A Full Moon Ritual: The Love Of The Goddess

This is a simple little ritual to help you become more open to giving and receiving love. A combination of prayer and mantra with a few tools, you needn't go through the whole ritual outline for this. Being short on time I didn't bother casting a circle or invoking the quarters but it is up to you.

Fill a small bowl with crystals that remind you of the Goddess and femininity; I included rose quartz, moonstone, crystal quartz and citrine in a small, purple bowl I use for making offerings. Next pour some water over the crystals so the majority of them are covered - the element of water is associated with the Goddess and the moon, given the way that the tides are controlled by the moon and its pull.

You will also need an oil that again evokes femininity or the Goddess. Suitable oils include Ylang Ylang or Jasmine (I chose Jasmine).

There are also a couple of optional tools; a pink candle which represents love, or a silver or white candle to represent the Goddess, or multiple candles. Always make sure you have a back up - I went to light my brand new candle as a part of this ritual last night and the wick smoldered, burnt all the way down and then died. Useless.

Anyway, you could also use a silver bell for welcoming in the Goddess and for signalling the end of the ritual, but again this isn't necessary if you just want to keep it simple.

Gregory H. Revera / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

When you are ready to begin, ground and centre - you can either stand or sit (I do all of this sitting). Light the candle if you have one, then raise your arms and call upon the Goddess using words to the effect of:

 "Great Goddess, you who go by many names, Lady of the Silver Wheel, I call upon you this sacred night to witness this ritual I perform in your honour and bless me with your presence." 

If you have a bell then ring it three times.

Now annoint yourself with the oil on the wrists and the third eye. Focus on balancing your breathing, a certain number of breaths in through your nose in and the same number out through either your mouth or nose; yoga has taught me to focus breathing through my nose but again it is whatever you feel most comfortable with! Clear the mind.

Once you have your breathing balanced, wrap your hands around the bowl - you may wish to hold it in you lap. Inhale, and as you exhale chant:

 "I shine bright with the love of the Goddess".

Inhale again, and this time on the exhale chant:

"I give and receive love freely".

Inhale again and this time on the exhale chant:

"May I bring happiness to all whom I meet".

Repeat these three lines one at a time, one for each exhale, over and over again. As you do imagine yourself surrounded by a golden light that seems to rain down and wrap itself around you, a light sent directly from the Goddess. How does it make you feel - happy? Slightly incredulous? Loved? Hopefully it is a combination of all three.

Continue as the light grows and grows, dancing around You and within you, until You feel ready to stop your chanting. You may wish to just sit and bask in this feeling for a while. When you do feel ready to bring the ritual to a close, raise your arms again and chant something along the lines of:

"Oh great Goddess, you of many names. You who weaves the web of fate, and keeps the wheel of life turning, I thank you for all that you have blessed me with, and for watching over me throughout these years. I pray that you may bless me with love so I may share it with others; with wisdom so I can teach others; and with the powers to help those who need it. Please, I pray, continue to walk this path with me as I strive to be the best I can be be. So mote it be"

If you are using the bell ring it again to symbolise the end of the ritual. Blow out the candle and empty out your bowl (or you can leave it on the altar). You may want to carry one of the crystals with you, or anoint yourself with the oil if you ever need a reminder of the love shared between yourself and the Goddess.