The best methods to use in your spiritual practice are the methods that work for you. Consistency and dedication are the keys to success.
This is a step by step guide to becoming more sensitive physically and spiritually to the powers that are available during the Full Moon. This is only one method of preparation that has worked for me with consistency in my spiritual / magical journey. I will not be including a Full Moon ritual, you can use any ritual that you are familiar with. This method is intended to deepen and strengthen your relationship with your own spirits and with the tools you use during your rites. For those of you who have never performed a Full Moon rite, this is a good place to begin. For those of you who are experienced, I hope this provides structure and new ideas for you to use in your practice.
The moon is surrounded with it’s own mythology.The moon is the largest and brightest object in the night sky and has long inspired curiosity and wonder. It appears at night during a time of sleep and dreaming, it is also associated with death and the afterlife because of its reflective nature. Radiating an air of mystery and magic, the moon is also associated with love and often serves as a symbol of unattainable beauty. The Mayans called her Ixchel, the Greek and Roman called her Artemis and Diana. The Egyptians saw the moon as masculine and they called him Khonsu. Masculine or feminine, the power of the moon has been recognized around the world and shamans, magicians and witches have worked with the tides of the moon since myths surrounding her have existed.
I will list candles, herbs and oils that can be used during this process and some of the steps will include them. If you are not able to collect these items, continue by using what you can. Consistency and dedication are the most important parts of this work.
- One white candle
- Sea salt
- Copal resin, powdered Frankincense , Lavender flower, Rose flower and essential oil, Grape seed oil
- Charcoal for burning loose herbs
- Journal to record experiences
Night 1-
The Value of Meditation
Most people are familiar with meditation as a practice of quieting the mind for peace and tranquility, meditation for magical purposes does begin with similar steps but it is a different practice. The goal of meditation as preparation for magical practices is to create distance for the physical body and to become more aware of happenings on the spiritual plane.
With time, impressions and visions that are outside of waking consciousness will begin to come during meditation and your dreams will become more vivid and “real”. Through impressions, visions and dreams you can receive information that will guide the magical work you perform during your Full Moon ritual.
Tonight directly before you go to sleep perform 10-15 minutes of meditation. Focus on the spirits that work with you and guide you. Ask them to come closer to you now, allow yourself to hear them, to see them and to know their presence. Ask them for their wisdom and their guidance and to allow you to become more sensitive to the unseen world. Record any impressions or messages in your journal.
Night 2-
The art and science of magic requires both spiritual practice and focused study. Begin to gather all of the astrological information for the night of the Full Moon (September 16th 2016). Identify where the planets will be on the night of the Full Moon.Thanks to technology we can shortcut some of the longer methods, I like to use www.astro.com for charts of specific days. Begin to think about your magical goal and see what planets are to your favor and to your detriment.
-For love focus on Venus, Mars and Mercury
-For money focus on Jupiter and Mars
-For legal cases and justice focus on Saturn, Mars and Mercury.
Conjunctions and sextiles are to your favor
Squares and oppositions are to your detriment
Print out the astrological chart for the day and keep the copy with any notes in your journal.
Night 3-
Working with herbs, resins and oils
Herbs, resins and oils each have their own spirit. In working with them you are building a team that will assist you in your magical goal. It is important that you take your time with each herb, resin and oil and treat it with respect and as a partner. Tonight create a Full Moon blend incense using loose ingredients. This is the blend I use during my Full Moon preparation:
Equal parts- Lavender flower, Rose flower, Copal resin, powdered Frankincense
I suggest using Crescent City Conjure Full Moon oil blend for balance of dry and wet ingredients but if you don’t have that Grape seed oil with Rose essential oil will work in a pinch.
Follow up with 10-15 minutes of meditation while burning some of your Full Moon incense on charcoal. The focus of the meditation is the same as day 1. Record your incense recipe and experiences in your journal.
Night 4-
Simple candle magic
Candle magic can be very simple or very complex depending on the worker who is using it. Tonight we will be using simple candle magic as a primer for more complex magical work during your Full Moon ritual. If you've been following the method to this point you should have herbs and oils that are related to the Full Moon. Use your oil to charge a white candle by rubbing the oil vigorously onto the candle, after that roll the oily candle in some of you herb blend (you can use the same blend from night 3). After the candle is “dressed” burn some of your Full Moon incense and light the candle with a prayer for wisdom, guidance and awareness of the unseen world.
While your incense is burning and your candle is lit perform 15-20 minutes of meditation. Record any experiences in your journal. Burn only ⅓ of your candle.
Night 5-
So far in your journal you should have the results of three meditations recorded, astrological information and possibly dreams. Using this information either create or define the ritual you will be performing on the night of the Full Moon. Step by step list out exactly what you will be doing in your journal including any tools or ingredients you will be using. I like to make a checklist of items and to have them in the space I will be working in beforehand. Decide the exact time you will begin performing your ritual and make sure that there won't be any interruptions during it.
Follow that up with 15-20 minutes of meditation while your candle is lit and some of your Full Moon incense is burning. Record any experiences in your journal. Allow ⅔ of your candle to burn down.
Night 6-
Perform a dry run of your Full Moon ritual from start to finish
After that take a spiritual bath -add sea salt to the bath water and ask the water to wash away anything that may be hindering you from being as open to spirit as you are able to be. Make sure that your candle is lit and in the bathroom with you while you are taking the spiritual bath. Allow the candle to burn all the way down. Go to sleep directly after the candle has burned all the way down. In the morning record any dreams or impressions that relate to this work.
Night of the Full Moon-
During the day do your best to stay away from drama and negativity. Try to stay calm and avoid stress as much as possible. It is of great benefit to eat as lightly as you can manage. Perform your Full Moon ritual at the time you have scheduled. After your ritual record your experience in your journal. If you feel light headed or “disconnected” after your ritual it helps to eat a heavy meal. Happy Full Moon!