How to do a new moon ritual: Set your intentions to attract what you want
The most powerful thing you can do to harness the energy of the new moon is to do a ritual, and today we'll share with you all you need to know about how to use a new moon ritual to set your intentions and attract what you want.
It's important to understand why the new moon is such a potent time to do our self-growth work, set intentions, and manifest. A lunar cycle starts with a new moon, then the moon waxes (grows) until it is full, and wanes (shrinks) until it is new again. This means that the new moon is a time of death and rebirth, and it holds a powerful energy of transformation. Each new moon is a time for us to reflect on what we are letting go of and what we are calling in. For millennia, the new moon has been a time that women gather in new moon circles to support one another through this process. To find a new moon circle near you, click here.
“While the full moon is about completion, the new moon is about new beginnings. The new moon holds the energy of release, purification, transformation, inner reflection, and rejuvenation, and rebirth.”
Set your intentions. Because the new moon holds the energy of dark and fertile soil, it's important to plant seeds of intention for what you wish to grow in your life.
Every new moon, you have the opportunity to speak directly to the universe, and know that your affirmations and intentions are fertilizing the womb of creation. The seeds may take a while to gestate, but they will indeed grow if you continue to water them with your attention and inner work.
A beautiful way to set intentions is to first journal about all the desires in your heart. Lay it all down on paper -- what you wish to create for yourself in your relationships, your career, your home life, your aspirations, and your inner relationship to yourself.
As you write, take note of how you want to feel. Then, you can crystallize your biggest points from journaling into one sentence that encapsulates the feeling you most want to achieve... or, you can list three bullet-points of what specific desires feel most alive in your heart.
Here is a simple new moon ritual to assist you in harnessing the power of the new moon to supercharge your intentions.
You will need: A chalice or cup of water, paper and pen, one candle, dried herb bundle such as cedar, thyme, or rosemary.
To prepare: Journal and find your new moon intentions, using our instructions above.
Start by placing all the supplies for your ritual on your altar or on a table. Light the candle. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths as you find your center, become fully present, and let all the stress of your day go.
Light your dried herbs and move the smoke around your body and around your supplies for the ritual. As you do say, speak out loud about what you are releasing. This can be a long list, spoken spontaneously, or the same sentence over and over again.
Crack open a door or window to allow the smoke and negative energy to leave. Place your hand on your heart, take a deep breath, and feel gratitude for the energy that has just been released.
With your paper and pen, write down your intentions. Be sure not to include any negative words. This will create a clear, positive intention.
(For example, instead of "I will not be so hard on myself," write "I choose to think positive thoughts about myself," or "I fully love and accept myself exactly as I am.")
Hold your chalice or cup of water up to your lips and speak your intentions out loud into the water. As you do this, feel your intentions come to life in your body. Feel the intentions as though they are already done, and they are true.
(Optional: Visualize your intentions coming true, taste the life you are creating, imagine the sounds you will hear when your intention is realized. You can also sing or tone into the water as you feel your intentions come to life.)
Drink the water from your cup. Imagine each cell in your body absorbing the intentions and aligning you with the vibration you need to be in order to fully receive them. Be open to your desires being fulfilled by the universe in unexpected ways. Know that your intentions have been heard, and the universe is busy transforming them into reality.
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths as you feel gratitude deep in your heart. When you are ready, open your eyes, and the ritual is complete.
Want more new moon rituals to help you achieve specific intentions such as body healing, clearing mirrors, or forgiveness?
We provide many for free.