Moon Practice: Ritual for a Spring New Moon

New moons are traditionally and metaphorically a time for planting seeds. The moon is dark and the energy is generally a little quieter and more self-reflective. Many people tend to feel that they need to sleep a little longer, dream a little longer, stay in instead of going out. It’s an introspective time for us and for the moon as she slips into the darkness.

In my experience, the moon phases give me a really beautiful way to stay connected to my desires and intentions. As the moon constantly cycles between new and full, we can reflect on how death and birth are absolutely intertwined. Endings always create space for something new to be born, and new beginnings can’t happen until certain things have come to completion. We have to honor both our grief and our hope, often at the very same time. They are not mutually exclusive.

One of the reasons I love practicing with the moon is that it’s truly something we all share. Whatever our religion, tradition, or background, we all experience the cycling of the moon, and there are universal symbols we can use to honor the energy of endings and beginnings, to stay close to our desires and our grief. Here is a ritual I like. Feel free to try it for yourself or make up your own version, there’s no right or wrong way to do it!

If you did my ritual for the last full moon, you will have a piece of paper with your wishes on it that you can use in this ritual. If you’re starting from scratch, that’s fine, too.

You’ll need:

• A candle
• A pen and paper
• A bowl of water
• Honey, wine, or juice
• Flower petals, leaves, or an aromatic oil you like
• A jar or container

Light the candle to indicate the beginning of the ritual.

If you have the paper with your wishes on it from the full moon ritual, take that out and read it. On a fresh page, add anything else that has come up for you. What are your hopes now? What do you want to build in your life with the waxing moon and the warming spring?

On a small piece of the paper, distill down these wishes to one word or phrase that can help you remember your primary intention. You’ll put this somewhere where you will see it often, like on your fridge. You could take a picture of it and make it your phone background if you want (but no phones during the ritual!).

Read each piece of paper out loud, and then carefully burn each one over the bowl of water. Fire represents transformation, and here it transforms the wishes from in your head to out there in the world with the smoke, water, and air.

Add a splash of wine, juice, or honey to the bowl, representing sweetness and luck for your wishes. Sprinkle the flower petals, leaves, or oil into the mix to ground the wishes in reality, connecting them with the earth.

Blow out the candle to indicate that the ritual is over. Pour the contents of the bowl into a jar or container, and add a splash of the mix to your bath or shower until the next full moon. This is intended to help you remember your intentions and symbolically soak up your wishes as the moon waxes with the spring.