Working with the Moon Phases
Whether you realise it or not, the moon’s energy is impacting you. The moon governs the tide of the seas and oceans, and in ancient times was used a calendar as the moon cycle is 29 days, so could be used to track the changing seasons, helping farmers know when the best time to harvest crops was going to be. This is where the word month (moonths) comes from. The moon not only influences our months but also our daily cycle. The darkness of the moon regulates our sleep patterns.
The moon features heavily in many spiritual practices and many religions worship the moon, having countless deities associated with the moon, mostly female.
La Luna represents feminine energy, and this is echoed by a women’s menstrual cycle, naturally being 29 days, and perfectly aligning with the energies of each phase of the moon.
I have had a long-standing love for the moon, and a real sensitivity to the moon’s phases, so much so that I was gifted. telescope for my birthday a few years ago by my boyfriend, because during my real ‘dark night of the soul’ after my diagnosis, and also before that to some extent, I used the moon as an anchor point when I feel like my world was spinning out of control. It helped me ground back to the present, gain some perspective and connect myself to the earth.
I would get lost in the glow of the moon, and gaze at her beauty in amazement and wonder. She is a vision of comfort, peace, and a tether to home that helps me come down from moments of anxiety and chaos.
One of the many ways I have connected to the moons cycles and energy is in losing my menstrual cycle. Being in medical menopause for the last 3 years, having been someone who connected with my own cycle and enjoyed the routine of cyclical living to guide my energy, I felt loss and scarcity, a feeling of being disconnected from a part of me, and all of a sudden thrown into a place of no structure or cycle. So I looked to the moon to help regulate some sort of routine in my life. Instead of working with my own phases, I work with hers…so I want to break down how I do that, what each moon phase is useful for, and how to best use your energy at each point.
When we look to the chakra system, the original symbol for the sacral, our centre of sex, and creativity was a silver crescent moon. This is also the chakra governed by the element water.
☽ New Moon☽
The darkest phase of the moon.
The beginning.
The spring time.
A new cycle, and for those menstruating, the beginning of your bleed.
It is a time when the sky is the darkest, a time for contemplations, and reflection. Going inwards and pausing.
It is a time for deep cleansing, and release. A perfect time for a little detox, and a reset. A time to recalibrate.
In Ayurveda this is a time when vata energy increases, so scheduling rest days, gentle grounding practice, restorative yoga can be really benefical.
Self Massage to ground and cleansing foods to support the movement and space for renewal.
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Makes space for setting new intentions, with the invitation to start again. It is the perfect time to let go of old patterns and behaviour we don’t want to carry through with us into the next cycle.
Write down your intentions
Write some affirmations for the months ahead.
Self Massage using sesame oil to start grounded
Cleansing Foods like Kitchairi
Restorative yoga pratice
Consider new projects you may want to start.
☽ Waxing Moon ☽
The beginning of space between a new moon and a full moon.
A time for increasing your energy, as you naturally feel the urge to be creative.
The summer period, where energy is starting to build.
It is a time for your desires to start bubbling under the surface.
To get motivated and allow your energy and vitality to shine.
In Ayurveda, this is a time to build Ojas and is a natural time for Kapha energy to increase.
This is a time to start to put into action, your intentions from the new moon, and start to allow things to come into your life with ease and grace.
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Bath in the moon’s energy, get outside, and take some evening walks.
Start to make a note of the things that come to you, ideas you have, bursts of creativity.
Celebrate yourself, and all your wins no matter how small.
Dance, move your body intuitively and allow your energy to build.
☽ First Quarter ☽
The halfway point between the new moon and the full moon.
The time where the newness novelty can start to falter and the hard work creeps in.
This is a time to start to notice obstacles and find a way to navigate them.
maintain balance in your life as you go from rest to overworked easily.
It’s a time where procrastination can threaten and we can start to let self-sabotaging behaviors take over.
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Allow yourself to be with your emotions.
What can you learn from the challenges you are facing?
How can you shift and pivot to stay in line with your energy?
Balancing practices like alternate nostril breathing.
Yoga flow to balancing, and root chakra support.
EFT to overcome negative self-talk
☽Waxing Gibbous ☽
The time before the full moon.
Still in our summer, still in our action phase.
But now it is time to check in with yourself. What is working and what isn’t?
Are there obstacles you can’t overcome, challenges that are becoming a struggle?
What kind of support do you need in order to move forward, and how do you need to refined your process.
As we get closer to the full moon, the time for letting go, this is a time we can start to think and make note of what those things might be.
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Continue with your practices from the first quarter and waxing crescent.
Daily affirmations and gratitude.
Being in the moon’s energy, allowing yourself to bath in her light to gain clarity
Celebrate your wins! Even in amongst the challenges.
Maintain grounding, intuitive practices to help you stay connected and present.
☽Full Moon ☽
LET IT GO, and have some fun!
The wildest time of the lunar cycle.
The fire, and in Ayurveda a time when Pitta energy increases.
A time where it is thoughts that people become their boldest, most magnetic selves.
This is a time to celebrate, and socialise, and reap the benefits of the life you are creating!
As we bask in the glory of the full moon, and the energy intensifies we are invited to reflect and have gratitude but also allow ourselves to shed the burden of anything that is holding us down!
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Take some time to celebrate yourself, and marvel at all you have achieved.
Visualise the life you are creating, and visualise a place and time where all your intentions have come to fruition.
Write a list of all of your wins.
Thank the moon for all her support.
☽Waning Gibbous ☽
The beginning of the time between the full moon and the new moon.
The winter phase.
In Ayurveda, this is a time where we begin to see Vata increasing.
A perfect time to start thinking of wrapping up projects, and organising what needs to be done.
It is a time we may start to feel bloated, and have slower digestion as we prepare to rest and release.
What needs to be finished off, what is no longer important?
If we consider the moon cycle as a project timeline, this is where we start checking things are aligned and in placed to complete the project. This isn’t a time to be taking anything new on, or starting a new project.
It’s time to get to work, spiritually. To dig deep and see what resources you need to draw on, and those that aren’t helping in reaching your goals.
Maybe it is physical, emotional, or mental. Whatever it is is, it needs to go.
Now is the time to roll up your sleeves and dive into some spiritual/self-growth work. It’s time to identify at least one area of your life that is getting in the way of fulfilling your goal/intention, and work toward releasing that in your life.
Ritual
Belly breathing - breath of fire to stimulate Agni.
Meditate, and journal daily.
Allow yourself to see the things that are no longer serving you.
Write a list of all you do not need going forward, all that is holding your back that isn’t serving your highest self.
Now let it go and set yourself free.
☽ Last Quarter ☽
The release practice.
A time to make space.
What do you need to put in place to release what you need to?
During the Waning Gibbous Moon, you identified one area of your life that you want to release.
This is a time to set that release in motion. What action do you need to take?
Make space to call in the support you need by releasing what you don’t.
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Ujjayi breath to start your day with some warmth.
De-clutter, organize, write a list of all the loose ends that can be wrapped up.
Use the 1 action a day method - in the mornings, aside from your to-do list, set yourself 1 action to complete, for example, an email that needs sending, a call you need to make and make the intentions of completing at least that one thing each day.
Yoga flow to generate some heat as you mentally begin to wind down.
Transformational breathwork practice to let go, and release anything.
☽ Waning Cresent ☽
Time to recuperate.
Clean house, and make room for the new.
Coming out of hibernation and introspection, moving towards the spring phase.
Welcoming in some Vata energy and honor the past week of reflection and letting go, preparing for space.
This phase reminds us to take some time for self-care, for some last-minute cleansing.
I imagine this as the time where you prepare for guests to arrive, the last-minute dash to clean up, tidy your mess.
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Ramp up the self-care
Get your inner tools list out, and practice something for yourself every day.
Plan a week of self-care rituals
Cleanse your space
Take a break from over-stimulating activities.
Can you see how each phase of the moon relates to our life and can help us navigate and align with the universal energies available to us?