These Full Pink Moon rituals will help you love others—and yourself

This coming Friday, April 19th, the Full Pink Moon will peak at 7:12 a.m. EST. Although it’s the first non-supermoon we’ve had this year, it’s still packed with some serious power that you can put to good use. Tidy up your altar or find a quiet space to practice, and prepare to be dazzled by the Pink Moon’s positive vibes.

The beauty—or, perhaps, bane—of the full moon is that we can usually feel its effects the week leading up to and the week after it. Some of us are skilled at putting that frazzled energy to good use: channeling it into our passion projects; using it to meditate on the things we wish to accomplish; and taking the time to reflect and improve on the past month.

However, the full moon is also known to cause a bit of chaos. People often feel on edge, communication can be whacky, and emotions seem to run high. There’s really no scientific evidence to back up the claims that the full moon has a physical and emotional pull on human beings. But, ahem, we’re pretty convinced that it does, based on our own life experience.

If you’re determined to harness the full moon’s energy for good, then check out the rituals we’ve listed below.

Prepare an amulet for friendship.

The old saying April showers bring May flowers certainly rings true. The prevalence of water this time of year is strongly connected to human emotions and feelings, which is why now is a perfect time to reflect on your friendships.

As Natalie Zaman writes in Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2019, April’s Pink Moon presents a wonderful opportunity to meditate on friendship. She recounts a folk tale about how Sun and Moon, husband and wife, invited their friend Water into their home. But Water flooded the entire house and garden, so Sun and Moon retreated to the sky, giving Water her space.

Like Sun and Moon did for Water, prepare a “house” for your friendship amulet; a glass jar that allows the moonlight in would work great. Place a moonstone and a sunstone inside the house and then fill the container with water. Put the house outside under the Full Pink Moon and bless the stones, saying:

To the Moon and back again,

For you, dear friend, anything.

Keep one stone for yourself, and give the other to a friend as a sign of your lasting friendship and sacred connection.

Harness your inner Libra and prepare to move into Scorpio.

On the 19th, the moon will be moving from Libra into Scorpio, meaning you can harness the energy of one or both zodiac signs and put them to good use.

When the moon is in Libra, the sign represented by the scales, you may feel the need to seek balance in your life, be it between your work and social life or your romantic relationships and friendships. During the full moon, try to recognize Libra’s shortcomings—the sign’s tendency to be wishy-washy, hesitant, and a people-pleaser. If you’ve been straddling an idea or fearing a potential wrong decision, take the opportunity during the full moon to finally take a leap of faith and trust you’ll be able to work out the kinks later on.

As the full moon begins to wane from its peak, it enters Scorpio, the sign of passion, intimacy, and mystery. While the moon is in Scorpio, dig deep into your emotions and pull what’s bothering you to the surface. Then, take care of that bothersome thing—journal about it, talk about it with friends and family, or physically bury it in the ground (write it on paper and place it in the garden) to symbolically lay it to rest.

Then, as Annie from the Cosmic Kundalini writes, “Take some time to give yourself some self-love in a way that doesn’t waste your time, money, or energy. There are many ways to do this: take a candlelit bath; give yourself a massage with oils; practice a nice restorative yoga flow; enjoy a night of chocolate eating and book reading. But whatever you do, do it with intention. Ask yourself, ‘Is this for my lower self or my higher self?'”

Prepare for Beltane.

In the Wiccan and Pagan religions, Beltane is the fifth season of the year and the official start of summer. Beltane is usually celebrated on April 30th or May 1st, however, because the Full Pink Moon is the first full moon before the holiday, you can take this time to prepare for your celebrations.

In The Provenance Press Guide to the Wiccan Year, Judy Ann Knock reminds us that Beltane celebrations revolve around the union of the goddess and god, and the passion, fertility, and love this union represents. Traditionally, celebrants of Beltane extinguished their hearth fires on Beltane eve and then relit them in a communal bonfire atop a hill. Not only was this a symbolic action, but it was also necessary to burn the old brush before replanting the summer crops.

On the day of the Full Pink Moon, retreat to the nearest wooded area to gather kindling for your own Beltane fire. Doing so now will give it plenty of time to dry out before the holiday arrives. You may also be interested in crafting a maypole for the upcoming festivities. The maypole is traditionally a phallic symbol, representing fertility, but it’s now seen as a fun, childlike activity rather than anything sexual. There are several tutorials online showing how to make a simple maypole, perfect for small gatherings.

Even if you don’t have the time to do one of the above rituals, we recommended at least pouring yourself a glass of rosé and buying yourself a pink-frosted cupcake to get into the spirit of the Pink Moon.