Full Moon Bath Ritual

Women have a connection with the moon whether they are conscious of it or not.

By nature, women are lunar beings. We tend to ovulate during the full moon and menstruate around the new moon. If you’re a sensitive soul like me, taking time every month to reset around the full moon can be very healing and very necessary.

Most of us are hard on ourselves, work too much, say ‘yes’ too often and tend to live in our masculine energy. While I respect and practice the art of taking massive action (masculine energy) to accomplish my goals, I believe it is vital that we balance the masculine and feminine energies within us. When the scales are unbalanced we tend to feel exhausted and totally disconnected from our physical bodies.

When we take the time to create a full moon ritual we not only cleanse our physical bodies, we cleanse our energetic bodies, too. Full moon energy supports releasing old layers, beliefs or relationships that aren’t serving you well. If you feel called to dive deeper into self-care, you should get curious about the emotions that tend to come up around the full moon. This simple bath ritual is sure to do the trick.

1. Clear and protect - Smudge your bathroom space with palo santo or sage. Push the smoke into every corner and make sure that your bathtub is very clean. You may need to take a little time to wipe down your tub thoroughly.

2. Set the mood -  I personally love to fill my bathroom with a ton of candles and turn on ambient music or a chant. A dear friend introduced me to a Vedic purification chant – Shri Rudram Chamakam – it’s a good one to purify any space. Please play music that you like and is soothing to your soul.

3. Set your intention - While the bath is filling with hot water, take a moment to set your intention. Ask yourself, “What feels heavy or energetically dense in my life?” Maybe you’ve been feeling anxious or sad. Full moons tend to energize some people while bringing out emotions in others. It’s all ok. Get quiet and go within. Simply ask yourself, “What is ready to be released in this moment?” Use this time to release any relationships, thoughts or obligations that feel heavy. The water will help wash it away.

4. DIY essential oil soak - Add 24 drops of your favorite essential oil to ¼ cup of Epsom salts or Himalayan salt to create a soak that brings purpose and aromatherapy to the experience. Dissolve the soak into the bath. I like to use frankincense, lavender, rose, geranium and balsam fir.

• Frankincense is helpful for purification, consecration, protection and overcoming fear. I personally feel it helps me connect to the lineage of all women before me who have practiced the art of bathing under the full moon.

• Lavender relaxes me immediately. It is purifying and promotes a wide array of benefits like calm, spiritual love and understanding. Placing a drop on my pillow before bedtime is a long-time ritual of mine, so for me, lavender summons deeply reflexive notions of rest and peace.

• Rose is sensual and feminine. It feels like love.

• Geranium brightens the actions of rose.

• Balsam Fir has that holiday Christmas tree smell that is very comforting. It also reminds me of being in a welcoming forest ­– a feeling that city girls like me crave quite often.

5. Crystalize - Try adding a moonstone to connect deeply to your feminine power and bring out your inner goddess. Choose selenite for a deeper cleaning or rose quartz for self-love. Remember: Not all crystals are safe to submerge fully in water so do your research. Many soft crystals are not recommended to be in the bath. You can also place the crystals around the edge of the tub to create an inviting self-care altar.

6. Savor the moment - As you step into the bath, commit to savoring the moment. You have dedicated this time and space just for you and for you alone, even if it’s only 15 minutes. You can expand that time with conscious intention and make it feel like hours!

Schedule a full moon bath ritual into your calendar now so that you have time dedicated to your healing every month. Rituals don’t need to take a long time. They don’t need to be dramatic or loud but they do need to happen for your well-being, so schedule it and make it happen. Remember – the moon is going to keep waxing and waning with or without you.

Authored by: Lily Pettit, professional organizer and founder of Clutter Healing®, Inc.  You can find more about Lily here: Clutter Healing

This inspiring post lived on Aura Cacia’s Noteworthy site while it was in existence.  The name “Noteworthy” was inspired by the three aroma notes – top, middle and base – found in essential oils. When these three notes come together they create a beautiful, balanced synergy.  Noteworthy was full of contributions by real women aspiring to create a beautiful, balanced synergy in their own lives – and the lives of others.  We are pleased we could continue to share this post to our aromatherapy community.