Full Moon & Eclipse Ritual

Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Gemini with a penumbral lunar eclipse. While all full moons offer opportunities for closure, with a lunar eclipse added to the mix, the matters we are wrapping up can be even more emotionally potent than usual. The Sagittarius/Gemini axis brings forth situations that highlight truth and contradiction in our interactions with others, both being fairly social signs. This ritual is designed to help clear the fog and allow us to hold tricky dichotomies in peace.

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.

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 candle in the center of your altar area. Place the images of Temperance and The Lovers, one on each side.

STEP 3: Place a drop of lavender oil or vanilla extract on top of the candle and trace it around 3 times clockwise, then sprinkle a tiny bit of crumbled dried lavender flower on top or place the vanilla bean ay the base of the candle.

STEP 4: Place the black tourmaline, quartz crystal, and selenite around the candle and any stones corresponding to the cards on the cards.

STEP 5: light the candle and say “I welcome the end of an era and the coming of the next. I draw my energy in and await direction from the Universe on where and who to trust it with moving forward.”

STEP 6: Close your eyes and spend a few minutes finding the most complete stillness you can. Allow your body to take in just as much air as it needs, no more, no less. Check in with the various functions of your body, your nervous system, digestion, skeleton, your muscles, circulatory system, your eyes nose and ears. Note that they exist purely to keep you functioning, no one else. Your heart does not worry that its beating does or does not serve the needs of another. See how much you can pull your attention and awareness into your own body and observe it at work. Sit in observation as long as you like, then gently come back to the present moment and open your eyes. Repeat this visualization daily for 7 days.

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 Temperance card and The Lovers (you’ll want to keep the actual cards in your deck to use for readings)

CANDLES: Any color 7-day ritual candle in glass, whatever you feel drawn to. If you can’t get a ritual candle, tea candles work great. If you don’t have tea candles, simply follow the clearing, incantation, and visualization prompts.

CANDLE DRESSINGS: If your candles are pre-dressed, leave em be. If not, I like lavender (either oil or dried flower) and vanilla (a whole bean is ideal, but a drop of extract will do too) for this one. NOTE: vanilla extract very commonly has a high alcohol content so use VERY little.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS: A small dish of water and any crystals or other symbolic items you wish to include. Ideally, at least one piece each of black tourmaline, quartz crystal and selenite. In addition, a nice selection to match a stone with each card would be: peacock ore or fluorite for Temperance and tiger eye or tourmalined quartz for The Lovers. 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