Earth/Water Ritual for July’s Supermoon

If you’ve been wanting to honor the moon with something special, like a full moon ritual, perhaps, you couldn’t ask for a better moon.  Wednesday brings a supermoon. It will be the brightest full moon of the year, making it an ideal night to gather, play and experiment with the power of moonlight.

When the moon, in her elliptical orbit, comes closest to Earth (or, is at perigee) she’s super bright, what’s known today as a “supermoon.”  Larger and brighter than the the usual full moon, supermoons offer the best nights for magical full moon practices.  They’re ideal for charging crystals, jewelry, purified water, healing tinctures, spiritual stones and statues and other magical objects. Gathering together with a group of like-minded friends to celebrate the moon… well, clearly this is one of the best times for a moon party! Last month also brought a supermoon. But this one will be even brighter, as the moon is closer now.

I was slow to jump onto the “supermoon” bandwagon. Nobody—neither astronomers nor astrologers—paid any attention to this phenomenon until a 20^th century American astrologer, Richard Nolle, made it a “thing” in 1979. The term languished for awhile until the blossoming of the internet.  Given the Internet’s voracious appetite for content, astronomers now regularly write about these supermoons. (Science stole something from an astrologer!)

See it with your own eyes

What made me a believer? I finally paid attention! During one superfullmoon a few years ago, I happened to look out the window. I was stunned by the wash of moonlight on the firepit in my backyard. It was so bright—as if a quiet helicopter were hovering overhead with spotlights. The moon that night was mesmerizing—so close, the Great Mother felt more intimately present. I finally realized that knowing ahead of time when the night will be like this—well, that was useful information!

Given the way Nolle defined supermoons (whenever Luna is within 90% of her closest approach to Earth, these bright nights can occur between four and  six times a year. Half the time they’re invisible (when the moon is new); the other half they’re brilliant (at the full moon), like this and next month.  The best celebration can be quite simple … just quietly commune with the moonlight.

If you’d like to do something a little more special, this water/earth ritual is a favorite, perfect for the Capricorn/Cancer full moon.  By  mixing these two elements together in a sacred way, you can draw the healing magic of the full moon into your life.

Earth & Water Ritual for the Capricorn/Cancer Full Moon

Prepare a small container of water, a small container of earth, and an empty bowl.  Bring them to a quiet place where you can protect yourself from distractions or interruptions.  Ideal would be a spot outdoors in nature, a secluded garden beneath a tree, a tranquil patio, somewhere that allows you a good view of the eastern horizon, where the Moon will rise just after sundown.  You may wish to light candles and incense, or recite a prayer or sacred phrase from your particular tradition to calm your spirit.  Watching the breath – inhaling in, exhaling out – further deepens the energy.  Soon, notice how your inner focus begins to steady, becoming as reflective as the glass surface of a peaceful lake.

Raising the Energy

With gentle reverence, you’re waiting for the moon to make her first appearance. Perhaps your heart leaps at this moment. Or not. Keep watching as she slowly rises. Experience how nature is responding to the magic of this vision:  the wash of light, a soft luminescence that pervades the air; the joyous expectancy of the animals, trees, and insects as they rise up to greet their goddess.  Listen to the song of the wind in the branches of the trees, as well  as the bird calls and the chirping crickets. As your soul expands into the spaciousness of this moment, even the sounds of civilization, cars driving or voices calling out, become woven into nature’s full moon symphony. Imagine that the defenses which normally separate you from nature–from the Great Goddess–are dissolving in the moonbeams. Now you, too, are a part of all creation, basking in moonlight.  You may feel something like being immersed in a field of bliss or love.

Heart of the Ritual

Keep this feeling as you close your eyes. Gently draw your attention to the area of your third eye (center forehead a little above and behind the physical eyes). Notice the effects of the full moon here. Bask in this gentle inner moonlight, as though you’re receiving a nice internal cleansing. Especially if you’re a spiritual or intuitive person, the third eye can get overworked. Soothe this space. Let the Moon work her magic. Once the third eye feels rested and clear, allow this healing luminescence to gently expand, so that it fills your entire personal space–this is the energetic egg that surrounds your body, arms-length above, below, and around you. You should feel surrounded, supported, and immersed in a safe, compassionate, and gently luminous field.

Notice if a vulnerability, question, need, or desire emerges. In moonplay, it’s important to first think of yourself, before thinking of the world, or even of the earth, just as mothers are instructed to put on their oxygen masks first. This is the moment to ask the moon for help in your own life. Be sincere. Ask it truthfully. Then let it go. Wait—without expectation—to receive—an invisible hug, a compassionate tear, an intuition, a vision, a memory, or a gathering warmth in the heart. At the peak of your receiving–whether it’s a wordless knowing or filled with sensation and sound–open your eyes and imagine that this amazing egg of energy all around you is slowly condensing into a holy, healing balm.

Now raise your beautiful container of water with the hand that’s closest to it. Offer this to the moon and imagine her healing balm settling into the water in your cup, charging it with healing powers. You may actually sense this transformation occurring. Next raise the dish of soil with your other hand. See this as a symbol for the earth herself. Become aware of the earth’s needs, vulnerabilities, questions, desires. Perhaps you sense her despair over developers’ greed, the disappearing species, the vanishing flora. Perhaps you sense her exhausted in some terrains, gasping for air. Maybe you also sense her strength. You may notice a certain steadiness. Can you feel Gaia’s great capacity to abide and endure? If so, affirm it.

Place both the cup and dish in the space in front of you. Dip your hand into the container of the moon’s holy water and sprinkle drops of it upon the dish of soil, imagining as you do that the moon’s healing compassion is watering the wounds of earth. Think of someone you know—or of groups of people–who may currently be frightened, ill, ignorant, or suffering. Through the agency of your cup and dish, sprinkle water on them. Continue this practice for as long as you wish, offering compassion to as many beings as you have time and room for in your spirit.

Closing

When you feel complete, bring your hands together in prayer. Ask that your full moon ritual continue to work in the world long after your ritual has concluded. Extend your circle of blessings to yourself, your close friends and loved ones, and the rest of the world.  Bow to the moon.  Take your cup of water and dish of soil and place them on your home altar until the Dark Moon, which will be the time for releasing both back to nature.