Blog - Jenny Heston

Mabon Apple Magick!

The autumn equinox is a powerful time to cultivate balance, and as it is the second harvest before the fallow period of winter, it is an especially potent time to balance what we take in or harvest versus what we release.

What you will need:

Your Intention.
An apple.

Slice an apple in half (not through the stem end) to reveal the five-pointed star inside, a powerful symbol of balance among the elements.

Choose one half to represent what you wish to harvest; the other half will represent what you wish to release.

Hold the releasing half of the apple in your hands and bring to mind the situations, thoughts, etc., that no longer serve you.

Send them into the apple, then compost or bury it, giving thanks for this process of release.

Hold the other half while you bring to mind all that you wish to welcome into your life, sending it into the apple. Then eat the apple, giving thanks for this bountiful harvest.

Super easy, super powerful if your intention is there, and fun to do with kids!

Harvest Full Moon and Ritual.

Jenny Heston · 9:16 am ·

This Saturday, September 10th we welcome in the Harvest Moon or the Corn Moon, which is in the sign of Pisces. This is the Full Moon that is closest to the Equinox (which is September 22nd).

Each Full Moon brings with it the energy of the astrological sign that it is in. However, I will be very clear here – I am not an Astrologer! I use astrology in my own life and with clients, but if you asked me to decipher your transits and all that, I would look at you as if you were bonkers!

(Although I can recommend some incredible astrologers to you, who make sense of it all).

Thus, I often bring the Seasonal Lens to my Moon work.

What does that mean?

For me, it’s more about where a moon falls on the wheel of the year.

Each moon cycle has a distinct natural energy. So when I talk about the moon cycles it’s all about the seasonal energy each moon holds, as well as some of the astrological energy.

Ask yourself – what is nature doing around you right now?

How does that make you feel?

Is nature stretching & growing or are things drawing inward?

Because if we are honest and tuned in, whatever’s happening in nature is happening within each of us too! And you can see the personal growth work you’re experiencing simply by watching what’s happening in nature.

The spiritual meaning of this glorious Harvest Moon is one of balance and abundance. It’s a time to honor and appreciate your home; a time for reflection and gratitude.

We are beginning to turn inward during this time of balance; as is the natural world around us. We feel the coming of the darkness and are pulled towards our spiritual side in a new way.

Now is a lovely time to realign with your spirit, soul, and Self.

So let’s create a ritual that embodies gratitude, the abundance of the harvest season and the release of summer.

Remember the steps for creating your own ritual.

What you will need:

A pen
A piece of paper
A candle
Matches or a lighter
A fireproof container, bowl or cauldron
A large jar filled with water (with a lid)
A crystal that resonates for your intention.

On the night of the full moon write down an aspect of yourself or your life that you need to surrender on a piece of paper or something/someone you need to forgive. Remember, forgiveness is a super power!

For example, you might write “I let go of my shame,” “I let go of my perfectionism,” “I let go of the friends that do not support my highest good,” “I let go of my past,” “I let go of my self-destructive tendencies,” etc.

Prepare a fireproof bowl, container or cauldron and place it in your sacred space.

Open your full moon ritual by visualizing the light of the moon encircling you.

Smudge and cleanse.

When you are ready, begin to burn your piece of paper over your fireproof container. Watch as the paper curls up into ash. You may like to say within your mind or out loud “I release this, back to whence it came to be transmuted and transformed and so it is. “

When the paper has turned completely to ash, scatter the ash to the wind. Alternatively, you can bury the ash. When you are finished, say within or out loud “it is done, it is done, it is done.”

(Note: if you are burning paper indoors, please ensure you practice caution and common-sense.)

Now take your jar, fill it with water, pop your crystal in it (please make sure that your crystal is consumable and will not dissolve in water.)

Pop a lid on your jar and find a place where it can bathe in moonlight.

If you can sit in the moonlight with your jar, all the better.

Hold your jar between your hands and pour in all your gratitude. What are you grateful for? Who are you grateful for? What makes you feel splendiferous? Whisper those into your jar.

Then hold it between your hands close to your heart and say out loud:

“As I sit beneath the Full Moon tonight,

I’m filled with an illuminating and positive light,

I am grateful for_______ and __________,

I honor these last days of summer and warmth,

May this next season bring love, growth, and joy,

to myself and those I love.”

Then leave your moon water to bathe overnight and all your gratitude wishes to be infused with the Divine Feminine of the Moon Goddess.

What does the Full Moon Symbolise?

Jenny Heston · 5:33 am ·

The full moon has been spoken and written about for millennia across many cultures.

The Chinese, for example, associate the full moon with the essence of yin (female energy). Buddhists, on the other hand, see the full moon as symbolising spiritual power (as Buddha supposedly gained his enlightenment on a night of the full moon) and many sacred festivals are held during the full moon.

In secular folklore, the full moon has been associated with lunacy (madness), insomnia, and psychological disturbances – hence the term “lunatic” (which derives from the Latin word ‘lunaticus’ which means moon-struck).

In astrology, the full moon is a peak of energy that highlights opposing polarities and forces in your life. It is also a time of harvest (or reaping what you have sown).

The full moon is a time where one’s psychic energy increases, and powerful intentions, spells, and rituals can be practised. The full moon also represents the mother aspect of the divine feminine.

When the Moon and Sun are in opposition, the Sun is so far away from the moon that the full face of our nightly companion is lit up. Perhaps distance does make the heart grow fonder!

The Full Moon embodies self-expression and action! It represents completion, illumination and celebration.

This is the apex of Moon phases, the mountain peak. We have travelled far, and now is the time to rest, and look back on our accomplishments, or at what we have left behind, as the case may be.

How much have you grown this past month, honour the small and large victories. What questions arose this past month, or need to be illuminated further? What losses need to be honoured? What do you need to Forgive?

Is it time to let go and move on, or should you build a shrine to remind us for a time of what is now in the afterworld?

Our emotions and even physical body are heightened during this phase of the Moon. Listen to the needs of your body and mind.

The opposing energy of the Sun (ego, or self) and the Moon (inner-self, subconscious) can cause tension or even explosions of emotions. Because of this tension, this is a great time to express yourself creatively, and your rituals can reflect this.

When we boil down the symbolic meaning of the full moon, however, the themes of amplification, subconscious power, release and illumination continually arise.

But then how do I do I Full Moon Ritual that resonates for me is a question I hear a lot.

Come explore……

What is a Full Moon Ritual and How to Create Your Very Own.

Jenny Heston · 5:55 am ·

The most important thing you need to know about the power of the full moon ritual is that it utilises four essential elements of any transformative spiritual practice: willpower, intention, symbolism, and ritual.

These four elements have a truly electric and intense impact on the unconscious mind. The whole point of a full moon ritual is to generate deep change within the nether regions of your mind, aka your unconscious.

The unconscious mind is the realm of potential, the space in which your soul emerges, and the doorway to Spirit (or the Collective Unconscious). By doing a full moon ritual, you are stepping into your personal power and actively petitioning and preparing your unconscious mind for transformation.

In other words, there is so much more to full moon rituals than pretty candles or crystals – it’s ultimate purpose is genuine spiritual and psychological change.

Now with all that being said, if “creating a Full Moon ritual” feels too much, or you have no interest in doing one. Then don’t.

The world will not come tumbling to an end because you didn’t, nobody is going to knock on your door and ask to see your Moon Journal…….

However, I do encourage you to try working with Moon energy (New and Full) for at least 4 months. What have you got to lose?

As you will often hear me saying – it has to resonate for you and your intention for your ritual is EVERYTHING!

How to Create Your Own Full Moon Ritual.

Okay, you’ve come this far and have decided okay maybe I want to test out this Full Moon thing. After all, if the Moon can move the tides which are water and me being human is composed mainly of water…. Let’s give it a shot.

Fabulous!

Let me give you the nitty gritty basics. A Full Moon Ritual consists of 4 main parts.

Eye of bat, tongue of newt, the tailfeather of a hawk and a glob of spit! (I am so joking here!!)

The best thing about making your own 100% tailored-to-you full moon ritual is that it works around your needs, daily schedule, interests, and the current objects you have on hand.

You don’t need to go out and buy a load of metaphysical paraphernalia to enact a powerful full moon ritual nor do you need to make it Instagram-worthy.

What you do need to do is:

1. Checking when the Full Moon is.

You can use a Full Moon app, Google, or whatever. Ask yourself if you want to work with the Moon astrologically (in otherwords what sign it’s in), seasonally, or just as she comes.

2. Think about what you would like amplified or illuminated within you.

Are there problems that are niggling away at you? What shadows need to come to light? What archetypes would you like to embody? What do you need to let go of? What skills or inner resources do you need to draw on? Reflect on these questions or journal about them. What are your desired outcomes? What is the reason behind your full moon ritual?

3. Shape your Intention

Once you have completed the previous step (which hopefully won’t take too long), it’s time to set an intention which basically means a goal or objective.

What do you want to achieve? What will be the purpose of your full moon ritual? Write out your full moon intention in your journal or a piece of paper that you can keep and reflect on. This is why in the New Moon piece I recommend having a Moon journal. As then you are able to reflect and see the progress and changes you have experienced, that you may have forgotten.

4. Prepare some symbolic objects

Whether on the day/night of the full moon or beforehand, select some symbolic objects that could represent your issue, desire, yourself as a whole, your current place in life, what you need to let go of, your strengths, weaknesses, what needs to be illuminated … you get the picture.

Basically, choose any object currently in your house that represents the part of you or your situation that needs to be amplified or illuminated.

Examples of symbolic objects could include rocks, feathers, flowers, dolls, crystals, cards, figurines, herbs, stamps, old jewellery – literally anything that you feel represents your issue or desire accurately.

And if you don’t have any around you, don’t worry, grab a candle, your favourite crystal or whatever you would like to have with you.

5. Create a Sacred Space for yourself and give it a Cleanse.

Create a space specifically to your ritual that is undisturbed.

You may already have an altar somewhere in your house, and if so, that is perfect. If you don’t find a place in your home, garden, the woods that feels right for you. Remember ritual doesn’t have to go on for hours, it can be 10 – 15 minutes long.

When you have your space give it a nice cleanse. You can use smudge, incense, singing bowls, hand clapping to clear out the energetic debris. Whatever you choose, it’s important that your unconscious mind symbolically registers that the space you’re preparing is sacred and important.

This is time for you and the Moon.

6. Perform your Full Moon ritual

You don’t need to spend hours doing an elaborate ritual. Even just a couple of minutes can be enough to create and evoke a strong message within your unconscious mind.

With your symbolic objects at hand, arrange them in a way that feels powerful to you.

You could arrange them according to your desires, e.g. you could place two symbolic objects together symbolising a union.

You could arrange your objects according to a symbol, e.g. a circle representing wholeness or completing.

You could burn one of the objects or submerge it in a bowl of water representing letting go. (I’m a huge fan of burning things!)

You could place an object on your body and symbolically ‘breathe’ it in.

You could consume one of the objects (if it’s edible and non-toxic) to symbolise empowerment, strength, and renewal. This is your ritual and there are no rules!

7. Symbolically close your ritual

No matter how you choose to design your ritual, always symbolically close/end it.

Your unconscious mind needs to understand that the ritual is over (think of closing your ritual as hitting the “send” button).

Leaving the ritual open without intentionally closing it sends confusing signals to your unconscious mind.

Closing your ritual is simple. Once again, close it however you intuitively feel is the right way. Examples may include ringing a bell, saying a prayer of thanks, chanting, saying a phrase like “so may it be,” and so forth.

The important thing is there is no perfect right way to create a Full Moon ritual (and if anyone tells you that, please run!). Your intention, attention and time are the most important pieces.

Remember where your intention goes, your energy flows and so calling on the Moon energy to amplify and support you is delicious (and most certainly start keeping a Moon journal!)

Let’s see what the Harvest Moon ritual looks like.

Full Moon Energy.

Jenny Heston · 5:30 pm ·

What is the Spiritual meaning of a Full Moon?

There is no one answer to this question, as the full moon carries different meanings for different people.

The moon is such a powerful presence in our lives, pulling on the oceans tides and creating a rhythm of life for all of us. There was a time when we were deeply connected to these rhythms, but, over time, technology and our modern culture has separated us from those celestial vibes.

Aligning yourself with the cycles of nature as a practice can be exceptionally transformative and tapping into the energy phases of the moon is a good place to start.

However, in general, the full moon can be seen as a time of culmination and release.

It is a time when things brewing under the surface come to light, and it is also a time when we can let go of the things that are no longer serving us.

Since ancient times, the moon has come to symbolically embody the realm of the subconscious, emotions, intuition, and the cycles of life and death.

You don’t necessarily need to identify as a pagan or practice other earth-centered spiritual paths to benefit from the power of full moon rituals.

When viewed through a symbolic, psychospiritual, archetypal, or even purely energetic lens, the moon is a very real presence in our lives that can help orient us on the spiritual path.

No matter where you live in the world, the moon is an omnipresent force in your life.

Why not use it in your spiritual practice?

It is hard to see what lies ahead when we are in the dark.

The bright shining moon helps guide our way forward like a lighthouse at sea. It’s encouraging us on our journey towards self-discovery and providing illuminating light that allows hidden aspects to emerge.

The glow of the full moon is a time to reflect and heal. This is where understanding how to create a Full Moon Ritual and what the Full Moon symbolises is very helpful and will expand your experience.

The Full Moon helps us gain strength and reach our goals successfully. During the full moon phase, emotions are more intense, bringing up feelings about past events and healing old wounds.

But what does the Full Moon Symbolise for me and how can I work with it?