Full Moon in Cancer Ritual

To celebrate the first full moon of the year we’ve created a full moon ritual for you to do at home. This full moon is in emotional, homely and sensitive Cancer so it’s a perfect time to get cosy at home and celebrate everything you’re grateful for including some self-care. A full moon in Cancer’s energy is also very emotionally cleansing, a good cry can allow us to clear and wash away those energies that no longer serve us. This reflective time is heightened by some introspective cosmic weather with Mars and Mercury both in retrograde, adding to the need to take your time and reflect before acting and speaking.

Step 1 - Run a Ritual Bath

First things first, run a ritual bath to cleanse your energetic field and honour the watery Cancer Moon. You could put some of your favourite crystals in the bath with you to infuse the water but make sure to only use crystals that are ok to get wet, Selenite, for example will disintegrate in water. We recommend Rose Quartz to fill your bathtub with love & compassion and to open your heart chakra. 

You can also add in rose petals, bath bombs, salts or oils to infuse the water and soften the skin. Keeping with the heart-opening- gratitude theme we recommend Rose oil and perhaps some Sandalwood to calm and relax and purify negative energy. 

You can bring all four elements to the ritual bath and amplify the energy by lighting candles and incense to add fire and wind along with the crystals for earth and the water from the bath itself. 

Before you get in, fill a bottle or jar with water, we will be using this later in the Full Moon Ritual.

Whilst in the tub become as present as possible, noticing the temperature of the water on your skin, the way the petals dance across the water or the flickering of the candles. 

Step 2 - Brew a Ritual Drink

After your long soak, dry off with your fluffiest of towels, pop on some favourite pyjamas with a warm  jumper and socks and make yourself a heart-opening ritual cacao. Cacao is said to spiritually open the heart, heighten meditation and inspire creativity, a healer of body and soul it is said to also bring peace and clarity - a good choice for a new year full moon. Check out the recipe for Clare’s Cacao Concoction which includes warming chilli. As you brew and drink your ritual Cacao, set an intention for how you want to feel, noticing any feelings you want to let go of. 

Step 3 - Smoke Cleanse

Now that you have cleansed yourself with your ritual bath and have made your ritual drink it’s time to clear energies in your space with a smoke cleanse. Smoke cleansing is believed to remove negative energies so it’s a perfect practice to do on full moon. You can burn white sage or create your own smoke cleanse stick from locally foraged ingredients such as Lavender or Rosemary. Here’s a handy “how to guide” from forager Clare.

Notice the smoke as it curls, speak into the smoke all that you are grateful for, and then repeating into the smoke all that you wish to let go of. 

You can use the following mantras 

“I am grateful for all the abundance and love that is in my life.”

then 

“I let go of all that no longer serves me.” 

You can be specific about both what you are grateful for, and what you wish to let go of. As you speak these words be mindful that words themselves are spells.

When burning herbs or smoke sticks it is important to work in a ventilated space, so crack a window open to allow the smoke to escape as it is believed the smoke leaving the space takes the negativity with it. It is also good to have a seashell, glass or ceramic bowl to hold the herbs or sage and capture the ash, traditionally an abalone shell is used for it’s cooling properties. A feather is also a useful thing to have around to fan the smoke.

When burning anything it is good to keep yourself safe, so don’t leave burning sage or herbs unattended and make sure you put out any embers that have fallen to the ground. Take care not to inhale too much smoke and to put the smoke stick or sage out press directly into your fireproof dish, bowl or shell until it stops smoking.

Step 4 - Moon Meditation

Now it is time for stillness. As Magical Manifestor and sound healer Hannah says, “it is in the silence that the healing comes.”

Grab any crystals you might have and make sure your journal is nearby. 

Make yourself comfortable with cushions and blankets, you can be sitting up or lying down. If you are able to, open your curtains and sit in the full moonlight. 

Before you start your meditation practice, take a few stretches, reaching up above for the Moon itself with your fingertips, feel as though you could hold the Moon in your hands and call in its energy and bring it down to the top of your head, past your face, your chest and into your lap. Resting your hands in your lap, close your eyes, take a few cleansing breaths in through the nose and a deep exhale out through the mouth.

Now imagine a soft pink glow of the Full Moon beams all around you, in your mind's eye trace the pink glow around the outline of your body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. 

Bring your attention to your breath, imagine that you are breathing in and out pink moonbeams. These light beams fill the room, and then the building that you’re in, the pink glow is outside in the street, it glows up the whole country, the whole of the Earth and out to the Universe. 

Keep focusing on your breath as you imagine the pink glow leaving the Universe, leaving the Earth, leaving the country, leaving the street outside, leaving the room as it draws back to the Moon in your lap.

Become aware of the room you are sitting in, your body and your breath as you take the Moon from your lap, up past your chest and your face, to the top of your head, and back up above reaching up to the sky with your fingertips. 

Repeat this as many times as you want.

Step 5 - Full Moon Journaling

Now that your mind is clear, take time to carry out some freewriting. Write down everything that comes to mind, this is a good way of seeing what comes up and getting out any emotions you might not want to carry with you any longer.

Write for as long as you want.

When you feel ready you can look at journaling further with these Full Moon in Cancer journal prompts:

What am I ready to let go of?

Am I taking time for self-care, what positive habits can I bring in?

What and who am I grateful for?

Step 6 - Full Moon Spell

It’s time for some Moon Magick. Witch and Magical Manifestor Hannah has written a Spell for Your New Year’s Self to close this ritual practice…

Cold Moon Reflection

Shards of blue black light

Bring us through the darkness

Between earths feet and heavens lofty seat a new start is waiting.

2023

Learning to still the mind.

If you wish for something new to come or have a dream.

Think for a moment, you may already have elements of your hopes and dreams already in your life. What are you grateful for? What can you build upon?

The Moon this weekend is a time of still and retreat. A time for us to realise we may already have so much abundance and just need to still the mind to help us see just how wonderful our life is already.

Slow yourself down and listen to what is going on within your body.

Write down ideas, emotions thoughts or feelings and burn them in a safe place.

Take the jar or bottle of ritual bathwater, if you have a crystal (we recommend Rose Quartz) place it into the bottle or jar.  As you close the bottle or jar lid say the mantras once more:

“I am grateful for all the abundance and love that is in my life.”

then 

“I let go of all that no longer serves me.” 

Then leave the ritual moon water overnight on a windowsill in the moonlight or outside if there is a safe place. In the morning you can use the moon water to splash your face or use it to water your plants. 

So mote it be

So mote it be

So mote it be

The Magick Awaits.