There is one moment every month when the sky becomes completely dark of the moon. A quiet moment that is barely noticed in the modern world, yet the female body remembers it deeply.
The Female Cycle and the Moon
Like women, the moon fills and empties each month.
Some believe that on a collective level, women who lived together in tribes (today it is known that the menstrual cycles of women living together often synchronize) and whose role was giving birth, would menstruate together and ovulate together. Some believe ovulation would occur around the time of the full moon. In this way, the woman too was in her fullness, at her peak.
During the new moon, when the moon empties itself, the woman also empties herself of blood, of the "old" tissue within her womb. This happens on average every 28 days, just like the cycle of the moon itself (if we consider the average of both the sidereal and synodic month).
The forgotten knowledge of women's connection to their cycles is so important. For our personal and collective health. This is why I dedicate so much of my time to teaching women how to reconnect to their cyclical nature in the deepest way, and how to use the gift of this wondrous cycle. You can read more about it in my Your Cycle Wisdom workshop.
What Is So Special About the New Moon?
The new moon is the time when there is no moon in the sky. After a day or two, a thin crescent begins to appear and slowly grows until it reaches its fullness during the full moon (and this important time deserves a separate post).
This is not only the beginning of a new lunar cycle, but also an opportunity for us to be reborn, just like the moon.
This dark time, when there is no moon in the sky, is a time for turning inward. Just before things are born, they dwell in darkness. I am not speaking of darkness in its negative sense. I am speaking of darkness like the darkness within the womb, where new life is created, just before the birth of something new.
In most ancient cultures, new moon rituals were held.
Every new moon is an opportunity for us to slow down and turn inward. To spend more time with ourselves and less energy reaching outward into the world.
And still, there is no one right way to be with the new moon. Sometimes it is enough simply to slow down a little and listen.
My Suggestions for the Time of the New Moon
Clearing and Making Space
Sometimes the new moon brings with it a desire to create space. To clean a drawer, a room, a corner of the house, or something emotional that no longer serves us.
If you have an altar in your home, this is truly the time to clean and renew it.
Under the Stars
Go outside at night. Lift your gaze. Remember the greater rhythm that we are part of.
Intentions and Goals
Take some time to write down your intentions and goals, because this is truly a time for planting new seeds and new plans.
Meditation Time
Give yourself ten minutes or half an hour and put on a meditation you connect with, or simply breathe and try to observe your thoughts without identifying with them.
A Time for Planting
If you have a garden, or even a windowsill, use this time to plant something.
Cleansing the Body
Prepare yourself a nourishing salt bath or set aside time for a massage.
Reducing the Noise
Social media, television, the internet and so on consume so much energy and constantly pull our attention outward. Disconnect for one day from this matrix of noise.
Renewal
Get a haircut, buy yourself something small (second hand is wonderful too), find a way to renew yourself.
So what are your plans for the coming new moon?