Artful Life Moon Circle - New Moon!

Are we really affected by the phases of the moon? Does the moon exert some magical pull on our watery bodies or our primitive minds? Maybe. What I do know for sure is that to flourish, we need to feel connected to the world around us. The practice of patterning our lives, even in small, symbolic ways, on the patterns of nature can be very affirming. For me, the cycle of the moon is a beautiful reflection of the cycles of increase and decrease in my own life.

 

Hello Beautiful!

It's moon circle time again! Here on the Artful Life we meet at each New and Full Moon to share inspiration and intentions, and to align our energies with the lunar cycles.

I love New Moon! To me it's like a mini-New Year's every month. It's a chance to begin a-new, reset the cycle, plant seeds, plant goals, be fresh. One night it's all in darkness; the next night there's this delicate sliver of silver, just a thread in the twilight, setting with the setting sun. It always takes my breath away. I get this little surge of hope, an affirmation that it is always possible to begin again, that we all, always, have a chance at a clean slate. I love that magic! It's a time for cleansing, renewal, setting intentions, and beginning anything to do with abundance, the emotions, etc.. Do you want something to increase? Then take steps towards it, symbolic and practical, on the new moon. Want some specific advice about how to set intentions on the New Moon? Read this post.

Powerful Venus

In researching the meaning of this month's New Moon, I came across these words from astrologer Lynn Hayes. (You can read the whole article here.)

Libra is ruled by Venus, and Venus is quite powerful right now since it's virtually stationary as it prepares to change direction to turn retrograde.  With four planets in Libra, and Venus stationary, we are seeing the more powerful aspect of the Goddess of Love.  I have always found it interesting that the truly ancient cultures (Babylonia, Sumeria, ancient India) have much more powerful representations of the goddess of love and sexuality than the Venus of Roman patriarchal culture.  Ishtar, Astarte, Ashtoreth, Innana - these were powerful ladies that instilled awe and even fear into the populace.  Venus has become a bit of a cartoon character in some circles - the Playboy Bunny of the zodiac.  But the instinct for love and attachment is one of the most primal archetypes in human experience, and it is this archetype that is at play in today's New Moon. 

Because of certain aspects of the planet Venus right now, this month's New Moon is kind of a big deal - especially in the places in your life that have to do with attachments and patterns regarding love and money. Wow. I think today is a really excellent time to clear some space for yourself to be in solitude, maybe in nature, under a big sky and near water. Use this time for prayer and meditation. Allow any inner wisdom to rise up. Now is the moment to acknowledge any secrets you may have been keeping from yourself, or truths you have known deep down but hesitate to acknowledge. This is a great time to break old patterns.

One last thing: I recently discovered this weekly podcast from New York astrologer Anne Ortelee. I've found it to be a really valuable resource.

Anyone is welcome to join the Moon Circle! 

If this is your first Moon Circle, read this Moon Circle post to find out what it's all about. Check out all the Artful Life Moon Circles here.

What patterns are you ready to break? Where do you need to see the truth in your life? Any intentions regarding love or money? (ha!) Set your intention now, by joining our comments circle.

p.s. You are welcome to post your intentions anytime during the waxing (increasing) moon - that is for the next two weeks. The most powerful time in the next two days.