A New Moon Ritual For New Beginnings
By Deidre Norman
For years and years, in many cultures around the world, there have been rituals centered around the energy and cycles of the moon. When we create a ritual for different moon cycles, we can become more in touch with ourselves, and more in tune with the energy of the moon.
Depending on the phase of the moon, there are different energies or qualities. For example, the new moon is all about beginnings and setting new intentions, whereas the full moon is about going inwards and letting go.
This Thursday, February 11, we enter into a New Moon phase, a perfect time to plant seeds by setting intentions for what we wish to call into our lives at this time.
“The New Moon—the fertile dark, from which life springs anew. Unseen seeds swell and crack in the moist soil of darkness, rooting toward deep growth... This is a great time to manifest a dream, a longing wish or plant the seeds for a new project. As the Moon grows in light, so will your intentions you set during this time.” -Excerpt from the Call for Contributions for We’Moon 2022: The Magical Dark
Here is a New Moon Ritual to help you align with this month's New Moon energy:
1. Set aside 10-20 minutes for yourself ~ or maybe you'd like to invite a friend through a video call or invite members of your household to join. Have a journal, a piece of paper and colored pencils or crayons if you like to get creative.
2. Next, set up a sacred space that is quiet with few disturbances. To set up your space, you may choose to create a simple New Moon Altar by bringing in the elements:
Earth (flowers, a plant, a crystal, or stone),
Air (this can be incense, burning sage, discussing essential oils, or burning a candle),
Fire (you can set up by your fireplace, or light a candle. If you do not have either, you can just have something that is bright red),
Water (you can have a little bowl of water. Or it can be what your flowers are in. Or something that represents water - like a seashell).
3. Once you have set up your space and have your journals ready, take about one minute to close your eyes and shake your entire body. Shaking off the day, consciously shaking out all that is not serving you and letting it flow into the earth. Know that Mother Earth composts all of our energy that we do not need.
4. Now sit down in front of your mini New Moon Altar and take a moment to arrive in the space that you have created as we prepare to move into our Mudra + Breathwork Practice. 5. Mudra + Breathwork Practice: We will be using the Dhyana Mudra with box breathing. This Mudra is specifically used to deepen concentration and it guides us towards inner peace, equanimity and into a deeper meditative state. It represents total balance. You can become immersed in the limitless space, completely untouched by the outside world. The right hand symbolizes wisdom and awareness and the left hand symbolizes the illusion of existence. Ultimately bringing us into that deep state of Truth.
For this Mudra, the left hand is on the bottom with the palm facing up and the right hand is on top of the left hand, palm also facing up. The thumbs touch and you lay your hands in your lap right at the base of the spine. The hands form a bowl shape in the lap with the right palm on top of the left and the thumbs touching.
With your hands in this Mudra, begin box breathing by inhaling 3 counts, holding the breath for 3 counts then exhaling for 3 counts and holding out your exhale for 3 counts. Do this breath for about 3-5 minutes or for as long as feels good for you. This breath gets you centered and calms the nervous system. Next, keeping the eyes closed, start to allow the breath to flow in and out of the heart by imagining that you are breathing in and out of your heart center. Do this for 5-6 breaths. Open your eyes and answer the following questions in your journal. Try not to think too much about each question and just let the stream of consciousness flow out as you write.
1. What seeds do you want to plant in your life right now? OR what in your life do you want to give more attention into ~ i.e., are there any new projects you want to begin, creative ideas that want to be put in motion, trips you want to plan, etc.?
2. Is there anything holding you back from planting these seeds?
3. What if there was nothing holding you back - how would you feel and what would you do?
4. How do you want to feel in your life over the next few weeks?
5. How do you want to show up for yourself and for others over the next few weeks?
After you have answered these questions, take a few moments to review what you have written. Are there a few things that stand out? Words? Or a project you want to set in motion? From this reflection, set an intention for the next few weeks. And then write this intention and/or the words that stand on your piece of paper. Use colors or whatever works for you. Then place this paper somewhere where you can see it daily for the next few weeks.
What we keep bringing our attention to grows. And our energy starts to flow where our attention goes. So the more we see this intention - the more we head in that direction. Keep taking small action steps toward your new intention over the coming weeks and watch it begin to bloom as we move toward spring!
