My First Full Moon Release Ritual!!!

I'm so excited about this full moon that I actually feel like a little kid on Christmas morning!
Truth be told, in the midst of everything else that has been swirling around in my life, there has been a constant and almost rhythmic tugging at my heart that has been pulling me in a new direction the last several months and I wasn't really sure where it was coming from or what I was supposed to do with it until recently. 
What started out as a response to some big changes in my life wound up leading me right into what I now understand is the voice of my most authentic self finally speaking louder than all the crap I usually hear in my head!  This is the positive, happy and encouraging voice underneath the "other" voice that I've become accustomed to thinking had my best interest in mind!  Wrong.
This new voice is the one I get to listen to when I make an effort to stick my ego in a soundproof box and only listen to my heart!  
I don't quite have a name or title for what this pull actually is, the only thing I know for sure is that it feels very 'right,' and so I have decided to get out of my own way and see where the road takes me....  Words like "intuition, spirituality, balance, creativity, facilitator, guide and art" all seem to be marinating together in my brain and what they will eventually turn into, well, that remains to be seen!
Tonight, all roads lead to me creating and executing my very first (and hopefully many more) Full Moon Release Ritual and I am so excited to share it with you... This big beautiful full moon slowly and steadily rising outside of my window is the cue I have been waiting for to pivot towards this fresh direction I want my life to go towards.  I thoroughly loved performing this ritual tonight and I hope that when you are ready, it feels right for you too!  Feel free to change or tweak anything you need to in order to make it more of your own too! 
So, without further delay, here I go...

The Magic and the Moon!

For those who are not familiar with why tonight has the potential to be such a powerful energetic opportunity, the full moon is actually the perfect time to:

-make the choice to put an end to the patterns, people and ideals that no longer serve us...

-decide that it is time to release old ways of thinking, limiting beliefs, grudges, and fears and self- imposed limits

-set your intention to say good-bye to a situation, thought process or emotion that no longer aligns with your version of yourself

In other words, LET THAT SHIT GO!!!  

For my very first Full Moon Release Ritual I came up with a few simple "tools" that I feel contribute to the overall intention as well as a nod to my need for visual aids! You can also add your own items like perhaps a piece of Moonstone, a special scented candle or whatever feels right for you!

I suggest having the following items available:
One bowl full of water, flower petals and/or flowers, and maybe a few drops of your favorite essential oils
The other bowl should be fireproof and empty.  It can be a terra cotta pot, ceramic, or even a fire pit if you're more comfortable that way!  Just make sure it's fireproof and empty!
A candle
Matches
Paper
Pen

Take a moment and find a well ventilated space for your ritual. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it can be a permanent area of your home or yard or even a little pop-up space you create for yourself!  The space doesn't matter as much as your intent, so don't make yourself crazy!  I chose to set up a little pop-up space in our backyard because the weather was great, I always had the moon in my line of sight and it felt like the right place to do this!
Once you've located your space, set up your items, light your candle and pause for a moment!!  Take a few deep breaths and give yourself a minute to get quiet and move your heart into a space of pure clarity and intention!!  These next few minutes are about YOU and nobody else....just YOU doing something positive for YOURSELF!  Take a second and savor it!

Now, whenever you're ready you can go ahead and on that piece of paper you've got, take some time to write down whatever it is you want to release!  There are no rules for this, only list what you are comfortable with and remember that this isn't a competition or a test!  Maybe you'll have one thing you want to be free of or finished with, and maybe, if you're anything like me tonight, you'll have a list of thoughts, emotions, worn out beliefs and self imposed limiting fears you are ready to say good-bye to.  There is no right or wrong number of items!  Just write down what you feel ready to set  free!!  

Once you have your list complete, sign it, date it and thank each item on that list for the lesson it brought you.  (yes, those old beliefs taught us something even if the only lesson is that we're done with them and now we know what we don't want in our lives anymore)

Using the candle you lit, go ahead and gently dip a corner of your list paper into the flame and let it catch fire (carefully).  As you place your paper into the fireproof bowl and it becomes engulfed in the flame, watch as the smoke drifts out into the Universe taking all of your old fears, beliefs, patterns and anything else you decided to release with it!  

If your page took a while to light or is burning slowly, you might ask yourself if you are truly ready to let go of the thing(s) you wrote down.  

The faster your paper burns, the more willing you were to say good-bye to the things you wanted to release. 

As the page continues to burn you can focus on your breathing, hold your intentions gently in your heart space, say good-bye and know that it is okay to set them free!  As your page and anything you decided to release drift off into the abyss, it is okay to embrace whatever emotions you feel bubbling up to the surface.  Allow yourself to be grateful for whatever is there, take a breath and then let it move up and out of you!  If it helps, you can even intentionally exhale it into the wind!

At this point, trust that you are moving to a new heart space!  Take a moment to dip your hands into the beautiful bowl of flowers and water you set out and see yourself as being free of everything you just released!  The water is meant as a symbol of purity and for the clearing/cleansing of old thoughts. The flowers are to remind you to notice and appreciate the abundance of beauty and blessings that are within and around you every day!  Be still for a moment and don't forget to say "thank you!"  

Congratulations to you for having the courage to say good-bye to all that junk you've been dragging around.  You've now made room for all sorts of wonderful and positive new thoughts, opportunities and beliefs that couldn't quite get to you with all that old shit blocking their path!!!

By the way, it's important to know that if the idea of an actual "ritual" isn't your thing or doesn't quite feel right, that's okay!!  You can still set a mental intention to release something or even write about it in your journal if you like!  Whatever feels right, that's what you honor!  

I've wanted to do something like this for a long time, so it felt right to make it into something special for myself, but that's me!  

I hope that this gives you some ideas and inspiration for doing your own "Moon Work." I loved it so much, I'm actually thinking of hosting a New Moon Intention Celebration as well as a Full Moon Release Ritual at my home studio next month!  I find that when doing work like this it can be a truly wonderful and rewarding experience when we can share it with someone else!

Thank you so much for being here!

Don't forget to leave any sort of comments or thoughts below!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you an abundance of bliss and blessings!
Heather