Working with the Full Moon
The full moon was upon us last night - did you feel it? I certainly did, and the more and more aware I find myself becoming to the natural cycles of the moon, the planets, the sun, the seasons and the Earth - the more I recognize that how I feel and how I react to things is strongly connected to nature’s cycles. So… the more aware we are of the natural cycles (especially the moon and the seasons), the better we will be at learning how best to work with them. Since we are in the full moon stage (this runs from the actual moment of the full moon for 3 or so days afterwards), let’s talk about how best to work with the full moon.
The full moon pours down a tremendous amount of energy, which has the effect of amplifying the energy around (and within) us. This includes emotions! Some people will tend to feel more emotional overall, or find that they react more strongly or quickly that they usually would. This includes the positive and negative emotions. So… you may react more strongly to an experience than you usually would - meaning you could feel angrier, or more upset or, conversely, much happier.
So, being aware of when the full moon is coming, there are a few things you can do to work with this strong energy:
1) Cleanse Your Crystals - Crystals will, over time, pick up and absorb energy from what they encounter. So, it is a really good idea to clear them to reset them to their natural vibrational energy. This can be done the night before the full moon, the night of, or the night after.
How?
Gather up all of your crystals and set them out on a windowsill or a table that will receive the moon’s light at some point over the night. Even if it is cloudy, the moon’s energy will clear and recharge the stones.
Make sure you are grounded - take a few deep breaths, feeling your feet connected with the ground/Earth.
Set your intention to “clear and cleanse” any unwanted energy from the crystals. I usually sweep my hand over the crystals, sending the intention “allow the full moon’s energy to”… “clear and cleanse, clear and cleanse, clear and cleanse”.
Leave the crystals out overnight and let the moon do it’s work!
In the morning, before gathering up the crystals, spend a moment to give thanks to the moon for doing this work.
Just one important note! Some crystals are light sensitive (rose quartz, amethyst, turquoise…), so you would want to move them away from the direct sunlight before it gets strong.
2) Bask In The Moonlight - This is a wonderful grounding and recharging exercise which can help to bring to you a state of peace and calmness. Stand or sit (inside or outside!) facing the full moon. Visualize the moon beam coming into the top of your head, and moving down through your body and into the Earth. Slow your breath down and allow yourself to be filled with this beautiful healing Yin energy, drawing in a little more with each breath. Always end with the moon’s light moving down through your feet into the Earth.
3) Be Grateful - Make a list of all of the things in your life that you are grateful. You can start with the people in your life, the actual things in your life, and always include the things about yourself that you are grateful for (your qualities, your accomplishments, your experiences…). And then being grateful for where you are at in your life, in your journey, right now (yes that means acceptance!). By doing this you are shifting your emotional state into a positive one - and the full moon will help to amplify this, so it is a great time to acknowledge gratitude.
4) Send Healing Vibes - to those who need it. You can channel the beautiful healing energy of the moon to others. Similar to basking in the moonlight - you can sit or stand facing the full moon. This time, visualize the moon’s energy coming into the top of your head and filling your heart. Once your heart is full, visualize someone who you feel needs some healing energy. You can send this energy from your heart to them or you can place them within your heart to bask in the glow of the moonlight. Release the image of this person (or this works on animals or land too!) when you feel they have received the energy. To close, draw the moon’s energy all the way through your body and down into the Earth. And, I like to place my hands at my heart and give thanks to the moon with a smile:)
So, there you go! A few tips to help you work with the full moon’s energy. Keep your eyes out for other moon cycle and seasonal cycle tips to come!