Hello and good afternoon! I hope this Monday is treating you well and that you had a restful weekend? 

I wanted to write today a little bit on how I find using candles as part of a full moon ritual (or new moon!) So I've always been intrigued by the moon and how it affects us - from our moods even to our menstrual cycle. My first tattoos were of the moons on which my children were born on - and it never fails it make me smile when they scream at the sky "my moon!" when theirs are high in the sky. It's truly amazing to me - if you're just getting started, I really recommend reading Kirsty Gallagher's book, Lunar Living! It's a super easy-to-read guide on the moons, phases and how to use them to benefit your life.

If you've followed NOULA on instagram, you'll see that we post little "moon musings" every full and new moon, with a little takeaway on how you might be feeling around that particular moon, and then you can swipe for what we suggest as a little moon ritual! Just a little disclaimer - I am in no way an astrologist, but I read up on each moon personally as a rough guide, I guess. And I figured this might be useful to someone else, so I share the info! 

So I use our NOULA candles during the full and new moons to set a mood. For example, tomorrow is a Virgo Full Moon - the last of the astrological year before Spring starts, so it feels like a bit of a life review for me! So for this full moon I'll be lighting the grounding, cosy Dark Amber & Patchouli wax melt in our temple burner (or you could opt for the candle version!) and getting out the pen and paper to figure out what I need to work on and wrap up before the new astrological new year! 

I think even if you're not big on journalling (and honestly, I can't always find the time to!) just taking 5 minutes for yourself - somewhere comfortable and quiet (or with music if that's how you relax) away from any screens. before you even settle down, the process of just lighting a candle, I find, is such an intentional act of saying "yes, this time is for me. I deserve this."

Since I've been following "lunar living" for the past three or four years, I think those biweekly check-ins with myself in alignment with the moons, has really helped! Especially when times are stressful and you're feeling like life is non-stop, I am really guilty of finding myself not being in the moment, kind of on auto-pilot and "what's next?" all the time! Carving out that little amount of time to really notice and reflect has changed my life, for sure. 

This has been a bit of a ramble, but I guess what I'm trying to get at is: make the time for yourself. And make it a moment - with candles, tea, blankets, crystals, cacao, the works! Because these are the little rituals that bring back connection.

Until next time!!

Love & light,