15 Full Moon Rituals To Try Yourself + Tips To Make Them More Effective, From Experts

The full moon rolls around once every 28 days, bringing with it a hefty dose of energy, as the peak of the lunar cycle. As the moon illuminates the night sky, it's also a great time to turn inward and do some intentional practices to work with the moon's energy—and that's where full moon rituals come in.

Full moons represent a time of culmination and fruition, energetically speaking, while new moons are all about setting intentions to build up to the full moon.

Once the moon reaches its full peak, all that energy has built up over two weeks since the new moon. And then, of course, the moon begins to wane until it is new once again, and the cycle continues.

"When the moon is completely full, it's a spiritual and energetic pinnacle of whatever you started when the sun and the moon united at the new moon," the AstroTwins explain.

And depending on what astrological sign the moon is in (and where it lands in your birth chart), the full moon can impact us differently every time it comes around.

If you've ever felt like full moons disrupt your sleep or cause you to feel a bit frantic, you wouldn't be alone.

In fact, one study published in the journal Current Biology1 discovered it took people longer to fall asleep as the full moon approached. And on the night of the full moon, they spent 30% less time in deep sleep, had lower melatonin levels, and slept for 20 fewer minutes, on average.

As author of Inner Witch Gabriela Herstik puts it, "It's like you're plugging into the energetic outlet of the universe" around the full moon. "It's a very intense time. The moon teaches us about how things transform, and the full moon is the peak," she adds.

"I personally love a full moon bath," Herstik tells mindbodygreen, adding, "You can light candles that correlate to the colors of the sign the moon is in," she adds (i.e., Taurus is associated with green—peep the rest of the zodiac color palette here). And as the AstroTwins previously explained to mindbodygreen, submerging yourself in water is a great way to connect with lunar energy.

Because full moons are a powerful time for divination, Herstik recommends tapping into your own intuition with an oracle or tarot reading. Grab your favorite deck, ask the cards your questions, and pull as many cards as you like.

Herstik and the twins both note that the full moon is a great time for meditating, especially on specific intentions you're working with. "You can do a full moon meditation before any of your rituals to set up the right mindset and align yourself with what you want to accomplish," the twins add.

No matter what you're looking to manifest, the full moon can help expedite the process, according to the twins. "A simple manifestation ritual can solidify your full moon intentions and help you bring things to fruition," they say.

Once the full moon reaches its peak, it then begins to wane back to the new moon. As such, full moons are often associated with release and letting go of what doesn't serve you. To tap into this energy, Herstik recommends doing a releasing ritual—and it doesn't have to be anything elaborate.

If you're looking for something straightforward, Herstik tells mindbodygreen the full moon is also a great time to do some journaling.

While you can write about anything you want, you can make your journaling sesh particularly potent for the full moon by thinking about themes of release and manifestation.

What better way to soak up the full moon than by simply basking in its rays? Herstik says spending time outside under the full moon connects you to nature and the moon itself, and you can incorporate other rituals into your outing as well.

As astrology expert and author of Astrology SOS Imani Quinn tells mindbodygreen, tending to your plants is a great way to work with the lunar cycle.

You read that right! Cleaning can indeed be a ritual, when done with mindfulness and the intention to refresh the energy of your home. As Quinn tells mindbodygreen, cleaning can also be literal or more energetic.

For instance, she adds, you could do some smudging with herbs around your home to clear out any stagnant energy, or you could take the more practical route and clear out your closet.

The lunar cycle is 28 days from one full moon to the next, but these lunar cycles also relate to larger cycles that last all year.

For example, every Aries season, there is an Aries new moon, and two weeks later, a full moon in Libra, Aries' opposite sign. Then, come Libra season six months later, there is a Libra new moon and an Aries full moon.

Just as the full moon will always be in one specific zodiac sign, it will also land in one of 12 "houses" in your astrological birth chart.

Pull up your birth chart, and then look up which zodiac sign the full moon is in. For example, let's say the full moon is in Taurus.

You would look at your birth chart for the Taurus symbol and figure out which 30-degree portion of the chart is under Taurus. (Hint: Your rising sign starts at your first house where 9 o'clock on a clock would be, and the signs go around counterclockwise in astrological order from there.)

If you were a Gemini rising, for example, the full moon in Taurus would be in your 12th house, versus a Scorpio rising, for whom a Taurus full moon would land in their seventh house.