Self Care: Full Moon Rituals Everyone Could Benefit From

Butterflies and fellow moon children, the first full moon of the year and of the decade is on Friday, January 10th and it will be in the cancer zodiac position so be prepared to be in your feels. The moon reaches the peak of its energy and shines its brightest when it’s full. Use the power of the full moon for cleansing, self-discovery and growth. Whether you believe in energy or not, practicing just a few of the self-care acts from the list below will definitely help aid you in finding the peace you’ve been looking for; most of these can be done at any time and should be done often.

1) Journal -  Note how you are feeling emotionally, spiritually and physically. Note your dreams. Note changes to your intentions or goals. Note your victories. Note anything or anyone you are trying to let go of.

2) Meditate - I like to think of meditation as a way to stay grounded and focused. Many use meditation as a form of stress relief and others use it to find clarity, either way it’s a great tool for self-discovery.

3) Cleanse with Sage - For centuries, cultures from all over the world have believed that energy is transferable, both good and bad. We tend to welcome good energy into our space with open arms and in the process bad energy sometimes flows right in too. You can cleanse your space of any negative energy that may be lingering by burning sage (smudging). Before you being, be sure to open all windows, closets and doors; find your most peaceful spot and place your sage into a fireproof bowl. Light a candle, set an intention, and then light the sage using the candle. Give the sage a little blow and let it burn slow like you would with an incense. While reciting your cleansing mantra, cleanse yourself from head to toe then visit each room and do the same until you’ve cleansed your entire home from top to bottom. Once you’ve finished smudging, extinguish your sage by stamping it out in a ceramic bowl, without using water. Also, if you don’t like the smoke from burning sage or want to sage while on the go, create a cleansing mist instead with spring water and a few drops of sage or palo santo essential oil.

4) Charge Your Crystals/Stones - If you collect crystals and gemstones, use the full moon’s energy to re-charge your collection, crystals and gemstones are of most benefit to you when they are fully charged.

5) Setting Intentions - Ever heard the saying “speak it into existence”? It’s basically the same concept. To set your intentions or goals, think really hard about the things you want to attract in your life and the things that you can realistically achieve; remember to focus more on intangible things than materialistic things. Setting intentions not only helps you announce your goals to your higher power and the universe, it also helps you become more self-aware of the things you want and don’t want in your life. Set your intentions and watch them manifest to you for as long as your heart is pure and your intentions are for the highest good. Don’t forget to write your intentions down and express gratitude for the things you are privileged with.

6) Make Moon Water - There are a ton of ways to make moon water, the simplest way is to place a tightly closed jar or bottle filled with spring or drinking water in the direct path of the full moon’s light for a few hours so that it absorbs all of the moon’s good energy. Use the water as you see fit: drink it, make tea with it, cleanse with it, water your plants with it, and etc.

PS. My cleansing mantra is: I command all negative energy to leave this space, with peace and love to be put in its place. What’s yours?