Moon Phase Series 🌑 #1: New Moon [Bonus Episode]

Before digging into this series, you may want to go back and listen to Episode 51: Business Planning with the Moon Phases to get a basic overview of the full lunar cycle. 

But, if you’re ready to get started, welcome to the first bonus episode of the Moon Phase Series. Today is all about the New Moon. And if you’re listening in real time, the New Moon will arrive tomorrow on Saturday, April 30th. 

If you’re not listening in real time, you can still follow along by beginning this series on the day before the next New Moon. 

I want to share one caveat before I get started with this series. Although each phase of the moon contains within it certain energies, this does not mean that your life will always run parallel to these energies. Depending on what is going on for you personally, you may be in a New Moon phase of life that lasts 3 months, or in a Waxing Moon phase of life that has lasted 10 months. So that’s not what we’re talking about in this series. What we are doing here is making the most of the specific energies of the certain phases of the moon to best support the manifestation of our goals and intentions. 

Now, let’s begin.

In this New Moon episode I’ll be sharing the energy and the magic of this phase, as well as a list of seven practical & magical New Moon activities so that you can make the most of this New Moon energy. 

I’ll start with a basic overview of the New Moon, which is the beginning of the lunar cycle. So let’s consider the New Moon as day 0 of the cycle. 

Here’s a description of the New Moon so that you can picture it in your mind. The New Moon is sometimes referred to as the Dark Moon, because it is dark in the sky. The Moon is between the Sun and the Earth at this time, and there is no illumination on the Moon from the Sun during this phase. 

Since we’re going into more detail in these bonus episodes, I wanted to share that what I just said isn’t exactly correct. The Dark Moon and the New Moon can have different meanings to different people. But to some they are one in the same. 

There are some who don’t consider the Moon to be in its New state until you begin to see the very first sliver of light beginning to show on the right side. And there are others who observe the New Moon when it is completely dark in the sky. 

There are witches and moon lovers alike who may use the Dark Moon or the Waxing Crescent phase to work their New Moon magic - so don’t fret and just start practicing and you will find your own rhythm. 

I don’t mean to get too technical about this, but I want you to be aware of the different thoughts on this particular phase of the lunar cycle. As you are beginning your work with the moon and her phases, trust your intuition and do what feels right to you. There’s no need to get caught up in the details. 

I see the Dark Moon as an in-between from one cycle to the next, therefore I’ll talk more about the energies specific to the Dark Moon in the 8th bonus episode in this series that features the Waning Crescent Moon. 

If you’re interested in a random New Moon fact - this moon rises when the sun rises and sets when the sun sets. 

Now, on to the energies of the New Moon. The New Moon is all about new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s a time to pause and gather your thoughts for setting your intentions. Take time to rest, reflect, and dream. 

The phase of the New Moon is associated with the Winter season. So it can be a time of more stillness. You may think of intention setting and associate it with movement or activity. That will come later. For now you will be creating space for what you want to manifest. 

The New Moon phase is often likened to planting seeds. I’ll even get a bit more specific and say that it’s a time to select the type of seeds you want to plant. 

You’ll want to have some quiet time and reflection so that you can gain clarity about what you really want, then select the seeds associated with what you want to grow in your life. 

Remember that seeds grow in the dark. You don’t even have to share your intentions with anyone. It’s okay to give them time to take root. 

I’m going to read a list of words and phrases that encompass the energy of the New Moon to help you feel into it a bit more… stillness, exploring the unseen, an appreciation of how beautiful the darkness can be, visualization, disconnection, alone time, clarification of goals, thinking deeply, introspection, reflecting on hopes and goals, opening yourself up to receive, planting seeds, rest, evaluation, nurturing ideas, dreaming, clean slate, potential, new intentions, wishing, and a belief that what you desire is already on its way to you. 

One important note on intentions is that your intention must be for YOU. Not what someone else wants for you, or what society expects of you. Really take some time to reflect on this. You’d be surprised how many thoughts and ideas are not your own. By following the lunar energies you are allowing yourself time for stillness and reflection so that you can better hear your own voice. 

Now I want to share a list of seven practical & magical New Moon activities that will allow you to make the most of this phase. So take note of what piques your interest and choose a few things that you may want to try out. 

-Number 1: Sit in stillness for 10 minutes and do nothing. 

And I really do mean nothing. Find a nice quiet place, leave your phone in another room, and just sit. 

I cannot stress enough the importance of creating space. You must allow space in your life both physically and emotionally. By allowing physical space, I mean actual space in your life and, more specifically, your calendar. And by allowing emotional space, I mean freeing up space in your head. You absolutely have to carve out some space so that all the good things that are intended for you have a welcoming place to land. 

This activity really is medicine to your soul. It may not feel like it at first. You may not realize how addicted you have become to distracting yourself throughout the day. Many people cannot bear to have space to be with themselves. It often only takes a few seconds of any kind of quietness or stillness before reaching for your phone. 

This is a very simple, yet very powerful, activity. So give it a try. 

-Number 2: Take a New Moon ritual bath. 

This doesn’t have to be complicated or something that requires a list of ingredients. It can be as simple as setting aside time to have a relaxing bath. You can of course enhance the experience by lighting a candle and adding some sea salt or epsom salt to your bath water. Additionally, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, or an oil that has effects that you want to awaken. 

During your bath you can sit in silence, or you can focus on a mantra or affirmation, or you can use this time to dream and reflect on the intentions you want to set, or you can listen to a guided meditation. 

Baths really are magical, so enjoy! 

-Number 3: Set a timer for 10 minutes, close your eyes, and visualize what it will be like when your intentions have come to fruition. The more detail the better. Focus on what you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste. 

An important thing to note here, and for intention setting in general, is that you don’t have to know, or work out, exactly how your dreams will become reality. That’s for the Universe to work out for your highest good. 

-Number 4: Get creative and draw your intentions, or create a collage of your intentions with magazine clippings. Allowing more time for play and creativity is so important to connect more deeply with yourself. 

-Number 5: Make one of your New Moon days screen-free. This one is simple, but not always easy. Set aside a day where you connect with your natural surroundings. Read a book, walk outside and sit in your yard, take a bath, or bake some cookies (from a physical recipe book and not your phone). 

-Number 6: Do a New Moon tarot spread. You can either pull a single card to guide you during this phase, or you can design your own spread. You can also search on the internet for general new moon tarot spreads, or specific ones such as April 2022 New Moon Tarot Spread. 

If you’re new to tarot, don’t be intimidated. I know there are a lot of cards, and the meanings can be very deep and complex. But you can get started by pulling one card and looking up the meaning. For this I recommend going to biddy tarot dot com and reading the interpretations on that site. Take note if there are specific words or phrases that stand out to you as you are reading about the interpretation. That’s all you need to do to get started. 

-Number 7: Journal about the things you appreciate, or create a gratitude list. You can also find many New Moon journaling prompts on the internet. 

You can also keep a lunar phase journal so that you can write down your intentions and follow up throughout the cycle. 

When you are setting your New Moon intentions they may be for a lunar cycle, a season, or longer. Some intentions come to fruition during the monthly lunar cycle. However, one month is a really short time for many of the things that we desire to manifest in our lives. These may take a season, or a year. 

There is something called a greater lunar cycle that lasts a full year, and this is based on the zodiac signs. For example, if you set an intention for this upcoming cycle we will have a New Moon in Taurus. If you’re working with the greater lunar cycle, this means that you can likely see your intention manifest when the Full Moon is in the sign of Taurus, which will be in November, in approximately 6 months. 

And this is why it’s a great idea to keep a moon journal, so that you can keep track of what is going on as you move through the different moon phases and zodiac signs. 

If you’re just getting started with working with the moon, ignore what I’m about to say because I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. But, if you are interested in going a bit deeper with lunar cycle work and want to incorporate the energy of the zodiac signs, it can have an added boost that really helps to connect to the energy of the season. 

What I recommend to get started with this is to do an internet search a few days before the New Moon and search for the New Moon in whatever sign it falls in and add the year. For example, you can search New Moon in Taurus 2022 and see several articles that have been written about this particular New Moon and it can help you to formulate and customize your intentions. 

On a side note, I always schedule my Deep Work & Rest Week during the week of the New Moon. The scheduling of this week is intentional, as it can be helpful to reduce your client workload around the time of the New Moon so that you can take time for rest and reflection, which allows you to gain clarity for the upcoming cycle. If you’re curious about what a Deep Work & Rest Week is, check out Episode 54. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s bonus episode about the New Moon and how to align with her energy to support you as you move through the cycle. 

Tune in on Monday for the next episode of the series where we go into more detail about the next phase of the lunar cycle, the Waxing Crescent Moon. 

The period from the New Moon to the Full Moon is generally referred to as the waxing phase and will include the next three bonus episodes for the Waxing Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, and Waxing Gibbous Moon. 

The waxing phase is where the energy will be growing and there will be more action and movement. 

Thanks for being here, and I love y’all to the moon and back.