The new moon or “dark of the moon” occurs when the side of the moon that is facing us on Earth is not illuminated by the sun because they rise and set together in unison.

Today we have a new moon in Aquarius – with a few extra planetary influences we need to consider!

This is a very changeable moment, so if you or ones you love are prone to mood swings then be prepared, today may be one of those days! However… With a focused mind and stable emotions, you can react quickly and decisively to changing conditions.

Mercury sextile Mars gives the quick thinking and reflexes needed to react to unexpected change. It can make you driven to succeed at something you set your mind and will to, a stronger than usual sense of purpose and initiative. You can achieve a lot in a short amount of time, with the courage and determination to take on just about anything.

Venus sextile Jupiter brings opportunity, breakthroughs in achievement and helps calm things down. Like Mercury sextile Mars, it also brings a little ooh la la… a hefty helping of charisma and the ability to charm, which will help to relieve any relationship tensions you may be experiencing with loved ones. Most of all, this harmonious aspect fosters warmth, love, and understanding. It brings the prospect of renewed or new love and partnerships that will be genuine and mutually respectful and beneficial, everyone looking forward in the same direction.

You may find you’ve been having very intense and vivid emotionally charged or dramatic dreams too. Don’t read too much into them today, your human emotions and fears are just being processed!

Any new moon is a great time to meditate on setting new intentions, starting new projects and for giving thanks for the existing skills and abilities we carry. It is literally the best time to sow new seeds in any area of our lives that need a breath of fresh air, rejuvenation and creative growth. We can focus on new beginnings and transform doubt, worry and anxiety into hope, action, strength, courage and peace.

We can focus our intention on personal goals in our career, family harmony, improved relationships with partners or friends, health, finances, a calmer home, or any aspect of our earthly existence that needs new energy. We can set out our intent to explore new avenues on our spiritual path, or ask to find fresh new understanding of any recent events that have impacted our lives.

We can also focus on wider issues, such as bringing new ideas and energetic input to those who can bring about world peace, an abundance of food for all on the planet, to help humanity find a new way to be living in harmony with the earth, nurturing home environments for everyone, healthy relationships, a world where diversity is embraced. Wording our intent is incredibly important, we are not focusing on lack, e.g. hunger, homelessness, war, etc. We are focusing on the new, creating, harnessing that fresh new chance of creativity, instead of that which we may fear.

How to meditate with new moon energy:

1. Begin by preparing a sacred space, be that inside your mind and/or by creating a space to meditate in at home. Peace and quiet and being undisturbed for the duration is important.

2. Ground yourself and place protection around yourself in whichever way you feel comfortable with.

3. Light a white candle (a mini birthday candle, tea light or short beeswax candle is ideal) and as you do, give thanks and state your intent that you are about to open to receive the guidance of whomever you believe in, be that your guides, angels, God(s) or Goddesses, Buddha etc.

Welcome them and give them permission to assist you in creating your sacred intentions, and helping you manifest your visions and ideas into reality. Light incense and use herbs or oils if you wish, ideally star anise, juniper, valerian, cedar or sandalwood. Make sure the candle is placed somewhere it can burn down safely ideally without being blown out.

4. Write down your sacred intention for this meditation. It can also be helpful to draw symbols or sigils if you are so inclined e.g if you are a Reiki practitioner you may wish to draw the power symbol Cho Ku Rei. Make it something that represents your vision. If you keep a psychic development journal you can make these new moon meditations a part of your ongoing entries. Channel your mental and emotional energies into your written intention, and state your intention clearly, making sure that it is worded with no expense or detriment to anyone else.

5. If you are meditating in a group, visualise a bright cord of light (your chosen colour) connecting you from the solar plexus to all in your group, and to the powers guiding you, allowing yourself to feel each connection linking with yours, allowing the illusion of separation to melt away.

6. Meditate for as long as you feel comfortable, holding crystals if you wish. I like to use selenite, moonstone, clear quartz, carnelian or labradorite.

7. Close down with a disconnection of the cords, visualise each person in your group disconnecting and returning to their individual purpose with clarity. Give thanks to all connected for the experiences you received.

8. Repeat your chosen grounding ritual and reinforce your protection. Allow the candle to burn down safely somewhere without being blown out if you can. (Tea lights usually burn 2-4 hours, or use a birthday cake mini candle. for a very short burn time)

Place the paper you’ve written your intentions on in a sacred place (altar, journal, Book of Shadows etc) until the moon becomes full at which time you can review your intentions. You can check in at different times in the following moon cycle to see if your progress corresponds with the waxing or waning energies of the moon.

More power to you, brightest blessings and until next time, lots of love…
Rachel xxx