Last year, I read on Mark Green’s blog that he had ascribed an Atheopagan principle to each of the full moons and celebrated accordingly.

He started with number one and worked down the list, so January is the Critical Thinking moon, February is Reverence, etc.

Me, being who I am, decided to get more complicated and come up with a system of correspondence by aligning each principle to a time of year, a feeling, or a holiday in that month. And, since Atheopaganism is very much a DIY affair, I felt that creating my own system was aligned with the spirit of the practice.

Some of them are a stretch, but this is the list that I came up with:

1. January: Integrity Moon: May I conduct myself with integrity. (The start of the new year, dreams and plans, committing to a new start.)
2. February: Humble Moon: May I be humble. (Groundhog Day, and the movie by that title. The lessons Phil learns!)
3. March: Laughter Moon: May I acknowledge the absurd. (The lead up to April Fool’s Day. Also the Spring Equinox and my birthday.)
4. April: Reverence Moon: May I honor the Earth. (Earth Day!)
5. May: Lovingkindness Moon: May all beings be free. (Vesak, a UN Buddhist holiday that I celebrate.)
6. June: Inclusiveness Moon: May I celebrate diversity. (Pride month!)
7. July: Responsibility Moon: I recognize that freedom is tempered with responsibility. (Independence Day)
8. August: Curiosity Moon- I understand that knowledge is never complete. (National Book Lover’s Day- this one was a stretch!)
9. September: Pleasure Moon: I celebrate pleasure. (I love the fall and all the cozy, comfortable stuff that goes with it.)
10. October: Legacy Moon: I recognize and embrace my responsibility to the young and future generation. (Ancestor work, Halloween, Death)
11. November: Gratitude Moon: May I be grateful. (American Indian Heritage Month)
12. December: Ritual Moon: I enact regular rituals. (Lots and lots of traditions and rituals at this time of year.)
13. And if there is an extra moon in the year, it can be the Skeptic Moon: I recognize that the metaphorical is not literal.

Full Moon Ritual

Also last year, one of my partners and I were introduced to the practice of walking a labyrinth on or near the full moon. Participating with that group isn’t an option any more, so we walked the labyrinth at a local university. It was covered in a layer of snow but we could see the Bluestone path beneath.

And when we were done, there were just our tracks as we spiraled in and out, leaving behind things that no longer serve us. I found it grounding and affirming, especially since we didn’t give up on the practice just because we couldn’t do it with the group.

I’m hoping to continue this for every full moon this year!

Later, we did a little Buddo-Pagan ritual in our backyard to celebrate the Integrity Moon by setting our intention to undertake the five precepts. By doing this, we acknowledge that being mindful is an antidote to suffering for ourselves and others, and a way to live with integrity.

It’s my goal to document what I come up with as rituals for each of the full moons. Next up is the Humility Moon… stay tuned!