How to Get Started Setting New Moon Intentions & Goals
A few years ago, I intuitively decided to start paying attention to what phase the moon was in: i.e when it was waxing towards a full moon, when it was waning to a new moon.
With that awareness, I started making new goals around the new moon, and checking in on them about two weeks later around the time of the full moon.
Then, I came to learn that this was actually a thing.
And ever since then, I’ve loosely followed this practice (loosely meaning sometimes I get more into it than other times…sometimes I’ll write out my goals and intentions, sometimes I just think of them around a certain moon phase)
I bring this up because right around this time, the new moon phase is in the sign of Aries, the start of the zodiac signs (each moon is in an astrological sign, and we can think about the energy or characteristics of each sign around which we set our new moon intention).
So in a way, the New Moon in Aries marks a second ‘New Year’ of sorts; a fresh slate or start, a great time for setting intentions for the next 12 months.
I love this so much, as there can be so much hustle and bustle around the calendar new year of Jan 1st, that often setting goals, intentions and resolutions at this time can feel rushed and be more anxiety inducing than exciting.
And when we take the time to set our goals, we want to feel excited and
E X P A N S I V E.
Setting your goals and intentions at this time of the New Moon in Aries definitely caters to feeling more spacious and expansive, especially with spring in the air.
Even if following new/full moon cycles isn’t your thing, that’s totally cool! The first day of a month is also a great time to set goals and the end of the month is a great time to check in and reflect on them too.
When it comes to New Moon intention setting, practices and rituals, there are many out there, so do what feels fun, exciting or soothing to your soul.
Here are my go-to’s:
Understand where we are at in the lunar cycle— I like to use timeanddate.com to look up when the new moon is officially happening in my timezone and will note it in my calendar.
Scheduling New Moon time+ Spaciousness in my calendar: usually around this time, I try to schedule very little, if anything. I allow the 24-48 hours leading up to the new moon and after to feel wide open and spacious, so when the time comes, if I need some extra rest, relaxation and reflection time, I have it. I’ll also use this time to journal, do breathwork, or spend intimate time with family and friends vs. doing big group activities.
Look into/Research the energy & characteristics of the New Moon-each moon, depending on the zodiac sign it’s in, will have a certain energy or characteristics you can tune into. This took some time for me to learn (and I’m still learning), but this is also the fun part! Learning about the energy or characteristics of the sign the new moon is in can guide the specific intentions you set. Some of my fave places to look this up:
The Moonology Oracle Cards or the Moonology Manifestation Oracle Cards by Yasmin Boland
Once I am a bit clearer on the energy of the new moon, I plan time & sit to write out my intentions (or mindfully think of and create them) around the time of the New Moon, or within the 48 hours after it ‘officially’ occurs.
______________________
When and how we decide to set intentions & goals is a completely personal process, and I invite you to honor a process that feels good for you, whether it’s following the moon cycles or setting goals monthly or quarterly based on the calendar.
Now I’d love to hear from you!
When do you like to dream big and set your intentions and goals?
Do you have any special practices or rituals you do when you do them ?
(Ie drink your favorite tea, light a favorite candle, listen to any music?)
Feel free to drop a comment below or email me at hello@jasmineraecoaching.com
