Ah, the Full Moon. I look forward to this each lunar month even though it is the New Moon that often resonates more strongly for me. Perhaps it’s the new moon association with deep intuitive energy that captures my imagination. Full Moons are action moons. Manifesting moons. Releasing moons. And each has a place in the lunar cycle. And this Full Moon in Leo holds the energy of Imbolg!

THE ENERGETICS

The Full Moon is a powerful time, a time of completion (at peak Yang energy) and release, as Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon, in Irish) tips energetically in her cycle from Waxing to Waning.

Some know the Full Moon in February as the Snow Moon. And yes, many of us do have snow! But it is also known as the Quickening Moon, and this is how I think of it: that magical quickening of Mama Earth, when many animals give birth, and when the seeds are starting to germinate under the winter landscape. It is a time of quickening for me too, as I align with Mama Earth’s energy and feel the rise of creativity and inspiration.

Full Moons can be a catalyst for change, action and release. And this month it is coupled with the energy of Imbolg: Early Spring, illumination, and the begining of new growth in all its forms  — birthing new ideas, projects and insights. This is a powerful time to connect to your Wise Inner Self, and to the hidden powers within.

We can look at the Full Moon from the perspective of a Wheel, similar to the Wheel of the Year or a Medicine Wheel, and map all the phases of the Moon in one complete circle. The Full Moon is in the South,  associated with the Fire Element. This is a place of passion, creativity, fertility and our ally Serpent, who shows us how to heal, to shed and to connect with our primal energy.  I normally call on the goddess Áine at the Full Moon, but this month I will turn to Brighid, to remind me to shine my light and to act from my passions.

And Leo? A fire sign (how perfect for this Fire Festival of Imbolc and the fires of Brighid!). Leo’s fire ignites our independence, confidence, willpower, leadership and courage, or as I like to call it coeur-age, as it comes from our heart (coeur, in French).

Full Moon Soul Work

How does the Full Moon, Imbolg and Brighid energy manifest in your life this week? 

• How do you feel?
• What do you sense?
• What is calling to you to manifest?
• What is calling for release?

How might this conjunction of the Full Moon with the bright energy of both Imbolg and Brighid inform your Full Moon Eclipse Soul Work?

This is a time of healing and rejuvenation, and of revelation. During your Full Moon contemplations and ritual(s), give gratitude for what you have completed and release any negative or burdensome energies to Grandmother Moon and your Goddess(es), and ask them to renew and fill your spirit again on your monthly journey.

Note in your journal, along with all that for which you are grateful.

And consider this meditation.

A Full Moon Imbolc Meditation

Many choose to focus on releasing at the Full Moon. But at this Full Moon in Imbolg, I am focusing on inspiration. It can be done any time during Imbolg season, but consider doing it during this Full Moon to ignite your inspiration even more.

This Full Moon meditation was inspired by a guided journey to Brighid’s Forge that I do each year at Imbolg, which normally takes about 30 – 45 minutes. But in this short meditation, we focus just on the questions Brighid asks us at each of her three fires, her Three Cauldrons.

BEGIN BY PREPARING YOUR SACRED SPACE

These are the steps that I take when doing journeys, rituals or sacred ceremonies. This is my way. It may not be your way, so do what feels comfortable for you to allow you to meditate comfortably and fully.  It may be as simple as sitting in a favourite spot with your journal, a cup of freshly brewed herbal tea, perhaps a candle or favourite crystal, and some inspiration music.

Cleanse your Space by smudging with mugwort or other preferred herb (either a simple wand made from a few sprigs, or dried herbs/incense in a fireproof vessel). Thyme is also a good choice: it represents courage and will support your courageous transformation. Or, choose a preferred herb that resonates with you, such as Mugwort for dreaming and visioning. Sometimes at Imbolg I use just a flower to cleanse the space, such as the tulips or pussy willows on my altar.

I like this technique: Using your smudging bundle, incense wand or flower, slowing start to trace a counter-clockwise spiral from your feet to above your head, widening the circle the higher you go. Then smudge/cleanse around the room, if indoors.

Prepare an altar, as simple or complex as you like. I set my altar with green for Brighid and Spring, although many folks use white to represent the full moon. At the Full Moon, altar candles can also be white, or red-orange-yellow candles to represent the Fire Element of Leo and Imbolg. This month I chose to use the candles to represent the directions and their Elements. To represent Brighid and Imbolg, I added a wand of pussy willows and some tulips, which remind me of Spring. You could also add three candles to represent the three fires/cauldrons of Brighid’s Forge.

TIP: If lighting candles, be sure that they are positioned safely during your meditation, and cannot be knocked over.

Create a positive intention for the ritual. It can be as simple as:

“Today I connect to my Wise Inner Self and to the goddess Brighid, for inspiration and illumination.”

Call in the Directions. I call in the four cardinal (North, East, South, West) directions as well as Above, Below and Within.

Call on your spirit allies, ancestors, goddesses. At this Full Moon, during Imbolg season, I call on Brighid.

MEDITATION AND JOURNAL PROMPTS

Look up to the Moon (if indoors, visualize the moon in your mind’s eye) and breathe in the power and cleansing energy of the Moon, and the powerful energies of Brighid and Imbolg. Feel the power of the Full Moon in Leo: illuminating, fiery, strong. Feel its light and energy flow from your head down through each of your chakras, all the way down to your feet, feeling that beautiful light fill you and support you.

Continue breathing slowly and deeply until you feel fully connected to your Wise Inner Self, and to your spiritual allies.

Now, let us invite Fire energy be our agent of alchemy, allowing us to dig deep into our Self for inspiration and transformation.

Imagine yourself at Brighid’s forge, where you can see her three fires  — her Three Cauldrons — blazing with the fires of inspiration:

The Cauldron of Warming, holding your potential, possibilities and your primal energies.

The Cauldron of Vocation, holding the passion of your heart, your skills and abilities.

The Cauldron of Wisdom, your place of vision, transcendence and spiritual energy.

Feel the light and warmth of those cauldron, connect to them and let them inspire you.

Journal Prompts

Take some time to connect to each Cauldron, and consider these questions that Brighid has for you, noting the outcomes in your journal. You may find that the answers come in different ways . . .  a sense of knowing from deep within . . . a whispered voice . . .  a vision or dream . . . a particular part of the body. Note how the answers come to you in your journal.

At the Cauldron of Warming,

• What do you see? What do you feel? What are you experiencing?
• What can you now create during Imbolc season?
• What possibilities can you now manifest in your life?

At the Cauldron of Vocation,

• What do you see? What do you feel? What are you experiencing?
• What is your path forward in this time of new beginnings? 
• What actions can you now take?

At the Caudron of Wisdom, perhaps the most important one as this cauldron holds the your gift, the medicine you carry — and share — for the world .

• What do you see? What do you feel? What are you experiencing?
• What is your medicine, your gift?
• What is the wisdom you will share with others?

Stay for a while with the three cauldrons until each one shares its wisdom in some way. Continue until you feel the process is complete. Information and inspiration may continue to flow now and later throughout the energy of the Full Moon.

Close your Sacred Space

Close the Directions in the same way you opened it, but instead of calling on each ally or direction, thank them instead, giving gratitude for what you received in this meditation.

Blow out your candles and savour the moment, and the new wisdom you have received.

And do consider how you can use this new found wisdom to birth new ideas and project during Imbolc for manifesting throughout the growing/waxing seasons for harvesting later in the year . . .  perhaps by the New Moon in Leo which this year falls on August 19th (just after Lúnasa in the Northern Hemisphere), at the time of the First Harvests.

 

Blessings on the Full Moon in Leo during Imbolc Season!