How to Hold a New Moon Ceremony with Brittany Gill
Spirit Gypsy
My name is Brittany Gill, I am an intuitive life & business coach, space holder and transformational leader, as well as real life unicorn and social media goddess! Along my “spiritual journey” (I put in quotations because I believe life is a spiritual journey and there truly is no beginning or end) my mother introduced me to yoga. We went to a one off class, put ourselves into strange shapes and felt sore the next day. Little did I know that was the catalyst for a huge unfolding.
A few years went by and here I was in the middle of high school just trying to survive while figuring out who the f*** I was. I was always different - I had coloured hair, I wore weird clothes and didn’t much like other people. I was angry for being in a world that I didn’t fit into. Then, together my mum and I rediscovered yoga and started going weekly. We figured out shapes that made us feel strong and ones that tested our weaknesses. I had finally found an outlet that wasn’t self destructive and I started to dedicate myself.
It wasn’t until just beyond high school that I was invited to a yoga retreat. Three days in the mountains doing yoga, breathing fresh air and connecting with other women. I found my BLISS. The Saturday night was what had a huge, long lasting ripple effect on my life.
Here we are under a full moon, tucked away in a teepee, we moved through a powerful release ceremony. This was the first time I truly released anything or set real intentions. I remember looking at the beautiful women who led the ceremony in awe, hoping one day I could hold the same space.
We circled around a large bowl of salt, adding oils and flowers to it to symbolize our intentions, then standing, feet planted into the earth we created a web of red yarn and tied each others wrists together with a the yarn to symbolize our sisterhood. I kept my red thread on my wrist for almost a year, a symbol of my strength and I realize now, a talisman for the leadership I was about to step into.
Maybe all of this sounds a little woo-woo, but I trust if you are here and reading this you’re on the same wavelength. You’ve set intentions, you’ve manifested things into your life, and you’ve heard that little voice inside your head called intuition. We are spiritual beings, we’ve got these tools engraved into our genetic code.
Fast forward a few years and I worked up the courage to hold my very first full moon ceremony. A group of ten women, in a little space, covered in blankets. We talked about our feelings, we released old emotions and we set powerful intentions and because of the transformation that took place over just 2 hours in that little room, I’ve taken it on as my mission more than ever to connect women in ceremony and sacred space.
I have held over a hundred ceremonies in groups, personal 1-1 settings and for myself and here’s the thing: I don’t do anything special! I create and hold the space, and that’s it! Which is why I am so passionate about empowering women to create their own space and holding their own ceremonies, for themselves and their sisterhoods. So that is why I’ve created a Sacred Formula for you.
New Moon Ceremony:
You’ll need:
- Paper/journal & pen
- Comfy clothes, blankets, and pillows
- Crystals, cards, drums, or anything sacred to you to place on the altar and support you in ceremony
- A bowl & jars
- Epsom salt
- Offerings such as flowers, herbs, essential oils or essences
Optional:
- Sage and/or palo santos
- Other types of salt (Sea salt, pink salt, etc)
First, find the space…
If this is your own personal ceremony, find a room or space that you will be uninterrupted. One where you can get cozy, express yourself as needed and just be in peace. If you’re bringing together a group, open up your living room or ask a friend to open up hers. If that’s not available to you, look to a local wellness or spirituality center, or yoga studio. Again, something that is going to contain the energy, one that is welcoming and cozy and where you won’t be disturbed.
Second, set your space…
Get cozy and comfortable. Bring in pillows, blankets, yoga mats, and really settle in. If it feels good to you, smudge the room with sage, palo santos or diffuse essential oils to set the tone. Create your alter with beautiful fabrics, crystals, flowers, or any of your sacred tools like cards, drums, books.. Anything that speaks to you!
Next, invite…
This is a step to use if you’re hosting a circle, reach out to your close friends, invite them to ceremony. They will be honoured to join you and I will also be 100% honest here, there will be some resistance to getting there, but you don’t need to force it. Everyone who is meant to be there, will be and sometimes that looks like an intimate group of three of you or a larger group of twelve. Let it be what it needs too.
Now, call yourself in…
Welcome and call yourself into the circle. If this is your own personal ceremony it may look like writing in a journal, “I am here, holding myself in ceremony to receive ______” Express why you’re there and why you felt called, and what your intention is overall. In a group, you have the opportunity to introduce yourself, set the energy and find the theme. What called you to be there, what are you working with lately, who are you and who are you becoming.
The next step is to clear & release…
This is a great time to use your physical tools, smudge yourself and the group, apply releasing oils like lemongrass, take deep belly breaths, use your drum, rattles or singing bowls or tap your hands over your heart to release energy. You might start by writing in your journal, “I am releasing ______” (Anger, fear, shame, guilt, obligations or expectations, etc) This is the place you get to express your obstacles, blocks and clear space for new intentions, so get honest and only release what you are ready to let go of. For example, you may not be ready to fully let go of a childhood trauma, but you may be ready to start talking about it and working through layers of it. Make space in your circle for open and safe sharing, with lots of deep breaths in between shares.
Engage…
It may feel natural to want to move, dance, sing, drum, meditate, cry, laugh, play. Let your intuition be the guide and your body do the talking. You may need space to yell, scream and cry and likewise, your body may be calling for physical movement, whatever it is, do it. Your body knows how to heal.
Lastly, set your intentions and close the circle…
In the middle of your circle or in front of you, have a bowl filled with epsom salts. Grab your flowers, herbs, or oils and infuse them with your new intentions. Keep your heart open to all possibilities! Stir up the salts, and make sure to get your hands and mix it. Really infuse your energy into it. Now, each woman can fill her jar with the salts, and use this at home to soak in and really ground into the intentions. To close the circle it may look like a group hug, a single Ohm, a song or meditation- let your intuition guide you to what is needed.
You will leave feeling renewed, energized, and full of new life!
Ceremony is a beautiful place for us to connect openly, honestly, and authentically and for many of us, this is the only place we’re truly able to do so. So, I invite you to hold the space for yourself and hold the space for your sisterhood when you feel ready. It doesn’t need to be perfect and remember, you are never alone, you Higher Self is always with you.
