in your life. Cast a spell you’ve never tried. Choose how and where you are bending time. Pick an activity that moves energy: walking, breath work, cleaning, screaming. Spend an hour listening to whale sonar or drinking in the music of the ocean waves. Accept you may never fully heal, and also hold space for the possibility that you can, and will. Massage your body and tell yourself you are always deserving of care, and will. Draw down the moon. Rub some essential oil in your hands, hold them like a bowl, and breathe in deeply. Say please and thank you. Give people a chance to tell you yes.