Setting Intentions on a New Moon: Why and How

My love of astrology started on a pragmatic side: with predictive astrology. We human beings have an endless fascination with the future:  What does it have in store? What do the stars say? And so, at the time I'm writing this post, I've done over 5,000 professional readings.

But, there is another part of astrology that deeply appeals to the mystic in me: working with the Lunar Cycle, the cycle of manifestation and renewal. 

This post is about one part of the Lunar Cycle: working with the New Moon.

New Moon: the Optimal Time to Ask the Universe for What you Want

There is a sprinkle of magic to the energies of the New Moon!  As the Sun and the Moon come together, a new cycle starts. The yin and the yang merge and create fertile cosmic soil to plant your intentions, and to ask the Universe for what you want to come into your life. 

"What do intentions have to do with this?", you might be asking.

If you've taken a yoga class, you may have heard your instructor saying, "Set one intention for this practice.  Maybe it's about working on your obliques. Or maybe it's about working on your flexibility, physical and otherwise".  If you've worked with a coach, you probably heard them say, "Be intentional about how you show up at work". (Or at a meeting.  Or in your relationships with someone). 

Do try intention setting on the New Moon! It can be a deeply fulfilling experience...with surprisingly powerful results. 

Part of the magic is YOU. Intentions seem to focus our own energy field towards the achievement of what we are wishing for.  (Even if you're not thinking of what you're doing as your "energy field"!)

We find ourselves more likely to take that next step toward our goals. You could use any other technique that helps you focus your attention and energy. But....

....but!  Back to that sprinkling of magic: with intentions set on a New Moon, unexpected synchronicities appear all of a sudden. New, unexpected solutions materialize. Doors open. The Universe does seem to lend us a helping hand. 

A Personal Example: 

At the time I write this post, I've been working with the New Moon energies for close to 5 years. One of my recent intentions has been “I want to easily achieve work-life balance in my life, and for the overwork to stop”. My life had become too hectic: I have a busy professional career; a 3 year old; and my astrology and Tarot shop has grown beyond my wildest expectations (not that I’m complaining!).

I first set this intention on a New Moon almost a year ago. The results were surprisingly fast. Within a week, my  meeting schedule at work mysteriously cleared up. For months there were back-to-back virtual meetings spilling into the lunch hour, with high levels of stress.

All of a sudden, the pace slowed down and became pleasant but still productive. No more urgent requests for reports. No more last-minute meeting invites. No more emergencies. (It's not a typical result though. When you're just starting, it can take 3-6 months for the seedlings of your intentions to grow and mature, and to start bearing results).

Guess what....life-work balance improvements didn't stop there.  I work with a brilliant boss who also happens to be an over-achiever. I say "with" and not "for", because I've built the relationship into what I prefer: a partnership based on mutual respect. Still, her extreme focus on work and (sadly) lack of personal life has my departments hopping. (An astrology hack for reshaping your relationship with a challenging boss is coming soon! Stay tuned to the blog). 

A couple of months later, my boss got assigned to a high-profile project and virtually disappeared. Her new project was super high-paced, and she loved every minute of it. As far as my teams and I, everything still got done in her absence, but at a much more manageable pace 🙂 

And, I had much more time to spend with my daughter and my husband 💖✨

So here is my quick "How-To" cheat sheet:

How To: 

1. Set your intentions within 8 hours following the New Moon (but within 24 hours will still work).
   
   
2. Choose about 5 intentions (or wishes) to focus on. More than that seems to diffuse the energy. Pick 2-3 “big goals” and a couple of smaller things you’d like to change in your life.
   
   
3. Be very clear on what you're asking for. For example, consider what a "happy" relationship means to you. "Financially secure?", "emotional intimacy?", "good sex?", "a good father to your children?"
   
   
4.  Use the word “easily”. “I want to easily find a home to purchase that is right for me, and at the right price”. It took me a while to catch on to this, but it’s another tip that has worked for me.
   
   
5. Write down your intentions! Re-read them the next month and reflect on the progress. Thank the Universe for any signs of success, no matter how small. By noticing and celebrating progress, you're energetically aligning yourself to receive more blessings. 
   
   
6. Setting intentions for other people doesn’t seem to work. Not “I want John to take better care of his health”. (John is my husband, by the way 😊). But, “I want to easily find the right words that will encourage John to take better care of his health”.
   
   
7. It helps greatly if the New Moon is well-positioned. Challenging planetary connections on the day of the New Moon won’t harm you, but they don’t seem to bring the same results. Or else the results manifest in an unexpected (and sometimes turbulent) way.  If you are new to astrology, I highlight the planetary connections each New or Full Moon makes in my posts.  

To Go Deeper:

Good news! My MoonManifest course is now available in a self-study, recorded format.  You can start any month you'd like!  It includes a community page where you can ask questions and connect with like-minded individuals. 

What is this course about, you might ask? 

We all have the ability to draw what we desire to us, the ability to manifest the future we want. We don't always use it, because we don't know how!

We spend years in school, learning science and literature and many other subjects. Then we spend years developing skills we need for our career.

And yet, the skill to manifest the future we want? For most of us, we didn't learn it growing up - but we can certainly learn it as adults.