16 Full Moon Rituals To Help You Recharge, Reflect, And Reconnect (a resource to revisit each month)

Carving out a little time for yourself…

….to engage in monthly full Moon rituals is a great way to enhance your self-care routine. Try these ideas!

Sources: Farmer’s Almanac

Written by Natalie LaVolpe Updated: November 19, 2021

There is undeniably a natural rhythm to the universe, whether it’s the seasons or something more cosmic, such as the phases of the Moon.

We know the Moon’s gravitational pull causes predictable rises and falls in sea levels. And with our bodies being primarily made up of water, it makes sense that we can also benefit from the phases of the Moon on a much smaller scale. People often find when they align their energies with the specific energies of the Moon, they feel more inspired and productive. Tuning into nature and the environment around us has been shown to help us understand ourselves on a deeper level. This is why many people engage in monthly “full Moon rituals” to get in alignment with the cycles of nature in order to gain perspective and reconnect with themselves.

How Moon Rituals Can Help Us Heal

An increasing number of people are discovering that utilizing the magic of the Moon is a great time to amp up their spiritual practices. Using the phases of the Moon to implement Moon rituals to your self-care routine has been claimed to aid in delving into emotions and intuition. Repeated and predictable acts or “rituals” of self-love can have healing effects on our minds and bodies. Prescribing to a monthly Moon ritual can help you disconnect from the busyness of life, get back in tune with nature, and live life with more intention.

Tuning into nature and the environment around us has been shown to help us understand ourselves on a deeper level.

Utilizing The Moon’s Cyclic Energy

Establishing rituals around the energy of the Moon is not a novel idea. Harnessing the Moon’s power has been an ancient tradition across cultures for millennia, originating in places such as Egypt and Babylonia. In fact, our own Best Days and Gardening by the Moon formulas rely much on the phases of the Moon.

The power of syncing up our internal rhythm with the rhythm of nature can be refreshing and energizing. The Moon’s entire cycle is around 29+ days, in which it goes from a new Moon to a full Moon and back again. These changes in phases indicate a change in energy.

Waxing Moon Energy—When the Moon is waxing (growing), it is said to be an ideal time to manifest what you want.

Waning Moon Energy—When it is waning (shrinking), it is the ideal time of the month for letting go and cleansing.

Full Moon Energy—Cosmically speaking, the full Moon is the time of the month where energy peaks and then releases, like a “cosmic sigh.”

Because the full Moon is considered the “energetic peak” of the month, it’s the perfect time to tap into its power and practice a little self-care. Whether it’s cleansing physically (tidying and decluttering in Marie Kondo style) or emotionally (letting go of negative thoughts, patterns, behaviors, and even relationships), “manifesting with the Moon” as it’s called, is gaining in popularity as a way to promote taking care of yourself and better manage your daily stressors. You’ll often see rituals associated with nourishment, intuition, and tapping into creativity, as well.

Think of each full Moon as a new chapter, a chance to start over, much in the same way the Moon itself does in its cycle.

Here are 16 Self-Care Full Moon Rituals To Try

Try these simple full Moon rituals to help harness the powerful energy of the full Moon. Choose a few—or all—of these rituals to perform in the 48-hour window surrounding a full Moon each month.

1. Ground Yourself

One woman sits on a wooden pier. Cloudy above the lake.

The time leading up to a full Moon can often make people moody, sensitive, and fatigued. It is helpful to use this time to pause and ask yourself how you are feeling physically and mentally? How are your relationships and career? Being in tune with your feelings will help you stay grounded and help you efficiently make positive changes. The full Moon is the perfect time to look inward and recalibrate.

2. Tune Into Nature

Free woman breathing clean air in nature forest. Happy girl from the back with open arms in happiness. Fresh outdoor woods, wellness healthy lifestyle concept.

Surrounding yourself with nature has a calming and grounding effect. Amping up your call to nature around the full Moon may help calm any unsettling feelings or bring some clarity to unanswered questions. Time spent in nature has a healing effect and can better help your body tune into its natural rhythms. Find a spot to sit quietly and take in its splendor, or take a walk or hike in the woods.

3. Try Meditating

Moon Phases For This Month

Meditation offers the perfect opportunity to sit with your thoughts and reflect. Use the energy of the full Moon, when emotions often come to the surface, for some meditative introspection. All it takes is five minutes. Not good at meditating? There are many guided meditations online you can tune in to for some guidance.

4. Explore Deep Breathing

The pull of the full Moon can often trigger strong emotions and uncomfortable sensations. Engaging in deep breathing can allow you to unfurl these emotions. Turn off your phone and find a quiet place where you can sit and pay attention to the rising and falling of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. It sometimes helps to place your hand on your heart and belly and take a few deep breaths. Repeat as often as you like to help you relax and ground your body.

5. Keep A Journal

Close up hand of young woman with pen writing on notebook at riverside in the evening.

Around the full Moon is the perfect time to dust off that old journal. It may be helpful to write down how you are feeling or write answers to questions you’ve asked yourself. This is also a good time to write down things you wish to manifest in your life or goals you may have. This time of the month can cause some people to feel unsettled or unfocused, so brainstorming or journaling can help you focus on what you want and what you want to let go of. Expressing through writing can help you identify what is weighing you down, (a habit, a situation, a person, etc.) and can give you more clarity than simply thinking about it.

6. Clean your Physical Space

Cleaning your physical space helps to clear out any negative energy, making room for what you are asking to come in. Clear your home of clutter and things that no longer bring you joy. Open the windows to let fresh air in, put on clean bedsheets, wipe down surfaces, or water your air-purifying plants. Some people will also perform a smudging ceremony to cleanse the negative energy in the air.

7. Give Thanks

Recognizing what we presently have has a tremendous effect on our self-care. Celebrating and being thankful is amplified at the full moon and can have positive effects on your body and can even help you to manifest your future wants and wishes.

8. Eat A Healthy, Natural Meal

Healthy food. Breakfast. Avocado egg sandwich with whole grain bread on white wooden background.

Just as it is important to cleanse your physical and mental space, eating a healthy meal during the full moon helps to cleanse your body. Choose fresh, unprocessed ingredients, with lots of vegetables and grains. In the summer, fresh, raw locally grown fruits and vegetables can be cleansing. In the winter, soups, stews,or curries can be nourishing and deeply comforting.

9. Tie Up Loose Ends

To do list, checklist of things or tasks to complete for life habit, business project plan concept, black pen on notepad with headline To do list and list of numbers on computer laptop, wooden table.

Look at the full Moon as the completion phase in its cycle. This is a great time for you to also bring things to a close. Finish any odd jobs you have been putting off and check off any annoying things still lurking on your to-do list, making space for new projects during the waxing phase. It is also helpful to look back at what you have already checked off. Pat yourself on the back be proud of what you have completed!

10. Dance It Out

People, lifestyle, leisure and technology concept. Happy overjoyed plus sized teenage girl enjoying social distancing, listening to music in earphones, dancing, being carefree and full of energy — Full Moons are about letting things go, this includes some of that energy. Go ahead and dance it out! Dress up, or dance right in your PJs. Get that body moving and expel some stored-up energy. The tradition of full Moon dancing actually dates back to ancient times, and many cultures throughout the world are known to gather in circles and dance under the full Moon

11. Take A Moonlight Walk

Walking in the light of a full Moon can be magical. Its gentle glow can have a calming effect, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed. Stand outside in the light of the full Moon and bathe in its power. Tune into how the trees and sky look in the moonlight. Pay extra attention to the sounds and smells of the night air.

12. Take A Bath (Or Shower)

Spiritual aura cleansing flower bath for full moon ritual with candles, aroma salt, lavender and rose petals.

There are many benefits of taking a cleansing bath as part of your full Moon ritual. Use this time to relax, meditate, and center yourself, focusing on your breath. When you let the water out of the tub, imagine you are letting go of whatever is no longer useful to you—right down the drain. If you’re not a bath person, take a shower. Focus on washing away the dirt, negative energy, and things you have collected throughout the day (or month), and imagine the water healing you as it rolls off your body.

13. Write A Letter And Burn It

woman burning letter in fireplace. — Because the full Moon is all about completion—cleansing, releasing, and removing what no longer works for you—this is the best time to write down your deepest inner thoughts and then release all that spent energy by watching it burn up (safely, of course).

14. Write Down Your Intentions

Writing down your intentions helps you to manifest them in your actual life. Are you accomplishing your goals? If not, ask yourself why and begin devising a plan for being proactive. Re-evaluate your goals. Do they still resonate with you? If not, modify your plan and make them fit into your new vision.

15. Make Moon Water

Some people “brew” up a batch of Moon water as part of their full Moon ritual, claiming it to be a powerful cleansing tool for the body and home. To make Moon water simply place a glass jar of water outside under the direct light of the full Moon, allowing it to soak up its power. You can drink it daily, reminding yourself of your intentions. You can also use it to water your plants, cleanse your home, or put it in a spray bottle with a few drops of essential oil to create a facial toner.

16. Relax

Sometimes the best way to celebrate this lunar phase is by chilling. Cleanse your space, mind, and body, and then sit back and relax. Oftentimes, it is only in stillness that we can fully see what is happening inside and around us.

Head - Magnesium sulfate — About the writer:

Natalie LaVolpe

Natalie LaVolpe is a freelance writer and former special education teacher. She is dedicated to healthy living through body and mind. She currently resides on Long Island, New York, with her husband, children, and dog.