The December Supermoon will peak on the night of December 4th, 2025, at 4:14 p.m. MST. The Full Cold moon is the last full moon of 2025, because it’s a supermoon, it will appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full Moon. It gets its name from the Mohawk tribe, which reflects the time of the year. Other names for this full moon include the Drift Clearing Moon, the Frost Exploding Trees Moon, the Moon of the Popping Trees, the Snow Moon, the Winter Maker Moon, the Hoar Frost Moon, the Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers, the Little Spirit Moon, and the Long Night Moon, among many others. it is also called the Moon Before Yule, marking the threshold between the waning year and the seed of the new. Each name carries a facet of the moon’s role: cold, stillness, reflection, patience—and silence.
<All text within brackets should be considered instructional, and not spoken aloud>
Preparing for this Full Cold Moon Ritual
A wide bowl, filled with cold water
A small evergreen branch
White or silver candle for the moon
Paper and pencils
Sea salt in a dish
<This ritual is best done outdoors around a generous bonfire>
Opening the Circle
On this frigid night, the last full moon of 2025, we gather to embrace the silence of the coming season. Our circle shall not be marked with candles yet understood among us.
With the night comes the Full Cold Moon, and the enduring strength of lunar energy. From Earth to Sky, and Sea to Stone, this space in time we call our home. A pause on the future, and sight to the past, this circle now, I deem now cast!
Calling the Directions
East
Look first to the East, where the full cold moon rises on the first hush of darkness. Listen to the whispering winds, whose sacred breath carries the promise of truth and change, whose loyalty we trust in, to carry away those things which no longer serve us.
South
Turn now, give your gaze to the South, where the moon arcs across the sky in its path of shining. Embrace in the knowledge of ancient forges and the warming fires, whose never-ending glow supports the small seeds of intention waiting to break free into the light of day.
West
Again, we turn, this time West, where after a long journey across the sky, the moon will sink into night’s silent and gentle hush. Yield your thoughts and allow the dark waters to flow through the fabric of your existence, surrendering those things which are ready to be released and washed away.
North
Now look North, where earth lies dormant under a blanket of stars and snow. Call out to the stones, the soil, the branches, and the boughs, for they hold the secrets of survival and provide the anchors that keep us grounded and strong.
Moon
The Full Cold Moon rises like a silver sentinel in the longest nights, illuminating the quiet world with a sharpened, crystalline light. It is the moon of endurance and clarity, when the air is thin, the earth is still, and every breath becomes a promise to carry our strength through winter’s deepest dark.
Our Night’s Working – Embracing the Silence
The full cold moon is the last full moon of 2025 and the last moon before the final annual sabbat of Yule. It is also a supermoon, a beacon of bright hope that will lead us into next year. Unlike other full moon ceremonies, tonight’s gathering is about embracing the silence. Silence and stillness hold a profound spiritual weight because they strip away the noise of the outer world and reveal those things which normally go unnoticed.
In quiet moments, the mind no longer has distractions to cling to, allowing the deeper layers of our true selves to not only rise to the surface, but also to engage with the lunar energy to feed. Intuition, memory, creativity, longing, and truth are just a few of these complex parts of self, which cry out for development. Stillness slows the inner currents enough for you to sense the subtle energies around you, like the pulse of nature, the whisper of ancestors, or the presence of the divine. Many traditions teach that silence isn’t the absence of sound but the presence of awareness, a sacred space where your spirit rebalances and reconnects. In stillness, you step outside the rapid rhythm of the everyday world and into the timeless rhythm of the soul, where clarity, healing, and insight become possible.
<Light the candle and place the bowl of water in the center of the group – have everyone gather close to it, sitting quietly and placing their hand(s) on the bowl>
Relax, we are one, all hands joined by the water, illuminated under the full cold moon. Gaze down at the surface and feel the exchange of energy. Feel the hush of winter as it descends upon the land, the annual deep silence that fills the space between seasons. Allow the moment to become your eternity, a forever time when forward, backwards, up, and down, all mean the same thing. When floating is static and conversation unnecessary.
<ritual leader whispers the following>
Cold Moon, bringer of frozen clarity, mirror of all that lies beneath, we welcome your light, we welcome your energy, we embrace your silence.
<ritual leader takes the evergreen branch in their hand>
In this moment, we are one – one energy, one community, and one being. We are children of energy, elders of connection, ancestors of stories and history. A universal being that neither wants nor yields, a spiritual group that creates and connects, spokes on a great turning wheel, whispers among tempests, echoes without end.
<dip the evergreen branch in the water and touch each person’s hand with it in a circular motion then say>
This water symbolizes the connection we share with one another and with the full cold moon. We embrace the energy and life force of the evergreen, always being present, even when others take rest. As long as there is energy and water, there shall be life.
<distribute pencils and paper>
Take a moment to focus on the upcoming year – allow those complex parts to have their way, leading you to greater understanding and providing direction. What do you intend to carry forward into the new year? What will you choose to leave behind? Will you overcome your fears, cast off your burdens, come to terms with your past, even those regrets and guilt which hang over you? Will you choose to take another step upward, raising your vibration to a higher plane? Embrace the silence and listen to its response.
<hold the bowl up so everyone can see it>
Just as the chilly mist rises from the water, so shall the weight of your burdens be lifted – effortlessly by the strength of the wind, and the energy of the full cold moon. Write down those things which you choose to release, envision them as mist, as wind, and fleeting memories which shall trouble you no more. Use the lunar energy to give you strength. The decision is yours and your alone.
<as the participants are writing, walk the edge of the circle behind them and sprinkle sea salt>
Sea salt carries the memories of the world; it is the planet’s oldest and most powerful source of renewal. Sea salt is born from tides, storms, sun, and geological time, so its energy is raw, primal, and unfiltered. It is used to break up stagnant or heavy vibrations the way ocean waves break apart debris along the shore. Its crystalline structure absorbs negativity, while its connection to water aligns it with emotional purification, intuition, and release. It draws out spiritual residue, restores energetic equilibrium, and reinforces boundaries. At its heart, sea salt carries the essence of returning to source—the rhythmic, eternal motion of the sea—and invites your energy to reset in the same way.
<have each person hold out their paper and pass in front of them sprinkling more salt on their sheet>
Approach the fire, cast in your page while saying, “I release the things which no longer serve me.”
<once all are finished>
On this night of silence, we commit to positive change. We return the negativity to the universe so that positive influences might inhabit our spirits and lift us to a higher vibrational plane.
Closing Our Cold Moon Circle
East
Turn your face to capture the icy winds of East. Remember their work on this Full Cold Moon night. If doubt enters your mind, recall the stillness but carry the fury of growth inside your soul. You are the light of truth through your existence.
South
Now look South and remember how the eternal flames provided warmth and comfort on this night. As the season grows colder, that spark of spiritual growth will be the source of inspiration and a new version of yourselves.
West
With reverence and humility, turn to the West. The waters of life have bound you to the energy of the moon, your community, and the higher beings who seek your company. As we’ve released our burdens, we’ve gained new power – use it to become a better version of who you are now.
North
Now finally we turn again to the North. Beneath the soil lies the bones of our ancestors. On the branches of the great oaks, our secrets. Behind the stone walls, those in our charge. The Earth provides, protects, and proposes all things worthy and magickal. Take charge of that which gives you joy, growth, and purpose.
I deem this scared circle, bound and sealed under the Cold Moon’s watch, with gratitude for the stillness, the clarity, the long-night’s lesson, to be open!
Blessed Be!
As you depart, remember that beneath the pale fullness of December’s moon we remain still in the quiet, rooted and luminous. The world will soon rest beneath snow and frost, yet here within we awaken to new seeds of intention, to deeper knowing, to the enduring flame of our own spirits. As the moon gently wanes, carry forward this softened strength, this luminous clarity — the slow, sure promise of dawn after the longest night. In the hush, listen to the ancient rhythm, winter’s return and spring’s eventual stir. In this moment you are anchored, ready, and at peace.
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