The moon affects us all, whether we realize it or not. I'm sharing how to work with the moon's energy to get stuff done so that you can use the cycles of nature to be more focused and productive. Trust me, it's totally awesome.
When I first became interested in witchcraft, the phases of the moon was one of the first concepts that caught my interest. Though I'm a city dweller and sort of an indoor girl, I've always felt an attraction to the moon. I just can't help but be in awe of her beauty.
Ever since learning about the power of the moon, I have tried to work with the lunar phases to plan my life, set goals, and get stuff done. I mean, if the moon can create the tides, and we're mostly made of water, it's entirely possible that it can affect us as well. Whether there's scientific evidence or not, I've found following the moon's energy to be an intuitive way to organize my life.
There are a million different ways to work with the moon's energy. This is just how I do it, but I hope it will inspire you to pay a little more attention to the cycles of nature and your life.
New Moon
When the moon is nowhere to be seen, even though it's a clear night, this is known as the new moon. As a person who loves a fresh start, the new moon is my favorite time of the lunar month. It's so full of promise and possibility.
New moon is the perfect time to set new intentions and start thinking about what you want to accomplish. You don't need to come up with a whole new goal every month, but just realign and refocus on a new aspect of your grand plan.
I like to start the morning of each new moon day with a cleansing shower spell. I make my own salt scrub with add herbs and essential oils that line up with the energy I want to create that month. This allows me to cleanse myself of any negative or unhelpful energies from the previous month so I can start the new moon cycle fresh and clean.
Next, I write out an intention for myself in the form of an affirmation that I'll repeat throughout the month to keep me focused. I do a little bit of free writing on this on a slip of paper and then seal it with a wax seal I have that has a personal sigil. That's probably not accessible to everyone, but writing out your intention with your favorite pen and keeping it on your altar or a place where you can see it every day is a great way to remind yourself of where you'd like your energy to flow.
Waxing Crescent
During the waxing crescent, you'll just start to see a sliver of the moon appear, growing slightly larger each night. And this is when your intentions will start to grow as well. Make plans. Make lists. Decide how you want to accomplish your goals. Listen to the whispers of your intuition and let them nudge you in the right direction.
The whole of the waxing phase is a great time for attraction magic. Anything you want to grow or have more of, you can ask the Universe for it during the waxing phase between the new moon and the full moon.
First Quarter
The first quarter moon is halfway between new and full. By now, you should be ready to take some serious action on your intentions. You've laid the ground work, so now is the time to make it happen. Take inspired action and manifest like mad.
I think this is an auspicious time to send out proposals, schedule meetings, book appointments, and get things going. The important thing is to get moving on your plan.
Waxing Gibbous
The waxing gibbous is that phase where the moon is round but hasn't yet reached it's full potential. Keep going on your plan, even if you're starting to feel some resistance. You may need to reevaluate and make adjustments, but the energy should still be with you to keep working toward what you'd intended.
Full Moon
The full moon is everyone's favorite. Energies can definitely be higher during a full moon. You may feel very energetic, or you may actually feel exhausted because of all the extra energy buzzing around. I often find it hard to sleep during the full moon.
This peak energy can really give you the boost you need to take your goals and intentions over the finish line or to at least make major steps forward. This is also an ideal time to look back at how far you've come. Express gratitude for your progress and celebrate your wins.
The full moon is also the ideal time to charge your magickal tools and make moon water. I live in an apartment, so it's not safe or practical for me to leave my stuff outside. But the moon's energy is pretty powerful. I fully believe it can make it in through my south facing window. Do whatever is practical for you.
Waning Gibbous
The entire waning phase from full back to new is a great time for releasing. As the moon grows smaller, we can send away any negative energy.
The waning gibbous, also known as disseminating, still appears fairly round, but you will start to notice the moon growing smaller. This is a great time to focus on gratitude. Take a look around at what is good in your life. This can be easier some months than others. But even if everything feels awful, there is always something to be grateful for. I'm not saying you should force yourself to be positive, but you can recognize even small things that are good in your life alongside acknowledging any pain or difficulty you might be experiencing.
For more on this, check out this post on how to develop gratitude.
Last Quarter
The last quarter moon is again, the halfway point between full and new. This is a great time to start reflecting on how things have gone so far this cycle. What self-limiting beliefs could you release? What could you change and let go of to help you move forward as we head into another cycle? Take some time to reflect on what you'd do differently next time.
Waning Crescent
The waning crescent is also known as balsamic or the dark moon. As the moon starts to disappear in the sky, we work our way back around to another new moon. You may feel the need to rest and replenish. I often find I'm really tired during this time of the lunar month and just need to give myself a bit of a break.
This phase is an ideal time to take it easy and look back at your progress. Give yourself a little pat on the back for how far you've come, even if it was just one step.
It's also the ideal time to cleanse your home in preparation for a new cycle.
A little help to work with the moon's energy
Somehow, working with the moon's energy and the lunar phases feels almost more natural to me than working with calendar months. There are lots of free apps to help you track the phases of the moon. You can also get the new, full, and quarter moons to show up on your Google calendar.
I love the The Moon Calendar app because it gives me daily guidance on the moon and my birth chart. There's way more that you can do with it beyond what I use it for, but I find it a really helpful way to keep track of where the moon is and tune into how it's affecting me.
Do you already work with the moon's energy? How do you do it? Do you have any questions about anything you've read? I could talk about this for days, so feel free to leave a comment and keep the conversation going.
Leave a Reply