Full Moon Ritual:
A Simple Guide to Release and Gratitude

The full moon is the brightest and most visible point of the lunar cycle. It rises around sunset, hangs high through the night and lights everything up, which is why astrologers have long linked it with clarity, culmination and release. A full moon ritual is a short practice for using that peak as a checkpoint: appreciating what’s going well and letting go of what isn’t.

It takes about 30 minutes, needs nothing but a notebook, and works well on its own or as the second half of a new moon ritual.

What Is the Full Moon in Astrology?

The full moon occurs when the Sun and Moon sit on opposite sides of the Earth, so the Moon is in the sign opposite the Sun. A full moon in Taurus, for example, happens while the Sun is in Scorpio. Astrologers read that tension between two signs as the theme of the full moon.

Where the new moon is a time for beginnings, the full moon is a time for results. Whatever you started two weeks ago is now visible, for better or worse, and the bright light makes it easier to see what is and isn’t working. You can find the exact date, time and sign for each coming full moon on our new moon and full moon dates page.

What You Need

• A notebook and pen
• About 30 minutes somewhere quiet, ideally near a window or outside if the weather allows
• Optional: a candle in a holder, a cup of tea, your intentions from the last new moon

A Simple Full Moon Ritual in 7 Steps

1. Choose your time and place. Sit where you can see the sky or catch some moonlight if possible. A windowsill or balcony is plenty.
2. Settle. Take five slow breaths. Notice how you feel without trying to change it.
3. Write down what you’re grateful for. List ten things from the past two weeks, big or small. Specific is better than general: “the walk with Sam on Sunday” beats “friends.”
4. Check your intentions. Read what you wrote at the new moon. Note what has moved, what hasn’t and what you’ve learned.
5. Write what you’re ready to release. It could be a habit, a worry, a grudge or an expectation. Write it plainly: “I release the need to reply to every message straight away.”
6. Let it go in a safe way. Tear the page up and recycle it, or put it in the compost. Burning is only worth doing if you can do it safely outdoors, never unattended.
7. Close with a kind act. Do one thing that looks after you: a bath, an early night, a call to someone you miss. Then choose one small commitment for the next two weeks.

Full Moon Journal Prompts

• What am I proud of from the last two weeks?
• What has taken more energy than it was worth?
• What am I holding onto out of habit rather than need?
• Who has made a difference to me lately, and have I told them?
• What is this season of my life asking me to do less of?
• What do I want to keep doing?

Reading the Sign of the Full Moon

Because the full moon sits opposite the Sun, its sign gives the theme and the Sun’s sign gives the counterweight. A full moon in Cancer, for instance, highlights home and emotional security, while the Sun in Capricorn pulls towards work and responsibility. Many people use the pairing to ask where they’re leaning too far in one direction. Our guides to Cancer and Capricorn and Aries and Libra explore opposite-sign pairings in more depth.

If you don’t know which sign your own moon is in, try the free moon sign calculator. A full moon that lands on or opposite your own moon sign is often described as a particularly personal one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Turning it into a to-do list. The point is to reflect, not to fix everything.
• Skipping the gratitude. Starting with what’s good makes the release part easier and kinder.
• Releasing too much. Choose one to three things. Lists of ten rarely survive the week.
• Doing it at the wrong time. A day or two either side of the exact moment is fine, so don’t stress about the minute.

Frequently Asked Questions