FEEL: New moon rituals

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As I begin writing this post today, the new moon will occur about 7 hours from now. It's something I always look forward to, because it's like a mini New Year ... but more eventful than a Monday, for those clean-eating resets that some people may find necessary this time of year ;). It gives us the chance to pause, take stock, and refocus for the coming weeks.

Tonight the new moon occurs in Capricorn, and Mercury is in retrograde. It's surprising how commonplace discussion of Mercury Rx has become. It's even made the morning-show circuit! But do check out the first link for some background on this semi-regular event that always seems to get a bad rap. Today's combination of new moon + Mercury Rx means that while it's not necessarily prudent to make big decisions or start a brand new project, it's the perfect opportunity to take a look at an existing activity and make some small course corrections. And be patient~~sometimes that's all it takes to make a big difference in a task ... or life. Oh, and yoga postures, too. This week's class (which should be up on Audible Yoga in a few days) will explore this very concept. But I digress.

As far as new moon rituals go, there are many out there. A simple Google search will give you an idea of what some folks are up to when the sky is dark. But what I love about rituals is how they can be made our own, with a little tweak here and a special addition there. We might not always have the time or inclination to make a big to-do to mark this monthly event, but you can always do something that feels special to you. 

As a result, I change up my ritual, depending on how much time or energy I have that particular day. In general, here's what I do on the evening of a new moon:

1. I'll sit for a few moments in silence, looking over the prior month and thinking about where I am today. We all have hopes and plans for different aspects of our lives, and this is the time to check progress, then let the dreams take flight based on that.

2. If I need to gain clarity on some things~~or to REALLY give my wishes some extra oomph~~I write some statements in my journal. I start with a karma-free clause: “I accept these things into my life now or something better for the highest good and the highest good of all concerned.” This leaves open the possibility that if the Universe has something bigger and better in store for you, that's what will be. Pretty good, right?

The second part of this extra step is to write below the clause those things you wish to manifest. Begin each sentence with "I am" or "I have," so you can truly experience the feeling of already having what it is that you want in your life. Making use of the Law of Attraction in this way is key.

3. I sometimes don't have time to physically write out a long list of desires, but no matter what (after meditating on what I want to manifest) I write out my new moon check. Again, there are as many ways to do this as there are people doing it, but here's a method I like ... write your name in the To: field. Then imagine yourself having exactly what you want (maybe it's a specific dollar amount for a particular item, or just to achieve a dream that needs some extra funding). I write whatever feels right to me~~the exact dollar figure or words relating to that which I want to bring about~~in the appropriate spots on the check. Finally, I sign the check "The Law of Abundance," and listening very carefully to how I'm feeling, I may add the flourish of a special Note in that field.

4. I put the check in a special place. There seems to be conflicting information out there on whether or not the check should be something you see (and thus think about) every day, so again, I just do what feels right to me in any particular month. Sometimes I stack my current new moon check on top of a previous check to multiply their power, while other times I put the old ones into my reiki box (and maybe take even older ones out). I put my current check in place with reverence, carefully rearranging nearby items such as crystals and other special objects. If we're good to our money, our money will be good to us :) 

Life sometimes gets in the way, but I feel the new moon checks are still worth writing within 24 hours of the new moon (before or after). Any ritual that you believe is meaningful is absolutely worth doing.

What are some special rituals you like to do?