L&P Lesson 7 – The Full Moon Altar for Prosperity
Lesson 7
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You can create a Full Moon Altar to access the abundant, potent energies available at the time of the full moon, drawing to you whatever you want to acknowledge and honor. Doing this sends a powerful message to the beneficent forces in the universe, telling them you are open to receive their blessings for the month to come and that you trust there is more than enough.
Open Your Heart to the Attitude of Plenty ~ Robin’s Story
The energy of prosperity and fullness is alive and well during the full moon, but there was a time when I didn’t feel this fullness and my life reflected lack and separation from the forces of nature that could bring me my heart’s desires. I wasn’t aware of what could support me, or that there were blessings to receive, even in the midst of chaos. This was my dark night of the soul and it was not a comfortable place to be in, but the experience changed my life for the better.
During this time, I lost everything I had, not once, but three times. The man I was married to at that time desired power and wealth and, because I saw him as more powerful than myself, I did not ask questions or participate in the decisions he was making. Eventually, those decisions not only affected his work, but our life together. I allowed him, through not taking responsibility for the well-being of myself and our family, to risk our finances and the life we had built together and, in the process, we became homeless.
Sometimes, devastation brings you back to what is essential. It did for me. This humbling brought me back to the importance of spiritual practices in my life. I realized there was nothing left for me to do but surrender and let go. In truth, there wasn’t anything to hold onto since everything in the world I believed had value had been taken away. But for me, that is what it took to open my heart and come back to the divine.
It was during that time while in meditation I had the vision that introduced me to the power of the moon and full moon altars. The essence of that vision is what is shared here with you. The use of monthly altars that honors the five elements and the forces of nature gave me direct access to on-going opportunities and abundance. It has helped thousands of people around the world tap into this flow, as well. It is our desire it does the same for you.
The Process for Creating a Full Moon Altar
You create this altar on a full moon evening and remove it the following morning. If possible, create your altar outside under the sky. You’ll find that doing this in the open, under the full moon, is powerful and enlivening. If this is not possible, you can create an altar anywhere—on a table or desk, a window ledge or countertop where the moon’s light can touch your altar, charging the items with its positive lunar influences. Because the altar is temporary, it can be placed in any direction, on any surface.
Note: To find the day and exact time of the next full moon, you can google “Full Moon Calendar”
To prepare for your full moon altar, look for items to use on it to represent the elements of earth, air, water, fire, and space. First “go shopping” in your own cabinets and shelves. Many people already have everything they need for an altar in their own home. If you feel drawn to purchase items, they can be found in grocery stores and antique or junk stores. The process of finding just the right items for your altar can be an enjoyable process.
Also, take the time to consider what you want this altar to represent for you. If you have some time before the next full moon, make good use of it and start journaling about your feelings and what it is you desire most. Continue to journal daily and imagine the feeling of what you desire. On the day of the full moon, try to distill those feelings into just three words, written on an unlined piece of paper, that you’ll place on your offering tray in the center of the altar. Those words are as potent as pages upon pages of written words, because they hold the essence of the desires of your heart and dreams.
Items Representing the Five Elements and Their Placement
• Represent each of the five elements on your altar (earth, air, water, fire, and space).
• Place the earth element in the southwest. It can be anything of the earth, like a rock, a plant, a crystal, etc.
• The air element will go in the northwest and can be a fan, a feather, standing wind chimes, a bell, or even incense.
• For the water element in the northeast, use a fountain, or water in a clear bowl or vase.
• Use a candle or again incense in the southeast for the fire element.
• The space element in the center can be a plate or tray of glass or metal, something that will reflect the light of the moon. This is where you will place your wish or desire for continued prosperity and support. Your wish or desire can be written on unlined paper or it can be symbolic, like an Abundance Yantra, beautiful stones, jewelry, or even money.
As mentioned above, you can place everything and anything of value to you on the altar itself. People place their credit cards on the altar during full moon ceremonies, and many who do this have commented how their finances have surprisingly improved, or a windfall or promotion occurred, seemingly out of nowhere, within the following month.
The Ceremony for Enlivening Your Full Moon Altar
Consider this altar your clear channel to the forces of abundance and positive support for your next month. Light any incense or candles that may be on the altar. If there are chimes or a bell, ring them, as well. As you stand in front of your altar, be grateful for the many opportunities that have brought you to this place, at this time. You have, for some wonderful, unknown reason, found yourself here in this moment in time, honoring the forces of nature to bring balance, opportunity, and prosperity into your life through the power and unlimited grace of full moon energy.
By making your request for what you desire during this next month out loud, you will bring more energy into the ceremony. Therefore, take a deep breath in and say in a clear voice your intention for this next month. Begin by asking for peace in your life and good health, because with a relaxed mind, open heart, and vibrant body, you will be ready for the opportunities yet to be realized. Request what it is you want from a place of humility. You are stepping into a realm of transformation, inviting benevolent forces to grant your wishes and make your dreams come true. Humility releases the ego that might limit your passion and dampen your heart-felt desire to have your life flow according to the principles of Vastu.
If your Full Moon Altar ceremony involves others, allow each person the opportunity to speak their desires out loud to the group, going around the circle. Let participants understand ahead of time that your group is a sacred space where whatever is shared within it, stays within it, so that you establish safety and respect for each other. It’s a wonderful blessing of the Full Moon Altar ceremony that with our hearts opened, our compassion for one another grows. You will have the opportunity to see each other from a new perspective that eliminates the thoughtless judgment and petty criticism our small minds tend to create.
Once everyone has shared their intention and desire for the next month, you can sing, chant mantras, or pray together. At some full moon circles we have held, people have brought poems or stories, or shared the symbolism or meaning of the items they have brought. When you create such a ceremony to honor the power of the full moon, change, dreams, and desire takes on more energy than at any other time during the month.
The Most Important Thing
The creation of altars using Vastu is a wonderful way to balance the five elements within the environment and the body. You are bringing into physical form the manifestation of your heart’s desires and purest intention. Altars bring beauty into your surroundings and touch your very soul, opening within you the doorway to limitless possibility and calling forth the change and support you have longed for. Altars give you direct access to the divine forces that can transform your life. It is here that the potential for true self-empowerment lies. Trust yourself. Be willing to surrender the agendas of your conscious mind and allow something new to unfold. The benevolent, universal force alive in all things—alive in you—waits to assist you. All you need is the willingness to ask and being open to receive.
More Suggestions for Your Full Moon Altar
• Make sure the area is clean before preparing your altar
• The colors yellow and blue, representative of moon energy, can be represented in some pieces on the altar
• The water element in the northeast can be fresh flowers in colors that correspond to the altar. You may use a clear lightly colored vase
• Use a yellow (even gold colored will work) or blue candle in the southeast, or an oil lamp
• Use stones or crystals in the southwest in yellow and blue colors. You can use a statue of Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, a plant, or anything from nature
• For the air element in the northwest, use a standing wind chime, incense, fan, or feather(s)
• Add a yellow or blue colored glass dish or a silver colored one (this metal represents moon energy), at the center of your altar to act as your offering tray
• You can add a Shree Lakshmi Yantra to the offering tray for an extra boost of positive energy, or a Ganesh Yantra to remove all obstacles to your prosperity
• On an unlined piece of paper that easily fits onto the offering tray, add a few handwritten words that represent the deeper abundant feelings that you would like to experience from this process. Words like fulfillment, peace, contentment – the end result, not the intricate workings of the mind attempting to figure how it will all come about
• Include a personal symbol in the center, in back of the offering tray of your altar. It may be a statue, photograph, collage, or picture that inspires feelings of prosperity
Activation Ceremony – Creating Prosperity and Fulfillment Using the Moon Yantra and Mantra
In the teachings of Vastu, the time of the full moon holds great significance and is revered for its divine powers of manifestation. Weddings, business transactions, and even births and deaths occurring on a full moon are considered particularly auspicious. Make sure you are freshly bathed and come to your altar with an open heart.
This process can be done individually or as part of a group. If there is a group, one person will be the appointed leader, instructing others. Make sure to let everyone know they can bring an item to place on the altar – a small memento that will be infused with full moon energy and can be then placed on their own home altar. Mention that the circle is sacred and what is shared within it will stay within it. Here is the process you will do to ignite your altar:
• Stand or kneel in front of your altar
• Light the candle or incense if you have them on your altar
• If you included bells or chimes on your altar, ring them to purify the energy in the environment. Their sound resonates with high, subtle vibrations, bringing focused awareness to the present moment
• Holding the Moon Yantra in your right hand, take ten to twelve long, slow, deep breaths in and ut through the nose
• Experience the feeling of having what you desire. Do not focus on specifics, just feelings like happiness, peace, fulfillment, love and so on
• Place the yantra on the offering tray
• Using your right hand, extend the small (pinky) finger and your index finger, folding in the other two fingers against your palm, placing your thumb over the top of these two fingers to hold them in place. This is a mudra, in Sanskrit, a hand position that moves energy in a specific pattern.
• With your hand in this mudra, facing the altar, move our arm forward and back nine times
• Each time you extend your arm toward your altar, say the Moon Mantra with passion and intensity
Mantra: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudeyvaya Namaha
Phonetic Pronunciation: Om Na-mo Ba-ga-va-tay Va-su-day-vai-ya Na-ma-ha
*** To listen to an audio of the mantra, click here.
• Once you have completed this process, your altar is ignited
• Afterward, we suggest you close your eyes for a few moments of silence, or sing a song or chant some mantras
• If in a group, go around the circle and let each person share the meaning of what they brought for the altar. Some may not want to, and that is also fine
• Remind everyone to take home the item they brought for the ceremony and place it on their home altar
• After the ceremony, the papers left in the offering tray should be placed in a fireproof vessel or fireplace and burned to ash. As the paper is burning, say a prayer for ongoing support throughout the coming month
Trust and Let Go
All of the activities leading to this point have been done to bring you to the door of the great unknown and to release what you have held in your heart, mind, and soul. Trust in perfection and just let go. Surrender control and allow the divine to be in charge. Remember, you are not the doer here, so just relax. Imagine you have a beloved, extremely wealthy uncle, and you are his favorite and accepted heir. Just take a deep breath in and as you let go feel what it is like to know you will always be taken care of, that you will never again need to worry about your future. Do you feel the tension shift inside?
Homework Assignment: After a full moon altar ceremony, it is important to maintain a positive attitude. You want the energy to continue to move up. Have confidence that a universe is a supportive place, filled with opportunity and possibility. If you find you move into anxiety or fear about the future, observe your mind. Fear and anxiety come from regretting the past or thinking about the future. You have no control over either. Take some long, deep, slow breaths in and out through the nose and just relax. Trust in the process.
The next lesson will present you with an action plan for bringing these powerful techniques and practices together. This plan will have a transformative influence in your life for bringing lasting love and prosperity.
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You see things as they are and ask, “Why?” I dream things as they never were and ask, “Why not?”
~ George Bernard Shaw