How to Manifest with the New Moon
Working with the moon phases is an accessible way to deepen our connection both to nature and to ourselves. I find that honoring these rhythms of nature can make it easier to identify, recognize and honor our own natural ebbs and flows.
During the new moon cycle, the sun and moon align with each other, merging yang energy - the heating, masculine, assertive energy of the sun, with yin energy - the cooling, feminine, receptive energy of the moon. The balancing of these two polar opposite energies in the dark sky creates a powerful invitation to both let go and start new - it's the perfect canvas for a fresh start.
In our hustle and grind, technology-based modern society, we have widely lost connection to the rhythms and flow of the natural world around us, but intentionally working with these cycles can bring deep understanding into our lives as well as help accelerate anything we wish to manifest.
Rooting force is the strongest and soil is most fertile during the new moon phase as lunar gravity pulls water up from the earth, making this the optimal time to plant seeds as farmers have done for centuries. Taking the cue from farming traditions, here's a "clearing land and planting seeds" ritual to do during the new moon. As always, please adopt and change any aspect of this ritual to make it right for you.
1) Reflect on the month. I like to choose 3 key words or phrases that best describe or summarize the previous month. I find this helps bring the snapshot of my life into focus.
2) Write down something you'd like to release or let go of this month. This can be something that you intuitively know is holding you back from being your best self, maybe a one-way friendship that drains you or an unhealthy attachment to a substance or habit.
3) Cultivate gratitude. In a journal, take three minutes to write down everything you're thankful for - this can be from the month before, the year as a whole so far, or your entire life in general. Cultivating a feeling of gratitude helps accelerate manifestation as the universe naturally matches our vibration and gives us more of the energies that we're emitting.
4) What do you want to create? List three experiences you'd like to have or qualities you'd like to cultivate in the month ahead. You can include specific events, work goals, or broader responses such as more time with friends, more friendship, travel, more time in nature, more connection with a partner etc.
5) Get intentional. Now it's time to choose intentions for the month ahead. You can focus on one major intention or make a list of a few key things you'd like to accomplish in the upcoming month. If choosing multiple intentions, I like to stay under seven to avoid feelings of overwhelm. These can be big and bold (start a business) or smaller yet still important (clean out closets and drawers). When writing your intentions, try to make them as specific and realistic as possible. For instance, if you've been been meaning to get more sleep so that you feel better-rested during the day, write that as "I will get into bed at 10 p.m. at least three nights a week so that I can be asleep by 10:30 p.m." Getting specific allows you to easily combine goals also. Say you've been wanting to spend more time outdoors and also get more exercise, you can combine these as "I will take a 20-minute walk outside at least twice a week and walk in a park for an hour at least one Saturday this month (or whatever goals are appropriate and feasible for your and your lifestyle).
6) Aligned action. Our lives are the sum of both our subconscious programming and conscious actions, which means we have to do our part by taking action steps as well. If your big goal is to start a business, what tangible steps can you take towards that this month? Chunk that down into doable tasks, such as finding a designer to create a logo, getting business cards printed, or start building the home page of the website. If you want to clean out your closets and drawers, commit to doing one drawer a day and one closet over a weekend. Breaking big goals down into manageable tasks helps keep the momentum strong and the process moving forward.
7) Visualization. Sit quietly in a place where you won't be disturbed for 10-15 minutes. Call into your heart space the gratitude that you wrote down earlier and concentrate on the feeling of joyful abundance flowing to every cell in your body. Now call to mind a vision of your highest, most favorite version of yourself. Then concentrate on how it feels in the physical body to accomplish these goals and manifest these experiences. Try to bring the specifics of each vision into clear focus - how does this look, how does it feel in your body, does it have a color, texture or shape? How do you feel, where do you feel it, what are you wearing, how do you act, what do you say, what do you hear others say, what do you see when you've achieved this? Try to hold the clear vision for a minimum of 17 seconds. Repeat this visualization as often as needed with each major goal you have for the upcoming month. Close with a prayer or blessing of gratitude.
Options to mix and match into your New Moon Ritual:
1) Perform a cord cutting. You know those unhelpful things that you identified earlier as something you'd like to release from your life? You can take that piece of paper and either burn in a safe, fireproof container or aggressively cut it up to help energetically sever ties and help you begin this new 28-day cycle FRESH!
2) Connect with the Earth. The water table is highest during the New Moon so walking barefoot or lying on the grass, earth or beach will help create a feeling of groundedness and connection in your body and energy field.
3) Get a haircut. I try to only cut my hair on the four days surrounding the New Moon as it will grow back faster if cut during this time.
4) Self-care. How can you best support the new energy and experiences you're welcoming in for the month ahead? If you're welcoming in more harmony and flow, maybe stimulate the creative parts of your brain with some art therapy like adult coloring books or painting, bake, take a dance class or make time to be near the water or take detox baths (my go-to recipe is below),
Moon energies are highest during the two days leading up and after the new moon, so don't worry if you can't do the ritual on the actual day of the New Moon!
What are you welcoming into your life in the upcoming 28-day cycle?
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New Year Sweetness
- Gather your supplies. You'll need a large bowl filled halfway with water and 4-12 de-stemmed blooms of your favorite flower(s). Notes: Roses are said to have the highest vibration of any flower.
- Find a comfortable seat on the ground on a yoga mat or cushion - either inside or outside. You may want to place a rolled blanket underneath your sits bones to help support you and keep your pelvic bowl and spine in alignment. Arrange your supplies as desired around your space with the bowl of water directly in front of you.
The Energetics of Chasing
Whether it’s love, good health, a solid relationship, serenity, freedom, a title, respect, or a certain number in the bank or on the scale - anything you chase will always be outside of you.
Apart from you.
A Perpetual Separation.
The energy of chasing by nature keeps you in pursuit and the desired "thing" running away from you. This creates more resistance & frustration and actually widens the gap between you and what you want.
Andrea Pacini
Author