5 Steps to New Moon Intention-Setting

I'm a true moon child: born under a full moon, while the sun was in Cancer, which is ruled by the moon.  I live by the moon phases, and never cease to be amazed by it's influence over our lives.

A new moon cycle begins today, signifying rebirth and a fresh start.  New Moon energy is a wonderful time to set new intentions, and meditate on what you'd like to see happen in your life.  I've been practicing this ritual for a few years now, and it is a magical thing to look back through my journal, at past intentions and goals I've offered to the New Moon, and to witness how they have actually come to fruition.  You can develop a meaningful, monthly ritual all your own.  Here are five steps to setting New Moon intentions:

1. Start with a clean slate: cleanse your body and prepare your space.  Soak yourself in an Epsom salt bath.  Burn sage or Palo Santo.  Light candles, incense, or both.  Play music that inspires and grounds you (my go-to is Mazzy Star). 

2. Center yourself: prepare your mind and spirit.  Sit comfortably and connect to your breath--slow and steady inhalations and exhalations.  Contemplate your life as it is in this moment: what are you ready to let go of, what are you ready to invite in?

3. Write it down: what you are leaving behind.  The New Moon is as much about endings as it is about beginnings, making it an ideal time to release anything in your life that is no longer serving you, whether that be an emotion (anger, pain, attachment), a relationship, a job, or a habit.  Whatever it is you'd like to release hold of, write it down.  I've heard of people burning these notes to signify the disintegration of whatever they felt was holding them back, but a friend of mine once advised me to freeze them instead--like, literally put them in the freezer.  What this does is freezes off the energy of the thing.  Too weird?  Just try it.

4. Write it down: what you intend to manifest, moving forward.  This is the juicy part! Start to focus in on what you want.  Dream big!  How do you want to feel?  What do you want to be doing?  And with whom?  Write down your intentions as they come to you.  After writing down your desires, take time to envision those intentions manifested.  In other words, take a picture in your mind of what you want your life to look like.  This vision should leave you with a sense of peace and trust.

5. End with gratitude.  As with any time you ask for something and trust that it will be delivered, say "thank you."  Christiane Northrup writes, "Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life."  Take a few moments to cultivate feelings of gratitude for your life as it is in this moment, and for all that is yet to come.

Happy New Moon!