full

Full Moon

The Third Quarter phase of the moon begins with the Full Moon,
which is when the sun and moon are
opposite to one another in the sky
literally in opposition
and the moon is reflecting all of the sun's light.

She is perfectly round at this point,
and well able to light the night --
so well, in fact, that she casts Moon-shadows.
It's now that she can be seen rising in the east at sunset,
a bit later each night as this phase progresses.

This is a time that corresponds with the culmination of plans,
with maturity and completion.

It is said that
the best Full Moon magick can be conjured for seven days:
the three days prior to the Full Moon,
the night of the Full Moon itself,
and the three days after the Full Moon.

Sometimes the results of Full Moon magick take approximately one moon cycle to take hold and come to completion.

Full Moon energy is used for banishing unwanted influences in your life, protection magick, and divination.
Planning, releasing and working backwards in time
are done on the Full Moon as well.

It is also said that the Full Moon is the time for making powerful statements about how you wish your life to be.

One of the major acts of magick done during a Full Moon ritual is "Drawing Down the Moon."

According to Barbara Walker
("The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets"),
"drawing down the moon" is a rite dating back to
moon- worshipping Thessaly,
centuries before the Christian era.

In modern times and in a coven environment,
this is performed by the High Priestess.

In a solitary's life he or she may do it
(and should do it)
to empower themselves.

Much like recharging a battery,
you are accepting the Divine power of the Universe within you, allowing it to strengthen and empower you.
It is the act of acknowledging the power
of the Lady (Moon) and
drawing the energy into your body.

It is during the Full Moon
that you can create an arch of energy
between the moon and sun.

All rituals of balance
in life or a situation are done at this time.

Full Moon magick is like a white candle -- all purpose.

Prophecy and protection are the biggies during this phase.

Totems like the raven are called to bestow gifts of divination.

Goddesses like Isis, Ashera, and Selene are called, as well as the Sisters of the Wyrrd, the Norns, and other Goddesses and Gods of fate.

Short-term projects may have concluded now and it is time to give thanks for the blessings that have come your way.

The Full Moon is also the time of legends --
reading them, studying them, and making your own.

Individuals talented in the arts
(dance, music, painting, pottery, metal work, etc.)
find the Full Moon a most auspicious time for creativity.

Any working that needs a major punch,
such as a divorce case,
help in finding a satisfactory job,
healings for major conditions,
can all be done now
with excellent chances of success.

Meditations involving prophecy and power
in occult skills should be done now.

Dream work is at its height during the Full Moon phase.

Other work which can be done at this time includes:
artistic endeavors; beauty, health, and fitness;
change and decisions;
children; competition; dreams;
families; health and healing;
knowledge; legal undertakings;
love and romance; money;
motivation; protection; psychism;
self- improvement;
fertility; productivity;
imagination.

Plants and Herbs of Full Moon Rituals (short list):
All nocturnal , white or five-petaled flowers
such as the white rose,
night-blooming jasmine,
carnation, gardenia, cereus,
lily, iris.
Camphor is also symbolic.

The following meditation is from "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk.
She names a specific Goddess in this meditation.
If you don't wish to work with specifics, don't use the name.
Or, if you'd prefer to work with other Goddesses,
change the name.
Any of the exercises, and any portion of the exercises,
I present can be changed to suit you.

Full Moon Meditation

Ground and center,
and visualize a round full moon.
She is the Mother,
the power of fruition and of all aspects of creativity.
She nourishes what the New Moon has begun.
See her open arms,
her full breasts,
her womb burgeoning with life.
Feel your own power to nurture,
to give,
to make manifest what is possible.
She is the sexual woman;
her pleasure in union is the moving force that sustains all life.
Feel the power in your own pleasure.
Her color is the red of blood, which is life.
Call her name "Mari!" and feel your own ability to love.

There are a number of Full Moon rituals
in a variety of books and on websites.

Some include information on Drawing Down the Moon,
some don't.
Some are elaborate, some are not.

Before doing a full fledged ritual,
I would suggest getting to know the Full Moon first....
not by reading,
but by standing outside
(weather permitting)
and gazing at the moon.

This in and of itself can be a ritual.
Learn what the Lady in this aspect means to you.
Some see this as a time to learn about beauty,
love, sensuousness,
and the mysteries of these things.
Bathe in the moonlight
and weave your own spell of magick
and light and mystery.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.
There's a great deal more to follow.

Resources:
"The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets"
by Barbara G. Walker;
"To Ride a Silver Broomstick"
by Silver RavenWolf;
"To Stir a Magick Cauldron"
by Silver RavenWolf;
"The Moon in the Signs"
by Kim Rogers- Gallagher;
"Folkways"
by Patricia Telesco;
"Trancing the Witch's Wheel"
by Yasmine Galenorn;
"The Spiral Dance"
by Starhawk;
"Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner"
by Scott Cunningham;
and various websites
which seemed to copy from each other
and don't acknowledge their sources.

That said,
The Witches' Web of Days and
Witches' Web of Lunar Nights
has been a great help and resource.

Full Moon Magick:

From fourteen to seventeen-and-a-half days after the new moon.

Prime time for rituals for prophecy, protection, divination.

Any working that needs extra power,
such as help finding a new job or
healings for serious conditions,
can be done now.

Also,
love, knowledge,
legal undertakings,
money and dreams.

Full Moon Water

This is easy!
Every Full Moon take a jar or bottle of water outside
and set it where the light of
the Full Moon will shine on it.
Leave it there as long as the Moon is out.
Ask the Goddess to bless the water with Her light and love.
Now take the jar and close it tightly.
Keep it to use in all rituals and spells that require water.
When the next Full Moon comes,
pour the remaining water in the grass or a garden
(don't pour it down the drain!),
and repeat the process.