My personal altar for Diana at last year’s August Full Moon, inspired by her Sacred Grove.
This year, 2019, the August Full Moon in Aquarius arrives on August 15th at 12:29 UTC, on a day that many also celebrate the Roman goddess/priestess Diana, or her Greek counterpart Artemis. Consider working with goddess-priestess Diana on this Full Moon; she is a strong ally to women, fertility and childbirth.
I first made a personal connection with the goddess Diana — aka Diana the Bright, and Diana Nemorenis (“Diana of Nemi”) — during a self-guided journey on an August Full Moon several years ago. At that time, I was certainly aware of her as a goddess, but really didn’t know much about the ancient practices and rituals associated with her . . . and nor had I heard of the annual Nemorenis festival — aka the Nemoralia, or Festival of Torches — that was held in her Sacred Grove at Lake Nemi and other forests and crossroads. How interesting that this was the time she chose to make a connection with me, and show me her sacred grove!
For those not familiar with Diana, last year I shared two posts on this blog which will provide more information, and one includes a card layout using Diana’s wisdom:
August Full Moon: Celebrating Diana, goddess of The Hunt & Moon
Since that initial journey and forged connection, each year on the August Full Moon I set up my altar as a “mini-grove” and honour Diana.
There are many ways we each can honour Diana at the Full Moon, on our altars and in the simplest of rituals such as:
- write your most heartfelt wishes for yourself and/or prayers for Diana on a strip of organic cloth (aka a “cloutie”) or paper and tie to a tree; your wishes are released when the cloth or paper breaks down and falls away
- ask Diana for protection for your companion animals, and all wild animals
- light a white candle for Diana on your personal altar to represent the fires and torches in her Sacred Grove, and even bring in some elements of the grove itself with boughs, leaves and tree berries as in my outdoor altar above from last year’s Full Moon ritual for Diana
- use the bowl of water representing the pond in the Sacred Grove for your release ritual: write your releases on a slip of paper and give them to the water for washing away
- add the Drawing Down the Moon ritual to your Full Moon Diana celebration