Full Moon Rituals

Full Moon Rituals

Your private Women’s Spiritual Retreat may include suggestions for powerful full moon rituals to deepen your connection with the divine feminine. We can harness the energy of the full moon and channel that intensity towards positivity. The full moon is an era to connect to the self and manifest your deepest intentions. The moon relates to the divine feminine energy – nurturing, protective, calming. This is a time to honor your emotions and perceptual mind. We will discuss how moon gazing, research, salt baths, altars, full moon incantation, manifestation moon-paper, yogic moon mantra, and moon salutations offer an opportunity for reflection to devotees of the lunar mother.

Rituals are intimate ceremonies we can personalize and plan for special occasions. Discover and curate a practice that feels appropriate and inspiring for you. Full moon rituals can be done alone or with friends. Here are a few options for your next Women’s Spiritual Retreat.

Moon Gazing
We can start by implementing the daily custom of moon gazing. Each night take a moment to find the moon. Journal and track it’s phase in the cycle: new moon, waxing crescent, waxing half, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, waning half, waning crescent. Build a relationship with the moon through regular observation.

Research
Hindu, Norse, Native American, Hawaiian, Chinese and Egyptian people all hold fascinating mythology and folklore involving the moon’s influence. Research and study to establish a connection with the past. Sip in the nourishing nectar of knowledge to fuel your full moon practice during your private Women’s Spiritual Retreat and beyond!

The North American Native American tribes tracked the phases of the moon to notate the seasons. January – wolf or old moon, February – snow moon, March – crow, sap or worm moon, April – pink, egg, or grass moon, May – flower or milk moon, June – strawberry moon, July – thunder or buck moon, August – sturgeon moon, September – harvest or corn moon, October – hunter’s moon, November – beaver moon, December – cold moon. Names can differ among tribes.

Salt Bath
The moon rules the water kingdom and dictates the tides of the ocean. Enjoy a luxurious bath with epsom salt, an English tradition practiced for hundreds of years. The water allows for your body to absorb the magnesium and sulfate which reduces inflammation, calms the nervous system and relieves muscle pain. This is a date for self-care, to nourish your body, mind and spirit connection – highly encourage during your Women’s Spiritual Retreat!

Take an adventure during your Sedona retreat to a local body of water, such as West Fork or Grasshopper in Oak Creek Canyon.

Build an Altar
Decide on a quiet location for your altar: windowsill, bookshelf, table or the ground. Decorate your altar to tribute the season with a cloth, local flowers, and candles. You can incorporate a small offering like fruit, ghee, or a bowl of grain. Add your favorite crystals – the gemstones of the moon are pearl, howlite and moonstone. We can pay homage to our ancestors by including photographs of female kin. Purify your space with auric-cleansing herbs native to your unique cultural origins. You can always forage your own local resources, but be mindful not to take too much and consider where you are taking from.

Full Moon Incantation
Light a candle and recite the invocation out loud. Let this become your truth. “I release that which is not mine. I release all obstacles to my path. I release limiting beliefs. I release fears and doubts. I release those relationships that no longer serve my higher good. I release attachment to outcome. I release externalized desire. I release pain and suffering as a means to growth. I release all that which is no longer in alignment with my Higher Self for the greatest good.”

Manifestation Moon-Paper
This is a potent time to manifest your future reality. During sunset, mindfully write down manifestations and goals you wish to come to pass. Allow the paper to charge by placing it directly under moonlight for an extended period. After daybreak, hide your moon-paper in a safe space. On the upcoming new moon, revisit your moon-paper; this can be helpful to check-in with your efforts and adjust if needed.

Yogic Moon Mantra
Sing the planetary mantra of the moon. “Mantra” is the sacred vibrational sound technology from rishis and rishakas of the Indus Valley (4000 BCE-2000 BCE). Moon is translated in Sanskrit as “chandra” which means bright and shining. We can cultivate and access the highest shakti, or power, of this celestial body – the shakti of peace, surrender, and retreat. As you chant, allow for a delightful calmness to wash and purify your being. Sing “Om Shrim Som Somaya Namah” 3-9 times. There are recordings available online to learn accurate pronunciation.

Moon Salutations
Chandra namaskar emulates the waxing and waning of the moon. We will face the cardinal directions and rotate around the mat. When we begin to recognize the cyclical nature of the universe, we can resurrect from that space. Think of being objective to the wheel of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Our sankalpa, an intention or resolve from the deep heart, is to operate from an uninvolved space as the witness. This is an opportunity to look at your life from an alternative perspective. Let your heart be filled with gratitude and acceptance for where you are today.

Tadasana Namaskar (Mountain Pose with Hands in Prayer)
Inhale, exhale. Face directional North at the front of the mat.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Inhale, lift arms overhead and interlace fingers, index fingers ascending. Exhale, lean down to the left. Inhale back to center, make space in the spine. Exhale, lean down to the right.

Utkata Konasana (Fierce Goddess Pose)
Inhale, step the left foot to the side of the mat facing the body West. Exhale, placing feet at a 45 degree angle and bend the knees. Inhale arms to cactus position and make hands into fierce claws. Exhale, sink hips lower and option to lift heals. Big inhale through the nose, exhale stick out the tongue, repeat this immune-boosting breath 3 times.

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Inhale and exhale, place the feet in arch-to-heal alignment, right foot facing North and left foot facing West. Inhale, elongate the legs and open your wingspan. Exhale, tilt the body to place right hand on a prop block or leg and lift left arm to the sky. Breath comfortably here for 3-6 breaths. Gaze at extended left arm if that is available to you.

Ashta Chandrasana (Crescent High Lunge)
Inhale, windmill the arms to frame the left foot facing the body south. Exhale, stabilize and find drishti or focal point for balance. Inhale, create resistance between thighs and contract navel-to-spine to lift into a lunge. Breath comfortably here for 3- 6 breaths.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
Exhale, place hands on mat and step back into downward dog. Breath comfortably here for 3- 6 breaths. Express any organic movements your body calls for like peddling the feet or bending and straightening the legs.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
Inhale, look between hands and step or jump legs forward. Exhale, folding forward, knees can be bent to maintain belly-to-thigh relationship.

Tadasana Namaskar (Mountain Pose with Hands in Prayer)
Inhale, scooping arms up over head. Exhale, hands return to anjali mudra. Face directional South at the back of the mat. Complete asanas 2-7 to the east and return to face North.

Tadasana Namaskar (Mountain Pose with Hands in Prayer)
Inhale, exhale. Face directional North at the front of the mat. Complete asanas 2-7 on the alternate side. Rotate East, South, then West to return North.

Learn ancient spiritual practices such as these honoring the full moon during your Women’s Spiritual Retreat with Sedona Self-Love Retreats. Author Melissa Osborne shares nourishing yoga sessions with grateful Self-Love Retreat clients.