Lunar Enchantments: Small Rituals for Harnessing the Power of Fragrance During the Full Moon

by Sharra Lamoureaux January 25, 2024

The full moon has always held a certain mystique, drawing attention from cultures and spiritual traditions around the world. Energies shift, tides rise, and we are reminded of our intrinsic connections to the cosmos. While prayers, rituals, and meditations are common ways to honor this lunar phase, one form of tribute that is often overlooked is that of scent. Fragrances, through their myriad notes and undertones, can evoke an array of feelings and intentions and a powerful sensory experience to full moon meditations and rituals. This blog will delve into the spiritual and folkloric significance of specific fragrances and invite you to deepen your relationship with perfume by using fragrance in your full moon rituals.

The Sacred Union of Fragrance and Spirituality

The practice of incorporating fragrances in spiritual rituals is as old as human prayer itself. Scents have been used for centuries to cleanse spaces, clarify thoughts, and bridge the earthly realm and the spiritual world. This is especially significant during the full moon when spiritual energies are heightened.

Fragrances and Their Lunar Resonances

Jasmine - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

Often known as the "Queen of the Night," jasmine flowers bloom under the moonlight, linking them deeply to lunar energies. This floral scent is said to open the heart chakra, fostering emotional balance and compassionate love. Jasmine has also been used in various traditions to aid in dreamwork and is frequently associated with magical practices that involve intuition and psychic insight.

Full Moon Jasmine Ritual - Making Moonwater

To make moonwater, let a bowl of water with a few drops of perfume and sit under the moonlight overnight. Infuse moonwater with jasmine blossoms and/or a jasmine perfume like Kashish, Love Unforeseen, or Come to Me. The next morning, use this divinely charged water for anointing your altar, cleansing your aura, or even as a refreshing face mist. This fragrant water could serve multiple purposes, amplifying your spiritual pursuits.

Autumnal wildflowers arch skyward against the backdrop of a full moon illumimating a blue sky

Sandalwood - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

Sandalwood is renowned for its calming and meditative characteristics. Its grounding aroma helps prepare the mind for deeper contemplation. It has been used in numerous spiritual practices, including meditation and prayer, to focus the mind and connect with higher states of consciousness.

Full Moon Sandalwood Ritual - Meditative Grounding

During your full moon observances, consider burning sandalwood incense or anointing yourself with a sandalwood perfume like Arabesque. As you do, visualize the woody aroma grounding your energy like tree roots reaching deep into the earth. Inhale and exhale slowly to the count of five. Let each exhalation sink you deeper and deeper into earthy serenity. With each inhalation, feel your energy reaching upward like tree branches extending toward the moon. Continue for at least 30 full breaths. This will calm your mind and prepare you for any divination or reflective practices you might engage in.

Against a pink wall, a flowering branch of almond blossoms rests in a glass on a yellow tabletop.

Almond - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

The scent of almonds is linked with abundance and fresh beginnings. Its warm, nutty aroma brings comfort and is often used in rites involving fertility and prosperity. Almond is sometimes used in cultural traditions as a symbol of good luck, and its oil has been utilized for anointing in certain spiritual paths.

Full Moon Almond Ritual - Baked Offerings

For a unique full moon experience, indulge in an almond perfume like Enchantress or Pleasures of Love and make homemade almond treats like these gluten-free marzipan horns or almond cookies. Share these treats with your circle of friends or family, setting collective intentions for prosperity and new beginnings. Allow everyone to take a moment to speak their intentions aloud, infusing the act with a deep sense of community and shared purpose.

A woman stands alone at night outside her bedroom looking up at the moon as if in prayer. Behind her a colorful wall mural depicts Eve and a snake offering Adam an apple from the Tree of Knowledge. The moon gazing woman is encircled in a flow of starry moonlight as if her prayers are flowing up to the moon and being reflected back as tiny stars..

Iris and Moonflowers - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

Both iris and moonflowers are linked with wisdom and divine guidance, especially in dreams. These fragrant flowers are often used in rituals to enhance intuition and encourage introspective thought. In historical texts, they've been linked to practices aimed at unlocking deeper realms of the subconscious.

Full Moon Iris and Moonflowers Ritual - Bedtime Meditation

Place a bouquet of iris and moonflowers by your bedside during the full moon. Anoint yourself with a perfume like Black Iris or Midnight Garden before bed. As you prepare for sleep, take a few moments to smell the flowers and focus your mind. This intentional act can guide your subconscious explorations throughout the night, possibly granting you meaningful dreams filled with wisdom and insight.

High up in an ancient mountain village, two stargazer astronomers sit on a flat adobe rooftop staring up at a huge night sky where the full moon breaks forth through big billows of clouds.

Myrrh - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

Myrrh is historically associated with purification and spiritual elevation. Its resin has been used across different spiritual traditions to cleanse and uplift energies. Myrrh is also commonly used for protection, and its rich, resinous aroma has often been employed in rites of passage, imbuing them with a sense of sacredness.

Full Moon Myrrh Ritual - Anointing

Wear or diffuse an incense-based perfume with myrrh elements like Arcanum, Gothique, or Sigil while burning myrrh resin during your full moon ritual. As the scent rises, focus on visualizing it carrying your prayers and intentions skyward. As you do this, make a conscious effort to let go of any past hurts or hindrances, inviting new beginnings and fresh perspectives for the lunar month ahead.

Sweet Milk - Spiritual and Folkloric Associations

The comforting scent of sweet milk has been a symbol of nurturing and emotional well-being. In some traditions, offerings of milk are made to seek emotional balance and familial harmony. It's a common ingredient in various comfort foods, often consumed during festivals and celebratory occasions.

Full Moon Sweet Milk Ritual - Sea Salt & Milk Bath

For a truly nurturing experience, take a ritual sea salt bath infused with the aromas of sweet milk and honey using perfume drops of scents like Luminae, Aurora, or Au Lait and 1-2 cups of sea salt. Allow the fragrant water to envelop your body, cleansing any emotional or spiritual blockages and enfolding you with love. As you soak, focus on your intentions for accepting and nurturing your well-being and releasing anything that interferes with your emotional balance, letting the warm water amplify these desires.

A Full Moon Ritual for Dreamwork

A winged Art Nouveau style figure with swirling garments stands at the center of a golden full moon. Its wings encircle the moon like an embrace against the deep blue-violet sky. In the foreground bare branches reveal the brightly colored fruits of harvest left clinging to the branches.

Preparation: Use your favorite lunar fragrance to create a serene atmosphere in your bedroom.
Intention Setting: Write down the specific questions or topics you wish to explore in your dreams. Place a dab of your fragrance on each corner of the paper and place under your pillow.
Meditation with Fragrance: Light a candle and focus on its flame. As you do so, take deep breaths, inhaling the aroma of any incense or perfume you have chosen for this ritual.
Charging Tools for Dreamwork: Take a few moments to hold each of your sleep tools for dreamwork (e.g. your pillow, dream journal, etc.) and charging them with your intentions for bringing insight and guidance through dreams and for helping you to remember those dreams.
Closing Ceremony: Before lying down to sleep, take some time to gaze at the full moon or to visualize yourself surrounded by beautiful white moonlight. Offer a brief prayer or affirmation, thanking the moon and asking for clarity and insight in your dreams.

Fragrance plays a profound role in shaping both the sensory and spiritual aspects of full moon rituals. Whether it's the heart-opening aroma of jasmine or the grounding scent of sandalwood, each fragrance offers its own unique set of benefits and resonances. As you bask in the silver glow of the full moon, consider incorporating these time-honored scents into your ritual to deepen your connection to this important celestial event.

Artworks:

He Looked Up At The Broad Yellow Moon by Jessie Willcox Smith, 1916
Vase with Jasmin by Jan Mankes, 1913
Autumn Wildflowers Before a Full Moon by Hiroshige, 1853
East of the Sun, West of the Moon by Kay Nielsen, 1914
Mekheski Moon People by Nicholas Roerich, 1915
The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1657
Harvest Moon by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1892
Island Moon before the World by Marguerite Blasingame, 1934