The Moon changes every day, and so does what we naturally have strength for. The new moon is for seeds, the full moon for harvest and for letting go. Here is how to plan a month around it.
When I ask clients what they find hardest about working with the Moon, the answer is almost always the same: "I never know what to do when." In practice it is enough to split the month in two and hold one simple key — one half is for growing, the other for letting go.
New moon: time for seeds
At the new moon we cannot see the Moon at all. It is the darkness something grows out of, and that is exactly how it can be used. This is not a time for big output, but for a quiet decision about what you want to give room to.
- Write down three things you want to develop this cycle. Not thirty. Three.
- Phrase them in the present tense, as if they were already true.
- Keep the note somewhere you look anyway — your wallet, a mirror.
The new moon is inward. If you feel like staying home during those days, that is not laziness — it simply lines up with the cycle.
Waxing moon: adding
Between the new and full moon the light grows and so does energy. This is the part for starting, reaching out, arranging and being among people. Anything that needs courage belongs here.
A waxing moon does not only add light. It adds whatever you are giving attention to — whatever that happens to be.
Full moon: seeing and naming
The full moon illuminates. That is why whatever you overlooked all cycle surfaces now — in relationships, at work, in yourself. It tends to be intense and many people sleep badly.
Do not make major decisions in anger at the full moon. Emotions run louder than the situation warrants. Write them down and come back in two days.
Waning moon: letting go
The last quarter is for clearing — literally and otherwise. A sorted wardrobe, a finished email, a conversation brought to a close. Anything that only takes up room.
- What took the most energy from me this cycle?
- What can I leave behind before the next new moon?
- Who am I owing an answer — myself, or someone else?
Lunar phases are not a schedule you must keep. They are more like a weather forecast — you can still go out in the rain, it just helps to bring a coat.