"In the sky, Planet Moon is 239,000 miles away.

That's not far when you remember the Sun is 93 million miles away.

But if you were standing on red Mars it would look as though blue Earth and pale Moon

were twins sitting side by side, heads together, bent over a book. Never separated in time. 

The moon controls earth's tides. The daily ebb and flow of our life here.

And because of the moon, earth's climate is stable.

Moon's gravitational pull means that earth doesn't wobble too much.

Scientists call it obliquity. The moon holds us fast." 

~The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

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The Moon, our Earth's only natural satellite, is inextricably tied to our life here. Without her regulation, life on Earth would fail. The moon in her ever-changing cycles reminds us to flow with life. Living in harmony with the moon is a wonderful way to connect with the Goddess.

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Cycles of The Moon

A Lunar Cycle lasts for approximately 29 days and is the time it takes the Moon to complete one revolution around the Earth. During each cycle, the Moon transitions through each of her 8 phases while traveling through the 12 constellations of the zodiac. At one point during every cycle, the Moon aligns (or conjoins) with the Sun, which is referred to as the New Moon. On this day, the Sun and Moon both crest the horizon together and are therefore in the same astrological sign. The Moon then travels through the remaining eleven constellations, transitioning every 2-3 days.

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Begin Again

The New Moon is the start of a new cycle. A time of new beginnings and therefore the time to set intentions and bring visions into focus. The New Moon is like the "early spring" of the Lunar Cycle, when the conditions are perfect for planting, and anything initiated during this period will be met with rapid growth. It is a fruitful time for starting new ventures, projects, and relationships and a potent time to stimulate new beginnings in our lives. 

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Living Intentionally

One of the laws of our Earth, Mother Gaia, is that we reap what we sow. At Three Sisters Temple, we believe that one of the reasons we are blessed to be here is to learn how to consciously create.  We are constantly

co-creating with the Divine and it is in our and the world’s best interest to do so intentionally. Truly great manifesting comes from our heart and emotions, rather than our ego-based mind. In Astrology, the Moon represents our emotions – making her the perfect conduit for our feelings. So go straight to your heart and pay attention to your intuition and feelings. Trust them. Do not be concerned if what arises is not logical or seems in contradiction with any cultural conditioning or societal expectation. Simply create intentions that feel true to you on the day of the New Moon.

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We at the Three Sisters Temple typically set 7-10 intentions; writing them down at the New Moon and then reading them aloud for the next few days. We have also found it helpful to work with the energetic focus of the astrological sign of the New Moon and highly recommend the works of Jan Spiller and Yasmin Boland in this area. 

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Growth and Expansion

The Waxing period during the Lunar Cycle includes the phases between the New Moon and Full Moon,

when the Moon is expanding and energy is increasing. 

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•  At the Waxing Crescent Moon we begin to act on our intentions and what we need to do to assist in             their manifestation. 

•  During the First Quarter Moon, challenges may arise and this is a time to recommit to what we are creating.

•  Right before the Full Moon is the Gibbous Moon and we may find ourselves very emotional as we watch how our intentions may be unfolding. What new people or possibilities have appeared or reappeared? What synchronicities are occurring? 

• Remember, confusion and uncertainty will slow down the process during the waxing period, so stay true to your desires.

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Stretching Wide and Deep

The Full Moon is the high point of the lunar cycle, when the Moon is at its energetic peak. It is the most emotionally intense of all the phases, and is a time to acknowledge the feelings that are arising.

Since this is when these feelings are the strongest, really allow yourself to feel deeply and process them.

 

It is also a time of surrender, when we hand over to the Universe any intentions that have not manifested,

for there are, of course, opportunities and possibilities that are beyond our awareness. We trust the Universe, the Divine, knowing that nothing meant for us will pass us by.

 

Astrologically, the Full Moon is in the opposite sign than that of the Sun. It is therefore an interesting time to observe how the polarities of the two signs may be playing out in our lives. It is also interesting to look back at the intentions that were set six months ago, when the Moon was New in that particular sign, for they may be manifesting as well.

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Sweet Release

The waning period of the Lunar Cycle includes the phases between the Full Moon and the New Moon,

when the Moon is decreasing in size and lumination. 

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• The Disseminating Moon is a time to process what you’ve been through and begin to let go of anything you need to release.

• During the Third Quarter Moon, we allow what didn’t work to fall away so we can move forward unencumbered.

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Going Within

The Dark Moon, also known as the Balsamic Moon, is a time of completion and “discharging” from the previous cycle. It is a powerful healing time when we can make peace with life before the cycle begins again. It is the womb time. When we are held in the embrace of the Goddess in the dark. During this time, we are in the chrysalis, the goop, engaged in metamorphosis.

 

This is our opportunity to renew ourselves; release old patterns, messaging, and somatic connections; a time for reset. This time can also be uncomfortable, depending on how tightly we are holding on to that which needs to be released. When we can let it all simply crumble away, we can enter the New Moon phase afresh.