Supplies:
- Candle for each participant
- Symbol from each participant of something you’d like to grow or develop in the coming month
- Simple altar (if desired)
- Optional: bowl of water or sage for smudging/cleansing
Ritual Outline:
- Circle up outside and place hands on each other’s backs and do a “toning” (group humming) together to unify your energies and bring you into ritual space. This shared hum quite literally brings you into harmony with one another. I actually do this at every ritual I priestess because it is a very connected way of “casting the circle” with our own bodies and physical energy. We usually hum in unison three times. With kids, sometimes it is not in unison and my eyes meet my husband’s over their heads in an effort to stifle laughter at the discordant chorus we create.
- Invocation using the body (this works well for kids because it is physically involved, rather than just listening).
Leader says: Turn to the south and rub your hands together, feeling the heat generated by your own body. Fire lives in you.
All say: Welcome fire, welcome south (kids repeat with great energy and enthusiasm).
Leader says: Turn to the west and lick your lips, feeling the water of your own body and how it is connected to the waters around the world. Water lives in you.
All say: Welcome water, welcome west.
Leader says: Turn to the north and feel the strength and stability of your own body, connected to the earth. Turn to the person next to you and give them a hug, feeling their solid presence. Earth lives in you.
All say: Welcome earth, welcome north.
Leader says: Turn to the east and take a deep breath in unison, inhale, exhale, feeling the breath of life in your body. Air lives in you.
All say: Welcome air, welcome east. 
- Then, holding your candles, bathed by the full moon’s light, share your wishes and goals for the coming month as well as what you have brought to symbolize your plans for the coming moon cycle.
- Eat full moon cookies together to symbolize your commitment to your intentions.
- Offer a prayer for family togetherness. You can make this up intuitively and other members of the family can add their own lines or repeat each line after you:
May we celebrate each other’s successes. May we communicate with love and compassion. May we see and hear each other. May we work together in harmony. May love be at the center of our choices.
- Holding hands, offer thanks for participating, “may the circle be open…” We usually close with this prayer: “may goddess bless and keep us, may wisdom dwell within us, may we create peace.”
Full Moon Shortbread Cookies Recipe
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. white flour
Mix together until stiff dough forms, adding a 1-2 TB more butter if needed. Roll out and cut in full moon circles. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. You can melt chocolate chips and dip one half of some of the cookies in the chocolate to make some half moon cookies to go with your full moons.
This ceremony is partially excerpted from our ebook: Ritual Recipe Kit.
More resources for Creative Ceremony can be found here.
And, mini blessing kits can be found here.
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