A Candle Ritual for Full Moon Nights

The Full Moon has long enchanted the poetic imagination. The powers of nature are at their peak, and the unconscious mind is open to subtle influences at this time. The Moon’s roundness also makes it a symbol of abundance and fulfillment. We can align ourselves with this natural magic by observing the Full Moon phase as an occasion to recite ceremonialized affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements designed to bring about changes in our attitudes and to manifest things we want to bring into our lives. Based on the theory that the deep mind takes our “self talk” literally and has the power to change our reality, when we recite affirmations we state our desires as if they have already been fulfilled. (For example, one would say, “I give thanks for my prosperity,” rather than “Some day I will be prosperous,” or “I enjoy exercise,” rather than “I will stop hating exercise.”) To experience the Full Moon’s energies, you might want to light a candle every evening upon the rising of the moon; you can include the three nights before the Full Moon, the night thereof, and the three nights following, as you say: