If you’re like me, feeling a little stagnant and frustrated with life at the moment, you should join me in utilising the full moon coming on the 18th March, and the spring equinox on the 20th March, to invite change and cleanse the energies in your life! Moon rituals are not a new practice, in fact, it is an ancient tradition to praise and worship luna energies. The changes to, and phases of the moon symbolise so much, but most importantly, they can serve to inspire an introspection into the self; its the best time to set goals, practise self love and ground yourself into a safe and kind mindset.
Even through a sceptical lens, there is so much benefit in dedicating one evening every few weeks to looking after yourself and prioritising self care. As students, I know how often we predicate our self worth on our academic performance, or at least letting our standards of care slip as work builds up – but it is important to remember taking a moment to rest and reset is never time wasted. It’s important to carve out dedicated time to look inwards, and the moon affords us these periods. So, in light of this, here are my five key steps to moon rituals, and really harvesting the power of the moon.
1. cleanse
I like to complete my moon rituals at night, when the full moon is most visible and powerful. To begin our ritual, we must think about purification and cleansing. Showering or having a bath with essential oils and crystals is a great place to start. I would recommend smokey quartz, amethyst, green aventurine, jade and rose quartz. Their healing, calming and cleansing properties will help you relax after tough moon cycles. Between 5-10 drops of any essential oil will help to calm you further. Listen to calming music, and just feel present in your body. I clean my bedroom beforehand too and remove any clutter so I feel calm in my mind.
2. set tone
Afterward, I find it best to set the tone. Light candles that make your space glow, switch on fairy lights, make your room a sanctuary. If you have it and you landlord lets you use it, lighting incense is a great way to cleanse old energies and purify your space. It sort of dissolves that old air that has gone a bit stagnant, and no longer serves you. At this time, turn off your phone. This is a time to ground yourself in your space; as a cancer myself there is nothing more important than my room (or shell), and often I find social media to be a distracting and disheartening force.
3. journal
I would always recommend journaling about your feelings in this time. Your space and body is safe and clean, so your mind should reflect that! Write about anything; your social life, love life, uni stress or any feelings you need to work through. Prompts are a great way to help you write; “I feel..” is the most simple place to start. You’ll be surprised at what might surface. A mistake I used to make a lot was placing too much emphasis on cohesion and readability. Let your journals be scribbled gibberish! It’s the act of articulating deepest and darkest thoughts and fears that really helps settle your mind. I like to add to my gratitude journal, and write about even the smallest blessings in my life.
4. Manifest and visualise
We all know about manifestation, but do you know the best techniques? For example, the 3-6-9 method harmonises with the laws of attraction. Write your desired manifestation three times in the morning, six times at midday and nine times before bed. Be specific in your goals, and really ask for abundance and peace. Manifestation, however, can be more than just writing down goals on a piece of paper. For me, I set intentions and desires into the universe through visualisation. I find it best to really open that third eye chakra and imagine. Imagine and visualise yourself in your dream home, dream job even with your dream dog! How does it feel? What colour are on the walls? This is how we solidify our hopes and desires, and unify a goal to work towards, and how to reconfigure your next steps.
5. Rest
There are so many more steps to take if you like: creating moon water, charging crystals, creating art and channelling creativity. Most importantly you should find time to rest. Feel comfort in the thought that your work for the day is done, your intentions are set, and the universe has listened. Doing some stretching and yoga before bed helps me to go to sleep. I love Yoga with Adrianne on YouTube, and she has some brilliant bedtime routines you can follow for a great night of sleep.
Overall, these rituals are about grounding yourself in your body, setting goals, cleaning your energies and feeling a little more rested. I think even if you don’t believe in spirituality or the power of planets, it feels so nice to put yourself first, even for a night. There’s something in the quietness, without the constant distraction of screens and intrusive media, that can feel really healing. I’d recommend inserting some of these practices into your everyday life, and hopefully you can notice a difference in your headspace.