I Got a Full Moon Haircut & It Was the Best Kind of Woo-Woo

Essentially, it’s a normal haircut with some wellness-inclined additions like a scalp oil massage, a relaxing crystal combing session, Reiki therapy and a whole lot of mindfulness. As the name suggests, the haircut takes place on the day or night of a full moon.

Purportedly, a full moon brings a tremendous amount of energy with it. If you are feeling angry, you’ll feel angrier during a full moon; if you’re feeling happy, you’ll feel even happier. Whatever’s happening in your mind, body and spirit will be amplified. As such, it’s a wonderful time to incite change and growth on an energetic or, in this case, physical level.

A haircut on any other day is transformative in that it leaves you feeling pampered and makes you move differently. As I learned after getting a full moon haircut, it can also bring deeper meaning to change and offers a fresh perspective on letting go of the old in favor of the new. Following my 29th birthday, it felt like the right time to go in for a little hair and spiritual refresh. Sure, it sounds a bit more extra than my usual chop, but who am I to turn down a potentially life-altering haircut? Oprah would probably seize the opportunity, so I figured I should, too. 

Several days before my treatment, Hawley texted me and asked me to “gather your whys behind this haircut, as well as connect with this moon’s meaning.” As she explained, the moon would be in Pisces, “a sign of intuition, reflection emotions, and awareness.” She went on to write “this haircut is all about releasing what no longer serves you and connecting to your truer self” and asked me to journal on a series of questions: Am I soaking up others’ thoughts and energetic fields? (Yes.) Does my heart feel broken or disappointed by myself or others? (Sometimes.) What would I like to release to create new space for loving opportunities? (Insecurities and doubts.) And finally, what is holding me back emotionally or physically? (Fear and my arthritic wrist.) Although I’m a writer, I’m not a huge fan of journaling. However, these prompts really helped me take inventory of my life and assess what I wanted to change in a specific manner.

Upon arriving at the salon, Hawley asked me what I hoped to gain from this experience and if I wanted to dig deep in our session or keep things light. In short, I hoped to connect with the “truer self” that she referenced. So, she invited me to pick a card from her deck and really digest what it said. The card I drew read, “Breath: the rhythm of my breath directs the rhythm of my life.” It was a fitting choice, as one of the first signs of stress I notice in myself is my breath catching in my chest. Hawley handed me the book that corresponds with the cards and I read a passage about how to cultivate a healthy breathing practice. The book suggested I call upon Pranic Breathing in times of stress. For those unfamiliar, Pranic breathing involves counting out your breaths (one, two, three, four, inhale, one, two, three, four, exhale) and increasing the number up to eight when you feel ready. It’s something I used to practice frequently but have lost touch with.

Next, she invited me to select one or two healing crystals—whichever ones spoke to me. I selected rose quartz for its self-love and inner healing properties, as well as malachite, which I learned is known as the “stone of transformation.” I held the healing crystals in my lap and had a mini therapy session with Hawley while she massaged oil into my scalp and then combed my locks with a crystal comb.

Once I was half asleep with relaxation, she walked me to the wash station, where she gave me yet another scalp massage, this time with Reiki and a conditioning treatment, while I practiced my Pranic breathing and held my crystals.

Back in the chair, Hawley gave me a pen, paper and scissors and asked me to make a list of thoughts, ideas or things that no longer serve me. Had you asked me five minutes prior, I would have said, “I’m all good,” but deep-seated fears and emotional roadblocks flowed out of me the moment I put pen to paper. Once I was finished, Hawley handed me scissors and invited me to cut the paper up into as many small pieces as I’d like just as she made her first cut to my hair. It was symbolic and deeply more powerful than I anticipated. When we were both done, she handed me an envelope to house my discarded thoughts and fears and told me I could burn it, throw it away or save it—whatever felt best to me.

We debriefed about what my experience was like as she blow-dried my new, shorter layers and long bangs. I felt, surprisingly, like I’d just enjoyed a 90-minute massage melded with a therapy session. 

Although I didn’t expect to, I did feel a sense of release afterward. I drove home and continued my evening feeling lighter and less encumbered by the stories I’ve told myself since childhood (you’re not good, smart, kind, beautiful, hardworking, etc., enough). The experience also encouraged me to reconnect with my self-care practice in a more meaningful way.

It’s now been nearly a month since my haircut and I’m happy to report that I have felt different since. It could be the placebo effect or it could be a number of other things, but I do feel more empowered and calm. Honestly, the $200 price tag might seem like a lot, but I definitely plan to do it again. I mean, I’ll really try anything to make my hair looks this damn good.