8 Full Moon Rituals for Reflection & Empowerment

Since ancient times, humans have held the full moon in awe. And it's true that the moon affects a lot more than Earth's tides. Many people believe the full moon creates the perfect energy to manifest things you desire into your life. That's why we love these full moon rituals. They help you set intention and make the most of the moon's powerful energy. 

Set a capped bottle of filtered water outside on the night of a full moon and allow the moon to infuse its energy into the water. Then, keep the water all month and use a few tablespoons in baths, for sipping, or in home sprays that you can spritz around the house to keep the manifestation energy going all month. Some ideas for moon water:

• Write an affirmation or intention on a slip of paper and tape it to the water bottle as it infuses in the moonlight to create powerful manifestation energy for a specific goal. 
• Sip on a glass of moon water before a meditation or manifestation session.
• Add a tablespoon or two of moon water, along with a tablespoon of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, to your bath water. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and bathe in it to raise your vibe.

Crystals are powerful vibrational healing tools that can support manifestation. But as you use them, their vibe takes on the energy of everything around them, and their frequency lowers. That's why cleansing crystals regularly is so important, and moonlight is one of the easiest ways to recharge them. Simply place them on a windowsill or outdoors overnight during a full moon, and let the moon do its thing.

Moon bathing is like sunbathing, only more powerful (and less damaging to your skin). Sitting out in nature (I like to do it by sitting on the ground with my back up against a tree) and soaking in the moonlight for 15 or 20 minutes is the perfect time to reflect, as the moon brings with it reflective energy. This simple act can help you clear out shadows, release past issues, or just recharge your energy. Or, you can use it to manifest by reciting a mantra or affirmations as you soak in the light of the moon. 

I have seen amazing and powerful things happen when a group of people gather for a healing circle. When a group of people combine their intention towards one goal, it magnifies the energy significantly. And when you add full moon energy to that equation, it's even more powerful. 

You can hold a healing circle indoors or outdoors — what matters is the full moon energy and the shared intention. For healing circles, I especially like to use a variation on Lynne McTaggart's The Power of Eight.

1. Gather 4-12 people during a full moon.
2. Sit in a circle and hold hands.
3. Decide who or what you wish to send healing to (it can be someone in the circle or someone who isn't there) and what the intention for healing will be. If the person you're sending the healing to is there, they should be active in choosing the intention.
4. When everyone is ready, close your eyes and begin to focus on the intention and sending healing to that person.
5. Do this for 10-20 minutes.

Because the full moon makes everything more powerful, I love to use that time to send love. This is something you can do in five minutes on your own, and it feels so powerful. You can do this full moon ritual indoors or outdoors. If possible, I prefer to do it sitting out in the moonlight. This quick ritual is based on the HeartMath Institute's Heart Coherence meditation. 

1. Sit or lie comfortably. Make sure some part of your body is connected to the ground to keep you grounded. 
2. Place both hands over your heart and begin to breathe intentionally.
3. As you breathe, imagine that you are actually breathing in and out through your heart.
4. Continue this breathing, and gently bring to mind something or someone you love deeply and unconditionally (for me, it's always either my kids or my dogs). 
5. Allow that feeling of love to fill your heart, and visualize it flowing in and out with your breath.
6. Now allow the love to flow throughout your body.
7. Expand the love outside of your body, slowly extending it until it reaches all around the world.
8. When you're ready, return your focus to your breathing and then open your eyes.

Related: 4 Grounding Meditations & Why You Should Ground Yourself Daily

Scrying is an ancient form of divination that helps you connect to your intuition. It's especially effective if you have an issue you've been trying to resolve, as it can quiet your mind and allow your intuition to come through, and the power and light of a full moon can be helpful in surfacing information you've suppressed or ignored.

You'll need to do this outdoors, and the moon must be visible and uncovered by clouds. You'll also need a dark-colored bowl filled with water. If you're already by water, you can use the moonlight on the water's surface as your focus point. 

1. Sit outside with your bowl of water somewhere that you can easily gaze into it and where the moon's light will reflect off the water's surface.
2. With your question or issue in mind, sit in front of the bowl and begin breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth.
3. Continue breathing deeply and soften your gaze. At this time, you may want to ask your question or state your need for guidance again.
4. Focus on the water's surface with your soft gaze. Pay attention to any thoughts or insights, emotions, feelings, physical sensations, or even images you see on the water's surface that come to mind.
5. Do this for as long as you need. When you are done, offer your gratitude to the moon and your higher guidance. 

Since full moons encourage reflection, it's a great time to share that reflective energy with friends. Gather a group of people you really trust and sit down for some sharing. Share whatever is in your heart, something you've been trying to work out, or really anything that's on your mind. Allow everyone the opportunity to do the same. When you're done, hugs are definitely in order. 

Have some stuff you're ready to let go of? Think of things like anger, grudges, hurt feelings, negative beliefs about yourself, bad relationships, or other things you've been carrying that are holding you back. Let the full moon energy help you get rid of all of that negativity to free you up to live your best life.

Write everything you'd like to get rid of (or just one thing if it's a super big thing) on slips of paper. Light a fire (it can be indoors or outdoors), and one at a time, read each item, resolve to release it, and then throw it into the fire and watch it burn. You can do this alone or with a group of friends. When you're done and all that energy is released, offer thanks to the full moon for helping you release the energy. 

When there's a full moon, there's powerful energy. Make the most of that full moon energy with one or more of our full moon rituals. You can do them as suggested or make them entirely your own. It's a great way to refresh, reflect, and renew.