Full Moon in Cancer Ritual
Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Cancer. The axis of practicality and emotionality, the drive to work and the need to nurture. The sea goat pulls our minds to the surface, but the attention of our hearts remains in the depths, on the sea floor with the crab.
Moon exact full at Tuesday, December 29th, 2020, at 7:28 PM PST.
Our closest relational sphere is activated by this moon, lighting up any issues that need tending. If you tend to regard your productivity as your top priority, you will receive a lesson on the importance of connection, of nurturing yourself and those around you. If your focus is naturally drawn to your emotional connections, watch for clues as to how your habits of the heart can be updated to match your current values.
The full moon in Cancer is our annual opportunity to edit and revise the story we allow our hearts to tell ourselves and others.
We are fast approaching the end of a calendar year nearly universally derided as The Worst. Many are eager to jump ahead and leave this all behind. As someone who experienced prolonged trauma early in life, I can tell you that is not only impossible, it is also undesirable. Our experience of this year is forever a part of us and our individual and collective stories - and that is a good thing! Observing ourselves in extreme conditions teaches us a lot about who we are, who we were, and who we want to be. We get to know ourselves more deeply and through that knowing we can tend to and express our needs more clearly and accurately.
What has made your heart most full this year? Was it something that surprised you? How have your relationships grown and evolved? Have any of them fallen or drifted apart? What did those experiences teach you about what you value in in yourself and others? Are your words and action in sync with these values? How can you love yourself more deeply now that you have this knowledge?
This ritual is designed to open communication with your heart to allow you to see and understand which of its habits to release and which to increase.
Use what you have on hand in your home. Work with what you have, both in terms of physical items and knowledge and experience. Be more concerned with doing what is authentic to you than with what is “correct”. The most correct thing is the thing the you truly connect with and evolve through. You have everything you need.
Gather what you have of the following:
CLEANSER: sage, palo santo, incense, energy cleansing spray, selenite wand, a bell – whatever you use to clear the energy of your space is great.
IMAGES: Print outs or drawings of The Chariot and The Devil cards (you’ll want to keep the actual cards in your deck to use for readings)
CANDLES: One pink and one black 7-day ritual candle (the tall kind in glass). If you don’t have ritual candles, you can use tea candles or simply follow the clearing, incantation, and visualization prompts.
CANDLE DRESSINGS: Rose oil and dried sage (any type). If you are using a ritual candle and it is pre-dressed, leave it be.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS: A small dish of water and any crystals or other symbolic items you wish to include. Ideally, one piece each of amethyst and rose quartz. If you don’t have these, feel free to improvise with what you have on hand.
PRACTICAL THINGS: matches, a pen, a napkin or paper towel to wipe oil from your finger
Perform the ritual:
STEP 1: Clear the energy of your space, then close your eyes and take 3 deep cleansing breaths to ground yourself in space and time.
STEP 2: Place the black candle in the center of your altar area, the image of The Devil card in front of it , and the dish of water in front of that (closest to you).
STEP 3: Place a drop of rose oil on top of the candle and trace it around 3 times clockwise, then sprinkle a tiny bit of crumbled dried sage on top. Rose opens and amplifies love and sage is an energetic and spiritual cleanser.
STEP 4: Place the amethyst on top of the image of The Devil.
STEP 5: light the candle and say “I open my heart to the universe in perfect trust that I will be shown and released from burdensome habits in love for myself and others.”
STEP 6: Close your eyes and spend a few minutes finding the most complete stillness you can. See a small, bright light glowing in your heart. Use your breath to grow the light in size and intensity until it completely surrounds your entire body. Observe little items and symbols floating through your heart field. As each of them catches the light, notice if they represent something you wish to release or take forward and use your breath to either draw them in or send them away. Continue until you have sorted through all of the symbols, then gently bring your consciousness back to the present and open your eyes. Repeat this visualization daily for 7 days. If you are using tea candles, dress and light a new one each day and repeat the incantation.
STEP 7: Once the black candle is burned all the way out, repeat the ritual using the pink candle, image of The Chariot, and rose quartz.