Cleansing Rituals & Spells for the Lunar Eclipse
Lunar eclipses are powerful events. Unlike each phase of the moon, lunar eclipses happen less often, and usually last for just a few hours. Accordingly, many lunar eclipse rituals focus on release, cleansing, and intention-setting, using the eclipse’s shadow as a way to shed old patterns and embrace new perspectives.
Here’s some insight on lunar eclipses from The Cosmic Symposium: An Astrological Journey through the Orchestra of the Planets by Aubrey Houdeshell: “Eclipses in and of themselves are portent agents of change, believed to literally and figuratively remove things from our lives that are no longer serving us…[They] have been a point of fascination across many cultures for a long, long time.”
With this in mind, here is a selection of spells and rituals to work with during the next lunar eclipse.
Eclipse Enchantment
To start, we turn to cards from Cerridwen Greenleaf’s The Practical Witch’s Spell Deck: 100 Spells For Love, Happiness, and Success.
Moon Spell: Eclipse Enchantment
When the moon passes into the earth’s shadow, a lunar eclipse takes place. These are rare occasions that make for a truly enchanted evening. I recommend you think ahead to what you want to accomplish in this phase, since an eclipse only lasts a few hours. Think about what you want brought out of the shadow and into the light: Do you need to dust off old dreams and infuse them with new energy? Do you have old hurts and wounds you need to let go of and purge from your life?This one night is perfect for the purpose of saying goodbye to the old and ushering in the new. Simply plan your magical workings to coordinate with the passing shadow. When the moon is in full eclipse, treat those few moments as if the moon were in its dark phase.
With this in mind, we pull another card from the deck, an everyday spell for casting out bad energy.
Everyday Spell: Cast Out the Bad Energy
Here is an ancient way of casting out demons and bringing good tidings for your friendships and family. Buy a big bag of dried beans and invite all your friends over. In ancient times, many pagan people believed that beans contained evil spirits.This spell is ideally performed during an eclipse, when that which is hidden is revealed. Go somewhere high in elevation and give everyone and a handful of beans. Start throwing them down, one at a time, with each toss calling out whatever you want to kiss goodbye––a job, a bad relationship, whatever your personal demons may be. After you have discarded all the discord from your life, you and your friends can celebrate the lifting of your burdens.
An Intuitive Tarot Spread
It’s always worthwhile to work with a tarot deck during a lunar eclipse. Here, we turn to The Art of Intuitive Tarot: A Deck and Guidebook for Awakening Your Inner Wisdom from Jessica Stone to help set an intention for what we wish to release during this eclipse.
First we’ll start with an intuitive preparation practice.
Before you begin your tarot practice, it’s important to create a serene and sacred area, one that honors yourself and the space you are taking for reflection and insight. This can be a spot in your home or a quiet place in nature, wherever you feel connected and at peace. Allow the stillness to settle around you, as you turn your attention inward and prepare to open the gateway to your inner wisdom. I recommend using a journal to document your insights and reflect upon your growth over the years.
Next you will want to clear your deck and align it with your energy: simply place your hands on the cards, and with intention, send love into them, infusing them with your own divine light. Alternatively, you can use sage, palo santo, crystals, or any other tool that brings you clarity to cleanse and align the deck.
Once your cards are cleansed, take a moment to center yourself. Close your eyes and take a breath. Sense your body grounding into the earth, your mind calming, and your intuition awakening. When you feel fully present, repeat to yourself:
I pull these cards with love and the highest intentions for myself and others.
Allow these words to resonate, anchoring your intention at the heart of the reading. Trust that your intuition is always present to guide you, even if the symbolism of a card isn’t immediately clear. Remember, energy doesn’t follow the linear timelines that our thinking minds often expect. Each card pulled holds meaning and is intended to be part of your reading, whether its message is understood now or later.
Do not dismiss any insight, as you are woven into the larger fabric of the universe. Every card, every message, is part of the divine flow, revealing itself in perfect timing.
You are ready to begin your intuitive tarot journey.
Now that our bodies, minds, and tarot deck are ready, we’ll do a simple one-card pull in order to intuitively find what needs to be released.
Daily Mantra Spread
Focus your mind, body, and soul on the topic at hand, immersing yourself in the energy surrounding it. As you gently run your hands over the cards, pay attention to how your intuition speaks to you. This connection can come through various forms: you may visually feel drawn to a particular card (clairvoyance), hear a subtle message or buzzing in your intuitive ear (clairaudience), sense a pull or feeling toward a card (clairsentience), or instantly know which card to choose (claircognizance).Use the message of the card that you pull as a mantra or guide, helping you align with your highest self and move forward with clear intention. This practice also strengthens your intuitive connection through the clairs, allowing you to focus on each one and trust its guidance.
Shadow Work
Lunar eclipses are the perfect time to practice shadow work. For this, we turn to a special 7-card spread from Oracle of Pluto: A 55-Card Exploration of the Undiscovered Self from Aubrey Houdeshell and Rose Ides.
The Unrecognized Self
This spread is designed to help you get in touch with your Unrecognized Self: the part of you that is asking for attention, love, and nurturing. It is the aspect of yourself that wants to be brought into the light so you can become a fuller version of yourself. This spread is designed to bring forward the two halves of yourself, and to act as a guide to bring them together.On the left side, the first card represents the nature of your Unrecognized Self. The second and third cards offer further insight into how or why this part of yourself is coming forward now.
On the right side, the first card represents the part of yourself you’re already aware of. The second and third cards also offer insight into your current state.
The final card at the bottom represents the intersection of these two sides of yourself. It is through this card that you can start to marry the two halves of your whole.
Releasing & Cleansing Spells
Since lunar eclipses are a great time to release what no longer serves us, we turn to this spell from Your Magical Life: A Young Witch’s Guide To Becoming Happy, Confident, and Powerful by Amanda Lovelace. Though technically intended for working with a full moon, it’s just as powerful during a lunar eclipse.
Releasing
Get ready to energetically release anything you don’t want to bring with you into the next moon cycle. This makes room for new manifestations to come your way.WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Scrap paper
A writing utensil
A garbage canDIRECTIONS:
Tear your scrap paper into pieces big enough to write on. On each piece, write down one of the things you’d like to release. Keywords work, too.Here comes the fun part.
When you’re finished, take those pieces of scrap paper and rip them into teeny tiny bits. As you tear up each one, say “I hereby release _______ from my life.” Say “So mote it be,” after the last one.
Where do we throw all the expired things we no longer want?
Right into the trash.
Yep, trash can be magical too.
Another great way to work with the energy of the lunar eclipse is to simply cleanse your home to banish any negative energy that might be stuck in your physical space. Both of the following cleansing rituals involve a counterclockwise motion, which in magic is used to release or banish.
Use sound—Begin ringing your bell and, as you keep ringing, walk counterclockwise (starting at each door / threshold) through your space, letting the sound cleanse all that bad stuff away. This is one of the most basic cleansing methods there is, so I think every witch should try it at least once.
(A Note from RP Mystic: We recommend using the Mini Magic Bell for this!)
Sweep—Witches can’t actually fly on brooms, but one thing we can do is magically cleanse with them. For this, I recommend buying or making a special broom known as a besom. After you’ve swept with your regular broom, walk counterclockwise around your room / space, using your special broom to sweep the air—or the energy—just above the floor. Open your door and sweep it out.
A Cleansing Bath Ritual
For this ritual, we turn to Nikki Van De Car’s Shadow Magic: Unlocking The Whole Witch Within. Though recommended for the waxing crescent moon, these practices are just as relevant for lunar eclipses, giving you the chance to do an energetic cleanse while allowing new energy to flow.
Take a cleansing bath––whether full body or just a footbath––releasing all that you’ve been carrying from the previous cycle into the water as you start fresh. You might soak in Epsom salts, adding some herbs for cleansing like mullein, chamomile, tea tree, and lemon.
You might consider journaling about what you want to invite into your life.
Practice Ujjayi Pranayama, or “ocean breath.” Inhale, then exhale as if you’re trying to fog up a mirror, making a noise. Feel that tight constriction in the back of your throat. See if you can make that same sound on your inhale––it’s supposed to be noisy! When you feel comfortable doing so, close your eyes and focus your attention until all you hear and feel is your breath. Ask yourself, what is beginning in me?
We recommend journaling and practicing ocean breath during your cleansing bath ritual.
Make A Magic Salt for Protection and Purification Spells
For this ritual, we turn to Cheese Magic: Seasonal Recipes, Plates, and Pairings by Erika Kubick for a magically charged recipe for salt.
Magic Salt
Since it holds the power to ward off spoilage, salt has become a popular ingredient in protection and purification spells. Here, it’s infused with brown sugar for attraction, paprika for passion, garlic and black pepper for protection, thyme and nutmeg for luck, cayenne and cinnamon to quicken your spell, and a bay leaf for prosperity. Use as a rub for meats, sprinkle over root vegetables before roasting, or use as a finishing salt.Makes ½ Cup
Ingredients:
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leafAdd all ingredients to a mason jar. Cover and shake to combine. Remove the lid and place the jar under the moonlight to charge. If you wish, you can speak an intention over the salt as it charges. In the morning, cover the jar and store it in a cool, dry place.
Note: You can also use this salt in magical workings. Rub a candle in a little olive oil then roll in the salt, or sprinkle a little in front of your doorway on the eve of Samhain to protect and bless your home in the year to come.
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