“The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.”
I can’t express how much I love that bright, robust, goddess in the sky. Always have, always will. So the fact that a full moon coincides with Halloween this year? Perfection. I just read this great piece about the upcoming moon on Halloween night, so here are the best, most notable parts from the it (below) and then (further down) you can read about some full moon rituals that any self-respecting, moon-loving human should partake in.
This Halloween will be the first blue moon visible in every time zone since 1944.
The moon remains, perpetually and since antiquity, a source of cultural wonder. On Oct. 31, humans in all time zones will be treated to a blue hunter’s moon. A blue moon occurs on the rare occasion when there is more than one full moon during a month. (It doesn’t actually look blue.) A hunter’s moon follows a harvest moon (that was Oct. 2), and it theoretically signals a time to stockpile for winter.
The idea that something rare can happen during a full moon has been drilled into the human psyche in countless ways including through popular movies, books and cartoons. The root of the word lunatic is luna (moon in Latin), implying a sort of craze associated with the moon at its fullest.
“Full moons are a time when we get a little assistance seeing in the dark,” Chani Nicholas, an astrologer said, speaking metaphorically. “It is a very significant full moon, and it is happening four days before the election and is sitting next to a planet with upheaval, change, surprise, excitement: Uranus.”
Jessica Dore, a social worker and tarot reader, said the coming full moon, in its rarity, was a kind of emblem of change. “I think that symbols — and a blue moon is a symbol — do have the potential to activate things in an individual and in the collective,” Ms. Dore said. “It is a time when something rare can happen.”
It’s clear that the pull humans feel to learn about the moon, harness its power or flat out hex it stems from a time when we relied on it heavily in a day-to-day sense. But it also just feels nice to know that there is something out there in the mysterious dark expanse of space that is connected to humanity.
And maybe there’s something even deeper. The atoms of the universe are endlessly recycled, said Ms. Noble, the lunar scientist. (The sun is a second generation star, for example.) Perhaps, with the discovery that human bodies are made of stardust, we all have a little more moon inside of us than we think.
I feel like the summary of this post is: aging girl loves the moon. And I think I’m fine with that? I do love it! Here are some things that I may or may not take part in come Saturday night:
Moon Water Ritual
What to do: Take your container, fill it with water and simply place it outside in the direct line of the moon light overnight
Tools: a mason jar with a lid & water
As you place the water outside, spend a few minutes considering your intentions for the lunar cycle ahead (the upcoming month). In the morning collect the jar and use it however you wish (some ideas could be to drink it by taking a sip or two everyday, reminding yourself of your intentions and the power of the moon or to place your moon water in a spray bottle, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and use it as a facial toner each morning).
Moon Wishes Manifestation Ritual
What to do: List your manifestations
Tools: Paper, pencil, jar, candles and matches
Start by lighting a candle, focus on being present and letting go of everything running through your mind.
Spend a few moments thinking about what you want to release, and what you want to call in.
Take the paper and one by one jot down the things you’d like to have show up into your life over the next month - these are your full moon wishes.
Place the wish list in a jar - and then set it outside to soak up the moonlight.
In the morning bring the wishes back inside and place it somewhere you will see it daily. Each evening before you go to sleep, take a look at your list and reflect.
Some Final Ideas
Take a moonbeam bath
If you can get outside and bathe in the moonlight in either the ocean or fresh water, this is a wonderful way to connect yourself with nature and the energy of the full moon.
Count your blessings
A full moon is the time when emotions come to the surface. Let go of any unresolved feelings by thinking about who and what you are grateful for. Fill yourself up with gratitude by making a list of everything that comes to mind. Then re-read this list. Having a tough time finding something to be grateful for? Just focus on one thing that you may take for granted and explore that from all angles.
Write a release letter & then burn it
A full moon is the best time to release and let go. No ritual is stronger than writing down your deepest inner thoughts and then releasing that energy by watching it go up in flames. If you are stuck with what to release or write, you could write include a letter to yourself about the things you are worried about or want to rid yourself of (habits, negative thoughts, etc.) or write a letter to someone whose energy, friendship or relationship no longer serves you and you want to let them go.
Turn your devices off for the entire duration of the moon’s presence (so as soon as the sun sets, turn off your phone)
To fully connect and not be interrupted, I think this is probably the best suggestion in the whole post. Focus on what’s going on in your mind that night. Let that be the most important voice that your mind hears.
However you spend Halloween, I hope you make the most of the magic in the air that night.
“The moon is the earth’s oldest temple. Holding the potency of countless prayers since the dawn of time. A bell whose ringing brings you into the field of the mother, where body and soul can quietly drink.”