Revive Your Spirit with a Moon Bath! Guide + Recipes
If you find yourself struggling to sleep or feeling irritable for no reason, my advice is to check the phase of the moon. Your body may be unconsciously trying to make you aware that it is connected to nature and longs for a reconnection with the timeless force of the moon.
You are part of nature’s perfect rhythm, and as the moon waxes and wanes, your body longs to realign itself with this timeless cycle.
Moon baths are a celebration of nature’s perfect cycles. The lunar cycle has a powerful effect on our body, and by taking moon baths, we can align our senses and energy with the natural rhythms that control the earth’s tides and seasons to revive our spirits and feel fully alive.
In this post, I’ll explain the power held by the moon and how you can harness it. I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to take this healing ritual bath. Then I’ll share four recipes: one for a new moon, one for a waxing moon, one for a full moon, and one for a waning moon.
Note: Need to recharge? Get my free, beautifully-designed PDF with 10 easy bath recipes.
What Is A Moon Bath?
A moon bath harnesses the unique and always changing energy of the moon to help you manifest an important intention, longing, wish or dream.
The power of the lunar cycle has long been recognized as exerting a significant force on human behavior. In our modern, fast-paced lifestyle, we have lost touch with this elemental grounding force.
Amusingly, the word ‘lunatic’ is derived from the base word ‘lunar,’ which means moon. It was noted even in ancient times that erratic behavior frequently coincided with a full moon.
When you are aware of nature’s cycle, you can tune in and open your spirit to receive the bounty that the universe holds for you. Being aware of the prevailing lunar energy while immersing yourself in water will lead to renewal and awakening.
Bathing with intention in harmony with the moon’s cycles can be deeply energizing and lead to a feeling of renewal and oneness with the earth.
Incorporating water infused by the moon’s energy into your bath can create a spiritual experience that will revitalize your inner energy. The moon is constant in its cycle; it waxes and wanes in a set pulsating universal rhythm.
Water is a natural element that transmits the vibrations of the universe and responds to the rhythms of the moon. In astrology, people with water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) have the most fluid emotions, always evolving and adapting their shapes. (Read what an astrologer says about water signs here.)
What Are the Benefits of a Moon Bath?
If you are feeling detached and not entirely centered, then perhaps what is lacking is a renewed connection with nature. Moon bathing is a practical and inexpensive way to restore your bond with the earth and open yourself to her messages.
Even if you have never tried something like this before, just the act of relaxing in a bath of warm water can relieve stress and benefit your health.
You can transform an ordinary hygiene routine into a mystical connection to the universe by adding natural ingredients like salts and essential oils to your bathwater.
I use an excellent range of 100% pure essential oils from Natrogix, making every moon bath feel like a sacred ceremony. There are 18 bottles in the kit, and each drop of oil is a potent concentration of earth’s precious bounty.
What is Moon Water?
Just the act of bathing with intention during specific times during the lunar cycle can be a significant experience. The connection to the moon can be amplified by preparing moon water and adding this concentrated moon infusion to your bath.
How to Make Moon Water
The most important thing when making moon water is that the vessel you use to hold the water must be made of a natural material like glass or wood. The energy provided by nature is pure, and cannot be transmitted effectively through artificial materials like plastic.
What To Do:
- Fill your container with water. You can use any clean water. It does not have to be a lot – remember this is a concentrated moon essence that you are creating and only an additive to your moon bath.
- Leave the container uncovered overnight, in a place where the beams of the moon can reach it. You can put it on a window sill, but it’s even better to put the container outside so that the moonlight can permeate the water.
- As soon as it gets light, take the container inside and put a lid on it.
- You can repeat the process for a few nights, but be sure to store your precious moon water away from artificial energy sources like the television or your cell phone. An excellent place to store it is next to your bath.
- Use your moon water preparation within a few days of making it.
The moon sheds different energies during its various phases, and you should use your moon water in harmony with the phase during which it was collected. The most effective time to create potent moon water is during a new moon or full moon. During these phases, the light coming from the moon is most intense.
How to Take a Moon Bath in 10 Steps
Moon bathing is ritualistic. Your focus should be on tuning in with the cosmic cycle. Here are the general steps for a moon bath, and below these steps, you’ll find recipes for each of the four phases of the moon:
1. Schedule a Time When You Won’t Be Disturbed
Turn off your phone and let everyone who shares your home know that you are temporarily out of bounds. If you have children, this is a tremendous opportunity to model the importance of self-care. If they see that you are valuing yourself, they are more likely to do the same when they get older.
2. Clear the Bath Area
Remove all plastic bottles and other items like toothbrushes and nail clippers from the immediate area. Your moon bath is about connecting with nature and objects made from artificial materials clutter and detract from nature’s pure energy.
3. Clean the Tub Thoroughly
Clean your tub. Then rinse it a few times with clean water to remove all chemical residues.
4. Turn Off Artificial Light
The lighting during your moon bath experience should be from a pure source. There are several wonderful, natural candles available like the Balance & Harmony soy candles from Chesapeake Bay.
Bathing by candlelight can change the ordinary hygiene bathing experience into something far more spiritual and allow you to focus on your intentions with more purpose.
5. Set Your Intention
Tune into the phase of the moon to help set your intention for the moon bath. As the moon waxes and wanes, it cycles through fullness into a period of retreat. By harmonizing your spirit with these phases, you can work in sync with nature and experience a profoundly satisfying experience.
6. Surround Yourself With Natural Objects
Besides the ingredients you will infuse with the bathwater during the moon bath, you can include crystals, feathers, stones, dried flowers or leaves. Each element will add a different energy to your moon bath experience, heightening your senses and leaving you with a sense of renewal and purpose.
7. Prepare the Ingredients
Essential oils, carrier oil, moon water, salts, and other ingredients should be ready alongside the bath so that you can add each with intent and meaning. Be sure to mix any bath salts in first and ensure that they are thoroughly dissolved before you step into the bath.
Mix any essential oils with a carrier oil like almond oil or coconut oil before adding to the bath. Doing this helps diffuse the essential oil through the bath water and prevents skin irritation.
Add the potent moon water last as you focus on your intention for the bath.
8. Use Silence or Calming Music
Ideally, while you are taking a moon bath, there should be silence. However, that is impossible for most of us as the sounds from our buildings and city permeate the surroundings. If that is the case, then put on some soothing background music. Do not use anything with a beat that will distract you. Calming natural sounds that will help you focus.
9. Soak in the Moon Bath for 25 Minutes or More
A moon bath should last long enough for you to relax and settle your mind before you focus on your intention.
For the first few minutes of the bath, you may feel distracted and, if this is your first moon bath, you may even be questioning why you are doing something that seems so strange. As much as you are a product of the earth, you are also a product of society, and getting back in tune with the natural cycle may seem a little unnecessary or silly.
Take several deep breaths and open your spirit to receive, and you will enjoy a time of deep introspection.
10. Hydrate After the Bath
Relaxing and giving yourself time out in a specially prepared mixture of cleansing ingredients can be a powerful physical detox bath experience.
It can also leave you a little dehydrated, so be sure to have something cleansing and organic available to drink after you get out of the tub. A lovely organic rose petal tea is available from Greenhilltea, which would be the perfect way to end off your moon bath and give you the boost you need.
A Word About Essential Oils
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not use essential oils unless your physician gives you permission. And even then, use only those oils specifically for expecting and breastfeeding moms, such as Mother’s Bath Oil, a delightful blend of bergamot, ylang ylang and lavender oils from Neal’s Yard Remedies.
Also, children under 12 should not use essential oils without first consulting a physician.
Some people experience skin irritation from certain essential oils. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to patch test the essential oil before using it in your bathwater. This post explains how to patch test.
The best way to safely use essential oils in the tub is to first mix them into a carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or fractioned coconut oil. Then add to your bathwater.
Moon Bathing in the New Moon
What Does A New Moon Look Like?
During the new moon phase, the moon is directly between the sun and the earth. The moon will appear very dark at night. The stars will look brighter, but the moon will be hidden or appear as a thin crescent.
What Intention Should I Set for My Bath During a New Moon?
The new moon phase is about preparation. Just like the moon is mysterious and hidden at this time, this is the time to focus inward and establish short and long-term goals. Cleanse yourself from all negative energies that may have been dragging along with you from previous cycles. Use the new moon as a time to protect and renew your spirit.
Moon Bath Recipe for New Moon
- ½ cup Epsom Salt
- ½ cup of Himalayan Pink Salt
- ¼ cup Mustard Seed Bath Salts
- 8 drops of Peppermint or Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- 2 tablespoons of Carrier Oil of your Choice
- Optional: A cup of the moon water that you prepared
In this phase, the focus should be on seeds and preparing your mind and soul for new things to come.
This is why the recipe includes mustard seed bath salts. During this phase, the moon is hidden in the same way a planted seed is buried deep within the nurturing earth away from light. There is a beautiful candle created specifically to give momentum to your intention during this phase of the moon.
This recipe also includes Himalayan salt, which has numerous benefits for body, mind and spirit. Check out my post on the benefits of Himalayan salt.
In the same way, while taking this bath, you should visualize and open your soul to receive new and great things from the universe. Plan what you want to achieve during the coming new phase and banish all feelings of doubt that may creep in. Remember, seeds cannot thrive in weeds, so rid yourself of any negative feelings and focus entirely on what plans the universe has in store for you.
A Moon Bath for a Waxing Moon
What Does a Waxing Moon Look Like?
When the moon is waxing, it is building towards the full moon. An easy way to spot if the moon is waxing is to check which side the shadow is on. If the right side of the moon is illuminated and the shadow is on the left, it is waxing.
What Intention Should I Set for My Bath During a Waxing Moon?
When you are in tune with the waxing moon, you will need energy. As the visible face of the moon is growing larger each night, you can build on your plans and clear your spiritual path of obstacles that will impede your progress.
Your intention should be to proclaim what you have your mind set on, whether a life-changing move or a shift of perspective. Now is the time to make bold plans and let the universe know that you are ready.
Moon Bath Recipe for Waxing Moon
- ½ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 cup of Dead Sea Salt
- 3 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
- 6 drops of Lemongrass Essential Oil
- 2 tablespoons of Carrier Oil of you choice (Fractioned coconut oil is excellent with these essential oils)
- Optional: 1 cup of Moon Water
- Optional: Chopped or Whole Mint Leaves
We need to gather our strength during the waxing moon and focus on nurturing our intentions that will reach fruition during the full moon phase. The inclusion of invigorating elements like mint and lemongrass will prime your senses. You will emerge from your bath feeling refreshed and with a renewed sense of strength.
Moon Bathing During a Full Moon
What Does a Full Moon Look Like?
That large bright circle in the night sky represents nature’s fullness and bounty. During this phase, the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the earth. Light from the sun illuminates the entire visible surface of the moon.
What Intention Should I Set for My Bath During a Full Moon?
Full moon is a time to revel in the earth’s abundance. During this phase, you need to open all your senses to the fullness of what nature has provided. You will be at your most creative and intuitive while the moon is full.
Like the moon, you are standing at the precipice of something great, ready to birth a new idea, plan, or phase in your life. Bathe in abundance and claim your new venture during your moon bath.
Moon Bath Recipe for New Moon
- 1.5 cups of Dead Sea Salt
- 8 drops of Rosemary Essential Oil
- 2 tablespoons of Carrier Oil of your choice (sweet almond oil works well with this one)
- 1/4 cup of Whole Milk
- 2 tablespoons of Pure Honey, melted and mixed with milk
- Optional: 1 cup Moon Water
- A handful of Rose Petals or Sage Leaves
All of the ingredients of this bath speak of harvest and fullness. It is a time of sensual indulgence. Cover your face in a mask of honey, close your eyes, and take in the scent of the rosemary and rose petals. Give thanks for the bounty of nature as you cleanse your body and spirit.
The full moon bath is one of the most potent times to take a moon bath. If it is warm, and you can open your window to let the moonlight fall directly onto your bathwater, you can amplify the abundant sense of wellness. As you wash the honey from your face, you will feel refreshed and leave the bath experience with a renewed vigor and zest for life. Read more about the benefits of bathing in milk and honey.
A Moon Bath for a Waning Moon
What Does A Waning Moon Look Like?
This phase comes after the full moon. The light reflected from the moon now fades each night. You can identify a waning moon by the shadow that is on the right side of the moon.
What Intention Should I Set for My Bath During a Waning Moon?
It is a time of relaxation and introspection. The moon has delivered her abundance to the earth during its previous phase and is now retreating to prepare to repeat each phase. This is a time to nourish yourself ahead of the next season in your life. Whether you anticipate a new job or a new venture, give yourself time to retreat a little from the world and relax before grabbing new opportunities with renewed purpose.
Moon Bath Recipe for Waning Moon
- 1 cup of Epsom Salt
- 1 cup of Baking Soda
- 8 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
- 2 tablespoons of Carrier Oil
- Optional: 1 Cup of Moon Water
- Dried Lavender Flowers
- A Handful of Lemon or Grapefruit Peels
The season is done, and the moon is retreating. Lavender is a plant that has deeply relaxing properties. The combination of baking soda and Epsom salts will deeply cleanse your physical body, while the inclusion of citrus peel speaks of a past harvest. It is time to relax and allow your body and soul to recharge.
A Moon Bath Connects Us to the Universe
The moon is an ever-present reminder that we are deeply connected to the earth.
Like the moon, our bodies move through cycles. By aligning our physical bodies and spirits to the moon’s phases, we can move to a place of deeper understanding and oneness with the universe.
The practice of taking regular moon baths can be a profoundly spiritual method of renewing our energy.
Want to feel your best? Get our free bath recipe guide. Then bring on the bathtub bliss!
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