The new moon is a time of new beginnings. It is a time to start fresh, create intentions, and an excellent time for manifesting, and working with the divine to start on a new path. No matter your religious or spiritual beliefs, we see that the moon has it’s cycles – the cycles that God/the Universe/Source/Allah, etc created – along with all the other natural cycles of the day, seasons of the year, menstruation, and life itself. These cycles align with the creative process as well.
The cycle is:
Birth, spring, waxing moon, sprouting plant, follicular phase of menstrual cycle
Mid-life, summer, full moon, fruitful plant, ovulation
Old age, Fall, waning moon, decay, luteal phase
Death, Winter, New moon, gone to seed, bleeding phase of menstruation
In the creative process, it’s the same thing: The inspiration or birth of an idea, the fruition of an idea, the completion of an idea, and what Kate Northrup has dubbed the “fertile void”.
In order for a sprout to grow, a plant must go to seed. That seed must be buried, like in death…except the seed still carries the possibility of life. Life energy resides in that tiny seed. So even when you feel that you can’t move forward or you are stuck and don’t know what to do…that seed is there, waiting for some sunlight, waiting for the ground to thaw, waiting for the warm showers of Spring.
In the cycle of the moon (and possibly your menstrual cycle if you have one and it is aligned), right now is the season of the seed. It is the time to plant your intentions, to trust that your ideas and your goals have life force behind them, and that they will come to fruition in time.
The following rituals can be done individually, or all together as one. You may light a candle when you begin, and blow it out when you are done, whether it’s just one, or all of them. Make them your own!
Gratitude Ritual:
- Light a candle if you wish, or diffuse some essential oils that make you feel good.
- Write down all the things you are grateful for, especially from the past 4 weeks.
- Write down all the things that have gone well, no matter how small.
- Then sit in the feeling of gratitude for all the blessings in your life.
Prayer:
“Thank you [insert deity/universe here] for your support and for your blessings. I am grateful for the cycles of the universe that are an example of how I can live and am grateful I can tap into them for support. I am grateful for how you bring me what I need when I need it, for the challenges that help me grow, and the blessings that support my passions and purpose in this life. [You may repeat your lists here if you’d like]. I release the things that do not serve me. I release the things that hold me back from pursuing my purpose, taking time to feed my soul, or giving to the world. I release the distractions, frustration, discouragement, and clutter. I release them down into the earth so they can be reborn into something new that will produce good fruit. And so it is. Amen.”
Blow out the candle to seal your ritual.
Intentions Ritual:
[Many elements of this ritual are inspired by rituals described in Moonology by Jasmin Boland]
- Light a candle, or keep it going. A green candle is a good choice if you have one since it signifies growth, new beginnings, and abundance.
- Take out a journal and tap into your imagination. Write out all the things you wish to see come to fruition in your life, even if they feel impossible. Let your imagination run wild!
- Make a list of the top 10 things you wish to see happen in your life, no matter how realistic you feel they are. The more specific you are, the better.
- Take time to imagine your life as if those things DID come to fruition. How do they FEEL? Feel the gratitude and the joy.
- To solidify those things in your mind, take some time to draw, color, or beautifully hand write your list.
- Write out the steps you will take during this lunar cycle to bring those things to fruition.
- Spend time each day visualizing the manifestation of your intentions, and feeling grateful for them. If you wish, you can say a prayer of gratitude as well (your own, or the prayer above).
- Add the steps to your calendar or planner!
Self Care & Self-Forgiveness (Ho’oponopono) Ritual:
This includes a very basic Ho’oponopono (“to make right”) Hawaiian forgiveness process combined with water to cleanse away negative energy. To learn more about it, check out this article. This ritual is also inspired by Laureen Mally’s new moon rituals from The Woo Collective.
Take the time to wash away the past lunar month and start fresh!
Take a few minutes to meditate or journal about the past few weeks. Think about things that have come up for you either within yourself, or within your relationships with others. Don’t judge it, just observe what comes up. Allow yourself to feel whatever feelings come up. Cry or be angry if you need to.
Optional: Before bathing, prepare a bowl of warm water by adding natural salts, herbs, and/or a few drops of essential oils. Use what you are drawn to, or what you know can help support your intentions for the month. Bring your bowl into the bath or shower with you. If you are taking a bath and use essential oils, mix them into natural or epsom salts first.
- Before bathing, bring a bowl (or one filled with herbs) into the shower with you or have it nearby.
- When in the bath or shower, say the Ho’oponopono creed three times:
“I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”
Notice anything else that comes up emotionally and forgive yourself or others. Forgive yourself and release yourself from focusing on “negative” about yourself, and instead fill yourself with love. Love the imperfect parts of yourself. Send love to others.
- Imagine surrounding yourself with a pink bubble and fill it with love.
- Imagine the people you need to forgive, surround them with a pink bubble, fill it with love, and blow it away.
- Take your bowl, fill it with water if need be, and pour it over your head, allowing it to wash away anything else you need to release. Say the Ho’oponopono one last time, really feeling into the words.
- Open your hands, palm up, and imagine loving white light from God, Source, the Universe, to fill you up with through the top of your head and your hands.
- Thank the Divine for supporting you and finish your shower.
