Hey FA Readers! Many of you are familiar with our famous Daily Planning Calendar, which suggests days to plant vegetables and do household tasks for best results. Our Gardening By The Moon Calendar shows when to sow seeds, transplant crops, and harvest. We also have a Best Days Calendar that tells when to get your haircut, mow the lawn, and other activities. These calendars are based on a variety of factors that consider the position of the Moon in the zodiac.

Likewise, you may utilize each Phase of the Moon over the course of the month to set personal and professional goals, work towards objectives, assess outcomes, and restore with self-care practices. We consulted an experienced professional for the following article …

Moon Meditations

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “It’s just a phase I’m in,” you could be more right than you knew! Each night as you glance at the Moon you may notice the slight differences in its appearance. It starts dark and gains slightly more light day after day until it is a bright ball of light. Once full of light, the moonlight dwindles daily, getting  smaller and thinner (waning) until it nearly disappears to a full “black out” which is the new Moon. Then the cycle begins again. Each distinct change in the Moon’s appearance is considered to be a different phase. 

The Moon doesn’t change its size as it moves through its phases. The shape we see is a reflection of the Sun’s light on its surface which varies over the course of a month (due to the Moon’s orbit around the Earth). It takes the Moon 29.5 days to make a full cycle from dark to light and back again. From our Earthly perspective we experience many different phases along the way. Each of these is believed to have a connection with our mind.

The Moon is believed to affect our psychology on an unconscious level. Through intention, it may be possible to work with these various energies in each unique phases to improve our lives. Lunar movement is a powerful way to address planning—whether you are envisioning your next career move or weeding out old beliefs that are getting in the way of your goal. 

As the Moon orbits around Earth, it passes through the constellations of the zodiac. Each zodiac sign has its own characters and qualities. However for the purpose of this article, we will only be addressing the Moon phases themselves. 

8 Phases Of The Moon And Moon Meditations For Each

New Moon – Pause And Set Intentions

• Make time for yourself.

• Pause and reflect.

• Set intentions for the weeks ahead.

A New Moon is the opposite of a full Moon. It is when the Moon and Sun and closest to each other in the sky. When they are perfectly aligned, the Moon causes a Solar Eclipse.

The New Moon is a period of initiation. It is time to quiet yourself and discern which goals are most important at this time. Set aside an hour at a time convenient for you and bring a journal.

Try to dump all the ideas of what you’d like to do in the month ahead onto one sheet of paper. See if there is one important goal you want to accomplish in the next 30 days.

Write statements in present tense that will help keep you focused. To bring the exercise further, break the goal into tasks that you can log into your calendar under the new Moon. The idea is to ground in your current desire.

Waxing Crescent Moon – Visualize Goals

• Meditate on your desires. 

• Embrace your dreams with hope. 

• Work towards your intentions. 

The waxing crescent Moon occurs halfway between the new Moon and the first quarter moon. Use this time to meditate and envision your goals as if they were already accomplished. Embracing your goal with a feeling of hope and expectancy brings an internal alignment to the external goal.

Do additional work to activate your intentions such as writing a list of physical needs that you must gather in order to help the goal realize. 

First Quarter Moon – Overcome Resistance And Take Action

• Think about what is currently developing.

• Make decisions. 

• Overcome resistance and take action.

The first quarter Moon is your opportunity to release any feelings of resistance that are present. First identify any fears or blocks. You’ll notice what those fears are when you feel tension in your gut as you think about your goal. Once the blocks are known, use any kind of releasing ritual that is comfortable for you.

Under this energy you can also make any decisions that need to be addressed and take action toward them. Something, namely your goal, is growing. Imagine a seed sprouting its first roots and use that same idea with your goal. Imagine your goal in its infancy and see it beginning to expand.

Waxing Gibbous – Refine Plans

• Assess situations.

• Speak affirmations to gain confidence.

• Refine your ideas.

Halfway between first quarter and full Moon is the waxing gibbous Moon. During this time you can use your thinking mind to assess and evaluate your progress toward the goal and perfect the plan.

If your goal is too big to your analytical mind self-sabotage may creep in so develop your confidence and manage your expectations carefully. Mantras or writing “I Am” statements will help. Example: “I am fully prepared to do what it takes to reach my goal.”

Full Moon – Let Go And Focus On Healing

The Moon is “full” when it is furthest away from the Sun in the sky. (Learn more about full Moons here.)

• Quit bad habits.

• Focus on healing. 

• Release and let go. 

Under the light of the full Moon, block time for a releasing ceremony! The time has come to release and let go anything in the way of the goal you set under the new Moon. Are there patterns of behavior to change? Habits that need to shift?

Focus deeply on healing mental and emotional wounds that would keep you from attaining the goal at hand. The Emotional Freedom Technique is powerful protocol you can use for breaking negative patterns.

You can try writing a fear inventory or a letter of forgiveness to someone involved in your life. Choose a method that best suits you and use it under the light of the Moon.

Waning Gibbous – Review Your Progress

• Revisit your intentions.

• Take stock of progress made.

• Express gratitude.

The waning gibbous Moon which happens halfway between full Moon and last quarter is your occasion for analyzing both your intentions and your level of progress. It’s okay now to express what you’ve learned and share your findings with others. It’s even better if you express your gratitude. Your knowledge base is expanding, there is much to be thankful for and others will gain through your sharing.

Last Quarter Moon – Clear Your House And Mind

• Clean your house.

• Get rid of old things.

• Meditate to clear your mind. 

When the Moon is three-quarters of the way through its journey you are primed for cleaning. You don’t invite a house guest and have your abode a mess, and you can’t invite the successful attainment of a goal without cleaning out your environment either. There needs to be space for the goal to reside, so rid your physical space of clutter and then meditate to clear your mind. Honor yourself with solitude. Dwell upon your goal in its completed stage.

Waning Crescent – Integrate Lessons Learned

• Rest and reflect. 

• Be still and at peace. 

• Understand lessons learned. 

The Moon between last quarter and the new Moon is the waning crescent. It is a period of resting in excited anticipation of the goal fulfilled. There’s no need for more work to be done. Rest now and reflect. If you can clearly see the goal will be achieved,  journal what you learned. If it is apparent that you won’t receive the fullness of your intention, then what lessons can you now understand?

Each of the Moon phases have a role to play in the successful attainment of your goal. By applying the power available under each of them you give momentum to your dreams, you become an active energetic participant in them. Goals don’t happen by chance. Though miracles are real, goal-generating involves action on the part of the dreamer. The blueprint for realizing a vision is built into the moon phases. Don’t let it be “just a phase,” use your light well. 

Join The Discussion

Have you ever set goals during a New Moon?

Do you garden according to the phases of the Moon?

What is one thing you loved learning from this article?

Share your perspective with your community here in the comments below!

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