What Happens if You Manifest on a Full Moon? 

I love these kinds of questions: should you manifest on a full moon? What happens if you manifest on a full moon? 

In short: am I doing it right? 

Or: what if I do it wrong? 

I love these questions because it gives me the opportunity to draw on one of my favorite Abraham Hicks quotes: 

You can never get it wrong, and you will never get it done. 

In the book The Green Witch, the author makes it clear that any and all of the practices she uses in her book are guides. 

Whether it is herbs, crystals, divination tools, meditations, prayers, you name it. 

They are all just guides. 

Sure, some of them hold more power because they have been practiced religiously by millions of people across civilizations for thousands of years, if not hundreds of thousands of years. 

But you always have to allow for the possibility that you might just be the exception. 

You Are Your Best Healer, Helper, Witch

I had a conversation recently with a doctor on this topic of one size fits all methods. 

You see, I had a severe panic attack a while back. It is, for me, a natural part of leveling up, and it is quite normal.

It may not be a panic attack for you; it may click in some other way, but any time you start to do things out of the norm, raising your vibration, becoming more conscious, more wide awake fearless, really embracing the notion of never getting it wrong and never getting it done, your system goes into shock.

Unless you’re a Jesus figure, born awakened and enlightened, you likely have a similar story to the rest of us. 

We are born perfect, awakened, enlightened, and then the world tells us all the stories we need to integrate that shut all that awakening down. 

We stop hearing our own inner voice, the voice of the divine, our inner being, guiding us gently through our lives and toward our highest good, and we replace that voice with the voices of fear, doubt, shame, that we hear from the people closest to us – our parents, teachers, government leaders, institutions, religious texts, and so on. 

Then, we live our lives on autopilot, guided by the stories we integrate about fear and doubt, shame and should, and we lose track of our own unconditional loving voice. 

So I headed into urgent care after this panic attack and I met with a really nice doctor. 

I had lost all sense of my inner voice and was in high anxiety, agitated and feeling out of control. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m dying.” I told her.

“You’re not dying. You’re in great health. All your vitals look great. You’re having anxiety. Welcome to your forties.” She said, not unkindly. 

Wait. What?

I’m just supposed to accept this as my new reality. 

She offered me a variety of anxiety medications that would take weeks to work on my brain chemistry, including one that would immediately sedate me and interrupt a full-blown panic attack. 

She was a genuinely kind doctor with the best intentions, about my age, who had suffered from severe anxiety herself. 

And she was working with the tools she had. 

I politely declined, preferring not to take pharmaceuticals as long as I thought I could manage my symptoms naturally and eventually get to the root cause of what was happening in my system. 

And that’s the point of this story. 

For some people, albeit a small percentage of the population, these drugs work wonders. They can even be life savers. 

For many, many people who take them, they either have no effect or they work a little but have tremendous side effects. The cost greatly outweighs the benefits. 

And the same is true of herbs. 

Why we accept this reality with herbal medicine but not pharmaceuticals is beyond me. 

For every book, pamphlet, or blog or journal article I read on herbalism, or on treatment with specific herbs, there is always a disclaimer: “this effect is not universal. It may have reverse effects or may not have any effect at all. Try it in small doses and work your way up, feeling your way through the herbalism process.” 

Today, I drink a moon tea each night with nervous system settling ashwagandha, I take a CBD/CBG gummy to help produce the calming chemical GABA in my brain, and I exercise regularly, eat whole foods, and sleep like the dead, among other practices like yoga and meditation. 

I also accept that the process of healing and manifesting is a long term one that requires faith and patience, in and with myself and my inner being. 

And yes, I manifest on the full moon. 

But maybe you shouldn’t. 

Manifest on the Full Moon

The same rule that applies to pharmaceuticals and herbs, to exercise and meditation, to diet and sleep, applies to cyclical living. 

One size does not fit all and you will have to work with what you’ve got, be self-aware, and make shifts as needed. 

Manifestation calls for awakened living. You must break free from autopilot and start paying attention, living in the present moment, and adapting and shifting with life. 

A large part of paying attention involves cyclical living. 

So if you hope to work with the moon, you must also settle into the rhythms of nature. 

This means: 

Going to bed shortly after the sun sets. 

Rising with close to sun rise. 

Spending hours in nature each day. 

Eating food as close to the source as possible. 

Honoring your menstrual cycle (this means no hormonal birth control). 

Meditating each day to connect to your higher self.

The closer you get to the earth and your body, the more working with the moon will resonate with you. 

Traditionally, when we work with the moon, the phases are like clockwork. 

New Moon

The new moon is for beginning manifestation. We set intentions. We sit with our feelings. We pay attention to our insights and intuitions, and we set goals based on those. 

Waxing Moon

The waxing moon is when we get to work on those goals, laying the groundwork, and shifting where necessary. 

Full Moon

The full moon is when we reflect on how far we’ve come, where we begin to see the fruits of our labor come into being, and we celebrate our successes. 

Waning Moon

The waning moon closes out the cycle then, so we close out these smaller goals and prepare to get insightful once more. 

Now, it is important to note that this cycle has always worked for most of us. 

But, it is working for those of us in rhythm with nature, who cycle with nature, and for women who have menstrual cycles with the new moon. We are most fertile during the full moon, so we are creative and ready for a big push. 

However, it must be noted that many, many women in rhythm with nature menstruate with the full moon, not the new moon, and so find more creativity during the new moon and more insight and manifestation power during the full moon. 

So, typically, we say that you don’t really manifest on a full moon, in terms of setting goals based on your insights. Instead, you are in full blown creative mode, already bringing your manifestation to life. 

But, if you are a woman who menstruates with the full moon, this may actually be your most insightful time, and a great time to begin manifestation. 

And, we also have to discuss what we mean by manifestation. 

Because, really, we are always in manifesting mode in terms of allowing. 

We must always be conscious of stepping into receptive mode, so in that sense, yes, we are always manifesting, and indeed, in a state of heightened fertility and creativity during the full moon we are especially manifesting!

So, you see how the language matters, how one size cannot fit all, and how it really is a matter of personal awareness and growth? 

Manifest on a Full Moon: Always Manifesting

In the end, when it comes to whether to manifest on a full moon, you take what counsel resonates with you, like this article, books, podcasts, wise elders, and go within. 

Full moon rituals are a great time to go within, expel negative energy, and learn to work within a lunar cycle. 

New moon rituals are the perfect time for me to pay attention to my own moon cycle, set my new moon intentions, and relax with essential oils. 

Working with the energy of the full moon and the full moon phases, if it resonates, is a great way to make your moon water, set a sacred space, sage with palo santo, and open yourself up to positive change. 

The next steps are paying attention to the moon’s cycles to see where you fit in, draw down the light of the full moon and the full moon energy, take deep breaths, and see what your inner voice tells you.

If it says to start new projects, do it. If it says to make a new start, do it. Draw an oracle card, play with your tarot cards, and work with your positive energy and seeds of intention. 

And remember, above all else, any time can be a potent time, a powerful time, to manifest, or to rest. 

Since ancient times, the most important thing a woman can do is have an open mind, see all time as a magical time, and take each perfect opportunity to connect with herself. 

Happy manifesting!