This post is about when to set your New Moon Reading intention. There may be good reasons for why practice suggestions are made but if someone tells you must practice in a certain way, this may be a moment to practice discernment. If you have been following the Lunar Abundance practice, you will know that it starts with crafting your intentions at the New Moon.
When we start a new practice – even a spiritual practice – we often bring over our old ways of needing to “get it right”. We don’t need to imbue this practice with rigidity and perfectionism. What I offer here is guidance to help you flow with the Moon Reading cycle, to become more gentle and loving with yourself, to trust more and enter into the flow of life.
The entire Lunar Abundance practice is intentionally designed to help you to cultivate self-knowledge, and create a better life. There is some structure to this practice, and there are reasons why I suggest to do things in a certain way if you are following along with me.
The Full Moon Offers a Time for Forgiveness
I suggest that you set your New Moon intention at the time of the New Moon Reading, or once the new cycle has actually started (in other words, not before the New Moon). Why? So often we race forwards to the Next Thing without pausing to take stock of where we are.
Part of this practice is to reflect on what has come to pass. As the Moon Reading wanes to darkness in the sky, one lunar cycle is drawing to a close. This is the time take the opportunity to practice reflecting on that previous lunar cycle.
Too often, we don’t take the time to look back to celebrate our achievements, and to feel into the best way forward for our dreams. This is why I suggest that we complete one lunar cycle before we start the next. Notice where you have been, give thanks for what you have received or learnt, and celebrate!
Moon Reading – Finally! An Offer Your List Will Thank
I encourage you set to your intentions shortly after the New Moon time send emails with the time each month. Again, don’t worry if it’s not on the buzzer. It does not need to be to the minute.
If the new moon is at 3 a.m. for instance, I don’t get up to set my intention. I am busy worshipping at the Temple of Sleep, and I’ll set my intention when I awake in the morning.
Remember, in Lunar Abundance we are working with the Moon Reading as a natural timekeeper. We are not suggesting that the Moon is actually making us do something. However, when you set your intention as close to the New Moon as possible that means that you get the benefit of a full lunar cycle (so, the month ahead) to work with your intention.
Read Also: The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
In the Lunar Abundance practice, we set our intentions at the New rather than Full Moon
This is because the New Moon is the first of eight moon phases: the beginning of the moon cycle, so the symbolic time for us to begin (again).
The Full Moon Reading, for me, is a time to practice other abundance principles- that of impermanence, release, course-correction, and right action. I’ll write more about these in future posts.
If you forget to set your intention at the New Moon
It is not too late. You can still set an intention in the New Moon Reading. The New Moon phase lasts three or four days, depending on which moon cycle we’re in – you can find out the time/date of the next New Moon phase by downloading your free Lunar Planner for the Northern or Southern Hemisphere right here.
You can still set an intention if you miss the New Moon phase all together, although that means that you won’t have the full moon cycle to work with your intention.
If you come to the intention-setting much later in the cycle, you could take the opportunity to start tracking the moon and feeling your feelings and make a note of the next New Moon date so that you can return and set an intention at that stage. I also email with times and dates for the new moon so you will never forget: sign up to receive these free email alerts here.
If you would like to set an intention that is not connected with the Moon Reading, by all means, set an intention whenever you like. However if you’d like to practice my personal practice, which is a multi-layered practice that harnesses the power of the moon as natural time-keeper, and which has many benefits like bringing us back into connection with our bodies, feelings, and our natural environment – then the time to set an intention is at the New Moon.
The New Moon phase is just the first step in the Lunar Abundance practice,
Lunar Abundance is based on all 8 phases of the moon cycle. I teach the practice in depth in the online Lunar Abundance Salon, but you can start the practice right now though – by setting an intention at the next New Moon, and witnessing what unfolds in your own life as a result.
In future blog posts I will be returning with more about these other phases, and more information to help you with how to set a new moon intentions and also how to also some guidance on what new Moon Reading to set.
For now I hope this piece has given some helpful guidance about how to start working with the Lunar Abundance practice.