The last full moon before Samhain is upon us, Huzzah! The Hunter’s Moon will reach peak illumination at 8:57 A.M. MST on Wednesday, October 20. Like September’s full moon, it will be below the horizon at this time, so we’ll have to wait until sunset to see it.
What You’ll Need For Our 2021 Hunter’s Moon Ritual
Quarter Candles (yellow, red, blue, green)
Anthame or wand
Large White Goddess Candle – Goddess candle
Altar decorated with seasonal herbs, flowers, and foliage
Paper and pencils
Fire pit
Throughout this ritual, any text surrounded by these symbols < > should be considered instructional and not spoken aloud but done in accordance with the directions
Full Hunter’s Moon Ritual Begins
This circle forming all around, high above, across the ground, a sacred sphere has gathered here – we are now between the worlds!
Calling The Quarters
Look to the East, calling upon the great and noble spirits of AIR. Join us on this night as the clear skies glow with magick. Teach us the lessons of patience, simplicity, courtesy, and common sense. Whisper encouraging words as you slip past us, unnoticed. <light yellow candle>
Turn to the South, calling upon the great and noble spirits of FIRE. Join us on this night and celebrate the full moon. Bring your mesmerizing flames to burn away that which must be burned. Point us in the right direction for better things and better places. <light red candle>
Look to the West, calling upon the great and noble spirits of WATER. Join us on this night of celestial energy and fulfill our needs as we search for the answers in the stars. Tend to our needs and quench both our thirst for life and our thirst for knowledge. <light blue candle>
At last we turn to the North, calling upon the great and noble spirits of EARTH. Join us on this night and keep the memories fresh in our minds of the ancestors who walked upon these lands long ago. Open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to the wisdom of the plow, the plants, and the soil. As we nurture the land, educate us in ways to nurture one another. <light green candle>
<Ritual leader should raise their arms high above their head>
Great Goddess, it is you who give life to all things, both large and small, you who raise the seeds from the soil, and you who provide the pathway for the enlightened. We humbly ask for your presence tonight under the light of the moon. <Light Goddess candle>
Introduction and Full Moon History
Of all the different moon names, the Full Hunter’s Moon is one of only two not tied to a specific month. The month assigned to the Hunter’s Moon is entirely dependent on the Harvest Moon. It’s because the Harvest Moon is connected to the autumnal equinox, and not a specific month. It’s the name given to the closet full moon to that date each year. The first full moon occurring after the Harvest Moon is called the Hunter’s Moon. The Hunter’s Moon is also known as the Sanguine Moon, the Blood Moon, the Dying Grass Moon and sometimes the Travel Moon.
If you didn’t know it, full moon names originate from the Native American tribes of North America. Most people agree that the origin of the name, Hunter’s Moon, comes from ancient practices. With the harvests finished, people would take to the forests, hunting for meat to dry and preserve for the winter as a supplement to food stores already gathered. Hunters had the advantage of posting next to fields where animals would come to feed what didn’t get picked by the farmers.
Musical Interlude
Music is a key part to all our rituals, and we spend a lot of time looking for that perfect melody to compliment the night. Every once in a while, the task is easy and the song just jumps out at you. Our selection tonight is one of the latter type – Moondance by Van Morrison just seems perfectly appropriate.
2021 Full Hunter’s Moon – Looking Forward
This month, we look toward the future. Toward the uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring. Toward a world that seems to be falling into ruin under its own weight. Toward the prospects of making hard decisions and what the consequences of those decisions might be. But also looking at what the possibilities and great spiritual changes that could happen. And the hope that humankind might finally decide to come together, rather than continue to splinter apart. It’s a great time to be alive; watching history unfold right before our eyes, while simultaneously being on the precipice of ‘who knows what’.
Now that the dramatic entrance dialogue is over, let’s get down to business and talk about some of the things we should be aware of in this great period of looking forward. First and foremost is evaluating our spiritual path and how the last few years have been influencing it. It’s a tough subject, but a necessary one, for now more than ever do we need to look within to make sure we are not straying from our chosen path. Some of us may be in a state of change due to factors outside of our control; job loss, isolation, health issues, or any of a number of other possibilities. We may have put all of these worldly things in a position of priority over our spiritual goals, and because of it, we likely have found ourselves burdened with a bigger pile of spiritual baggage than normal.
Times like these are when we may need some spiritual guidance or simply a push in the right direction. Someone to remind us that things are always changing and we aren’t living in a state of fear. Just because there are many changes occurring right on top of one another, isn’t a reason to forget the real reasons why we are here on this earth. Just because our world is getting more restrictive isn’t a reason to stop loving one another and helping whenever you can. It’s a difficult time, no doubt, but not an impossible time. We’ve been through tough times before and yet we still walk the earth.
The stress of living is weighing upon all of us, but tonight we can release it, along with other emotional baggage we’ve been hoarding unnecessarily. Remove the weight of this baggage an you’ll find yourself with a clear head and joy in your heart. Take that time to stop, sit or meditate, and remember the smallest details of your spiritual path. Ask yourself if you are being true to yourself, and if not, how to get things back on track. Why are you carrying the burdens of others? Why are you worried about whether other people think or believe the same way as you do; you are unlike anyone else and that’s worth celebrating. Are there people who have made your life difficult? Why are you allowing toxic people to influence you? And on and on until you’ve analyzed all that needs analyzing.
Take advantage of the healing energy of the full moon to recharge yourself and renew your relationship with your Gods and Goddesses, your ancestors, your spirit guides, and all of the other creatures of the realm which have made your acquaintance. Free yourself from guilt, from shame, and from and feelings of negativity toward your fellow person. Cast off the words and beliefs of another and follow your heart with all the zest and zeal you could possibly muster. It’s time to retake charge of your life and walk your own walk.
Cleansing and Clearing
As always, on the full moon we come here to release negativity; to burn that which needs burning, to choose to walk away from that which weighs heavily on our hearts, and ultimately to reduce mental clutter. We all carry weights that are easily jettisoned, if only we put some effort into the process. Examining what is weighing you down, and then determining if it is truly your problem or someone else’s problem that just seemed to stick to you. This may offer you clarity for the first time in your life, especially if you’ve never done this type of deep self-analysis. Take a few minutes and reflect.
<take a few moments, or more, to allow for the group to self-reflect>
Remember that cleansing is a personal choice and no one will judge you for releasing things, or for holding onto them. We’ve just discussed how the issues of those around us can drag us down, but some of you may need more time to reflect on that topic, and it’s highly suggested that if you feel that way, you should meditate on the subject. The decision cleanse is 100% personal and not transferable. Remember that a life filled with negativity will breed more negativity, but one filled with light, will be a shining beacon that attracts additional light.
<Offer participants pen & paper to write down anything they wish to permanently banish from their lives>
Once you are ready, please approach the fire and burn away that which no longer serves you !
<once everyone is finished, take a few moments to meditate in silence>
Cleaning and releasing are the first steps to bettering your spiritual workings. Once you’ve chose to discard the unwanted things, do not allow new or different types of negative energy to refill the spaces you’ve just created. Trade the bad for something better; something enlightening and pure, but don’t wait for it; time can be a vicious master if you allow it to. Leave here with a smile on your face, the understanding that there is more to life than just existing, and that change is always part of our lives, but also that you’ve got this! Change won’t stop you from growing. Stop sitting on the sidelines and engage with the things that take existence to living. Blessed Be!
Closing the 2021 Hunter’s Moon Circle
Spirits of the North, we bid you farewell on this glorious full moon night – we realize that not everything is what it appears to be on the surface and that even in worry, deep down we know what we need will be provided, what we seek shall be discovered, and what we desire, may not always be what we need to grow spiritually. <extinguish green candle>
Spirits of the West, we thank you in so many ways – as you leave us tonight, please leave us with open minds, open hearts and a renewed feeling of peace and the willingness to help others, but help without taking on their problems as our own. <extinguish blue candle>
Spirits of the South, we honor you for sharing your energies with us tonight – as we say farewell, we only ask that you leave us with clear vision to see through the noise of the world we are living in and the mental clarity to rise above it and stick to the path we have chosen; the path which serves our own personal growth. <extinguish red candle>
Spirits of the East, leave us in perfect harmony and balance – as the night winds carry away our emotional releases, we seek to walk away with a renewed sense of gratitude, caring, and humbleness. <extinguish yellow candle>
Great Goddess, without your light, we would never know the beauty that the world has; without your encouragement, we would never have developed and grown as a human race; without your continued guidance, we might have strayed from the path – for those things and so much more, we humbly thank you and the unconditional love shared with us this night and every night. <extinguish Goddess Candle>
The circle is open but never broken,
Merry Meet, Merry Part, And Merry Meet Again!
Huzzah!
Additional Readings
If you’d like to browse other Full Moon Rituals available, check out the Rites & Rituals Archives on The Gypsy Thread.
If you are in need of Herbs or Tinctures, please visit Sacred Herbs
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