4 Ways to Honor the New Moon

ear Miracles~

For those of us who are magically minded the lunar phases offer wonderful opportunities to observe our scaro-magical work throughout a month. Because a full lunation is about a month long, we can use points along the way to “check in” with our work, our practices, and also to make ritual and ceremony. Traditionally there are at least two such points that sacred artists throughout time and around the world have been aware of: the New Moon and the Full Moon. Today we are going to focus on the New Moon.

The New Moon is the time in a lunar cycle when the moon is conjunct the sun. This moon is not in the night sky at all – it is up in the sky during daylight hours and it sets with the sun at night. That’s why the first view of the waxing crescent is so low in the evening sky – the moon has been chasing the sun. Daylight moontime. Like most all sky objects during the day it gets washed out by the sun and the blue. Also of note, there is no fixed ‘dark side of the moon’ – whatever side is away from the sun is dark. It changes as the moon orbits earth. What is fixed is the far side of moon.

New Moon nights are the best nights for stargazing.

Here are four guidelines to help you attune, bless, and be blessed in turn by the beautiful New Moon:

• Remember that the New Moon is New. This is the best time to begin new projects, seed new ideas, create new ceremonies, rituals, or simply begin another round of self-care and creative exploration.
• In many parts of the world New Moon is associated with youth, inexperience, and innocence. This makes it an especially good time to create any ceremonies honoring what and who is young in your life.
• Menstruating women have the ability to sync their cycles up with the phases of the moon. A woman whose cycle is not naturally following a lunation may sleep under moonlight for a month or two and find that all of a sudden she is in sync. Synchroncity with the moon means that menstruating women are at the peak of their fertility during the Full Moon and experience the onset of their blood time right before or on the New Moon. Therefore, all rituals of self-care, nurturing, and honoring what needs to be shed for now are quite appropriate. Peri or post menopausal women and men still have strong connections to the lunar phases as our bodies are over 70% water and the moon rules the tides.
• As the New Moon begins a new lunar month, it is a great time to do routine scaro-magical rites such as house cleansing and blessing, renewing protective talismans, and performing a monthly divination.