The 2023 Full Snow Moon, will be at it’s peak at 11:29 AM, MST on the 5th of February. With most of North America usually covered in snow, the naming of the February full moon is spot on. Of all the month’s February seems to have more names than any of the other full moons. Many are connected to the animal world, such as the Bear Moon, Racoon Moon, Suckerfish Moon, Goose Moon, Bald Eagle Moon, and Groundhog Moon. Names connected to the weather are Storm Moon, Snow Blinding Moon, Shoulder to Shoulder Around the Fire Moon, and Ice Moon. It was also referred to as the Great Moon.
With heavy snow fall and much of the world still in the grasp of difficult times, names like Storm Moon, Bone Moon, Famine Moon, Bony Moon, and Hunger or Hungry Moon were common across many Native American Tribes. The Hopi tribe, which was spared of the agonies of winter weather due to their geographic location, deep in the American Southwest calls it the Moon of Purification or Moon of Renewal.
Today we face many of the same weather-related problems as those who walked these lands, long ago. Snow and ice, often accompanied by bitter cold, make it hard for many of us to leave the comfort of our heated homes. In support of that thought, this Full Cold Moon Ritual is written to be done indoors. That doesn’t mean is has to be done indoors. If you have the heartiness and enjoy the cold, get outside and be one with the elements.
It’s important to use this full moon celebration to gather together and network, even if the participants have different beliefs, remember that the lunar energy is the focus. I’ve led hundreds of rituals and the groups have come from the most diverse backgrounds, and not a single one ended up in a disagreement. Everyone is welcome to partake of the energy the universe provides; it’s free and always open. So many times today, we see people self-segregating, building silos, while creating classes and labels. We make viewpoints into weapons, and opinions drive division. Instead of allowing our differences to divide us, it’s time to use those differences to strengthen our resolve, open our minds, and help sow the seed of unity.
Full Snow Moon Ritual Circle
Since this ritual is written for an inside presentation, have everyone in attendance gather near a window or other place where the full snow moon can be seen, prior to the start. Take a few minutes to meditate and allow the lunar energy to make a connection with everyone. Open a window, just enough to allow air to move through the crack. If you’re outside, Dress warm, cast your circle around a generous bonfire, and enjoy. You may choose to include candles as part of the opening and closing of the circle. If you do, its yellow for the east, red for the south, blue for the west, and green for the north. This ritual has a place to include your Gods and Goddesses in the ceremony. Skip those sections if you don’t feel they fit your beliefs. If and how you honor your Gods and Goddesses is a very important and personal decision. If you find yourself uncertain on how to proceed, surrender your decisions to the powerful lunar energy. Let it guide you.
Opening the Circle
A circle round, from sky to ground, blessed light, a full moon night – My words are spoken, this circle open, a sacred space, a gathering place. There is no future, there is no past, in lunar light, our spells are cast. Join me in this time of sacred magick!
East
Whisper in the east, and have faith that the great spirits of Air will carry your words throughout the land. The wind teaches a great lesson, for it has no mouth, but can speak. It has no limbs, but can wrap itself around you. It is invisible, but can wear the cloak of nature at will. Questioning it will yield no answer, but trusting the wind will bring reward.
South
Feeding the flames will bring you closer to the heat, yet overindulgence will drive you away. The Fire spirits of the south display one of the great paradoxes of the universe, but one which the wise soul can gain the wisdom of balance. Creation and destruction chase at one another’s tail in the great circle of life. If we do not interfere, the circle continues, yet when we try to control either aspect, chaos reigns.
West
All things are connected by Water. If we look to the west and surrender our thoughts to the great workings of the universe, we can see the vapor that binds the cosmos, the ice that bridges the masses, and the liquid that mingles among the molecules in between. Reject the notion that form makes things what they are and instead place your trust in the guidance of the spirit.
North
We look to the north to seek council with the great spirits of Earth, for the world has the knowledge of millions of years. Lives come and lives go, but the mountain is infinite and carries the memories and dreams of a thousand generations. Touch the ground and you shall feel the energy of eternity pass into your fingertips. Give back and you shall unlock the door to something beyond your imagination.
Gods & Goddesses
Blessed are those who pledge their lives to honor their chosen Gods and Goddesses. May they be rewarded with a thousand fold of protection and care in return. For faith itself, creates strength of character and dedication to one’s chosen path. Without faith, we are but empty vessels, lost without compass or map. When we offer the best of ourselves, we open the gateway to a higher level of vibration.
Introduction
The full snow moon carries the cautionary message of being preparedness; being ready for whatever happens across our path. Yet, it also provides the means to arms ourselves against those things which attempt to control us. The powerful lunar energy is a gift that has no rival and yet comes with no price tag. It provides a gateway to clarity, an awakening of the senses, and fills our bodies and our magickal tools with a great and robust charge of energy. When the moon is full, the pull is so strong, that it can be felt across the globe, quite literally calling each of us to reach higher, expand our knowledge, and be the greatest version of ourselves as possible. Simultaneously, the powerful energy provides us with the strength to drive out the tendrils of negativity which try to infiltrate our essence.
The Deep Dark Winter Remains
The Solstice has passed and the days are slowly growing longer, yet the frigid grip of winter continues, making its final stand in a violent upheaval of snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures. It taunts us with angry winds, and teases us with a few precious rays of sun at midday. Like a petulant child, it refuses to bend to springtime without one final outburst. But as with all tantrums, this too shall pass and the days will grow warm, the ice will melt, and life will emerge from it’s great hibernation.
The Full Snow Moon is a time of contemplation and preparation, for soon the soil will call our hands to plant and the forest will beckon us to forage. Clarity and awareness are two integral parts of moving from one season to the next, for important decisions need to be made, commitments engaged, and lots cast. It is wise to first cleanse your spirit of those things which no longer serve your greatest and highest self. Some may be mundane thoughts such as the weight of winter often breeds, yet others may be deeply rooted feelings of darkness. still others may be the sharpened claws of evil, long since dug into your very fabric of being. Regardless of the degree, negativity is still negativity, and it must be banished from your spirit.
If it’s been said once, it’s been said a thousand times. Freeing oneself from negativity is not an east task, in fact it may be one of the toughest battles we face in this lifetime. As humans, we avoid conflict whenever possible. Sometimes its a matter of self-preservation, at other times it may be just to keep the peace. We’d rather bury a problem than face the consequences of it rising into the light. And in the process, we open the gates for more negativity to grow the pile. Hate, resentment, jealousy, and other destructive things fester and grow, their roots often attached to the original problem that we chose to bury. We begin to feel desperate, sad, and depressed as the cloud continues to grow unchecked. But do not surrender to the darkness of negativity! There is hope and it can be found in the powerful energy of the full snow moon.
Cleansing and Clearing Negative Energy
The Full Snow Moon provides the energy, but it is up to us to use that energy to fuel our courage and overcome the chains of negativity. Energy is neither good nor bad, by nature. It’s fuel, a catalyst, a spark that can be directed by our intention into a great cleansing fire. A fire which can burn away that which no longer serves us, stripping away the things that are feeding on our spirit. The lunar energy cannot make the choices for us, that decision wrests solely with each of us.
The act of releasing negative energy is the same as conjuring or casting a spell. We gather strength, then channel it with our intention, to bring a change to ourselves. We choose to banish that which no longer serves our needs, weighs us down, or plays games with our emotional well being. It is up to you to cast this spell, to gather the energy and commit your intention to clearing your own mind, body and soul. Summon your power, use your strength, and take the step forward!
What are your burdens? Who is trying to control you? Where are your travels taking you and what are your bringing home in return? What weighs upon your soul? Are you held back by trauma; harboring a deep secret from ages ago, that continues to destroy your well-being? Are you allowing others to use you? Are you afraid? What have you internalized? Are you your own worst enemy? These are just a few of the hard questions we can ask ourselves to get to the heart of the matter. Once you say their names, you start the process of shedding. You may not be ready to release them tonight, but you have taken that first critical step. Each full moon will add to your power, and when it reaches an apex, you will be able to release that weight.
Now, I call upon each of you to focus on those things which no longer serve you and you are committed to banishing from your life, forever. Write them down and tear that list into tiny pieces, then cast the pieces in the air! Shout, “I give up freely that which is no longer serving me,” as many times as necessary. As the shreds slowly drift to the ground, the surrounding air will lift the negativity, pulling it away through the open window.
As you release, you’ll feel a great weight lifted. A new energy will course through body and you’ll feel an overwhelming feeling of freshness, as if you’ve just been reborn, free of the heaviness of negativity. Often after releasing something very old or very entrenched, you might feel overwhelmed by uncertainty or fear but do not despair, you have done the right thing. Taking the first step is always scary, even for the strongest of us. Do not allow those aftermath feelings consume you. Now is the time to fill those new, open spaces, where negativity once resided, with positivity. Talk with those you trust, rebuild your confidence in your own decisions, study the ways of your path and your ancestors. Find your tribe and lean on them for support!
Full Moon Magick
The full moon provides us with many opportunities other than individual cleansing and clearing. It’s the best time of the month to cast spells, make potions, and enjoy life. Tonight we’re going to cast a simple protection spell on an object, to keep the negativity we just banished, from reattaching itself.
Sit in a circle, have everyone put their chosen object in the center, join hands and do not release until the end. Stay focused throughout and do not avert your gaze from the objects. Do not be distracted by the outside world. Remember, intention is the key
Have everyone ground themselves, start by taking long, deep relaxing breaths. Inhale slowly and deliberately, do the same as you exhale. Pull the powerful lunar energy into your body with each breath. Feel it move down through your chest and into your extremities. As you pull in lunar energy from above, the grounding energy of the earth will naturally be drawn up to meet it. Feel the wave of the two energy streams crash into one another with a glorious crescendo. With each breath you’ll feel the energies mingle and grow within you. When it has filled every pore of your very being, you’ll feel it move through your arms and connect with the hands of the ones beside you. Keep breathing, the energy will pulsate and flow through the group, forming a single great sphere.
Now focus your intention and direct that collective energy into the center of the circle, directly into the objects, while repeating this incantation seven times in unison.
Sacred light, full moon night, power gifted to my sight. Make a connection, under my direction, infuse these objects with your protection!
Continue breathing for several minutes, and when ready, everyone release their hands at the same time.
Retrieve your object, knowing the powerful energy of the full snow moon, goes with you.
Closing the Full Snow Moon Circle
North
Our resolved strengthened and the fresh feeling of rebirth will carry us forward into the coming change of season. By focusing on our spiritual growth, we shall reach new heights, rising to the next plain of our existence and new wonders of the universe.
West
Transition is a reaction to outside forces. We must bend when obstacles block our path, change forms when the heat becomes unbearable, and stand firm when faced with an unruly foe. Carry this lesson at all times, and let it guide you along your chosen path.
South
Balance is always the goal. One step too far and the scales may tip, sending us careening into the great abyss. But remember, the sin of excess is no worse than the sin of starvation; neither support the long-term well being of the body.
East
A message needs a messenger. Yet the messenger must strive to avoid becoming the message themselves. When we stay anchored to the principles of humbleness, we can see the lights of everyone around us shine with a great intensity.
Closing Prayer
We gather our strength from many sources. Our Gods and Goddesses, the powerful lunar energy, and the grounding energy of the very earth itself, all combine to provide each of us with all the tools necessary to rise to heights unseen. For each and all, I ask for blessings, fortitude, and the love and compassion that brings us together. We are stronger together and our bonds forever. Go now in peace. This circle is open, but the connections not broken.
Additional Reading
Candle Colors and their Magickal Meanings
Other Writings, Poetry, and Stories
- Midsummer Celebrations Across the World - May 6, 2026
- Lughnasadh or Lammas – What is the Difference? - April 13, 2026
- Beltane: The Fire Festival of Sovereignty, Fertility, and Living Flame - April 13, 2026
