Dark “New” Moon – Photo: nasa.gov

New Moon

Today the moon and the sun were conjunct in Pisces at 10:33 a.m. EST, meaning it was a ‘new’ moon.

You may or may not personally experience differences in how you feel or how you perceive yourself or your surroundings during the various phases of the moon. It’s helpful, if you can, to keep a journal and record your feelings and the various interactions you have with people on any given day.

Of course, I make this recommendation because it’s really easy to lose track of these types of things if we don’t write them down.

Everyone Is Different

And let’s face it: everyone is different. Not all of us are as tuned into the moon and its phases. And even when we are tuned in (i.e., we’re pretty cognizant of when it’s a full moon, when it’s a new moon, and when the moon is waxing or waning), we may not be fully aware of how the moon impacts us personally – or even whether or not it does.

The world is full of anecdotes about the effect a full moon has on sensitive people. Thus, it is not surprising when there are increases in potential mental health issues or even certain crimes during a full moon.

On a more mundane level, we may feel a yearning to complete a project or find ourselves sensing that a relationship or a business partnership has reached its fullest potential around the time of a full moon, and realize it’s time to let it go.

The same can be said for new moons – although new moons are more about having reached a place of emptiness. A new moon is usually experienced as a time of enthusiastically beginning something new, planting some new seeds, or celebrating a sense of openness to the potential of embracing something completely new. I’ve written about the time of the dark moon on a number of occasions over the past 469 days, here, here, and here (this one being especially relevant, since it also mentions Mercury being retrograde at the same time – which is also the case today) – just to link to a few.

Your Rhythms

It’s easy to dismiss the effect the moon might be having on you, your moods, your life experiences, and your decisions. Many of us find it just so easy to scoff at the old ways of trying to make sense of our world. It’s much easier to pretend to have ourselves and our world all figured out such that we simply are not influenced by something as mundane as the phases of the moon.

But again, this is the exact attitude that begs to be invited to keep track. Notice, in writing, how your energy shifts, ebbing and flowing throughout the month. You just might come to learn more about yourself and how influenced you may or may not be than you ever realized. And sometimes, if you keep accurate notes, you may come to realize that certain people with whom you interact on a long term basis actually seem to react differently to various situations depending upon the moon’s phase.

Again – once we start keeping track, we may learn more about ourselves and others who are in our proximity than we ever thought we could or would. Just remember: knowledge is power. If you’re too busy glibly dismissing the validity of tracking the moon’s phases or astrology in general without trying it, you may be missing a wonderful opportunity to know yourself better.

A Lovely Journal

Of course, you can always keep track of your feelings and experiences and how they track (or not) with the phases of the moon in a simple, spiral bound notebook from CVS. Or you can opt for something that keeps you more in direct awareness of the moon. A great journal for this specific work is produced by my dear friend Karen Ward, of Moon Mna, in Ireland. Check out her website and see if her journal piques your interest.

Notice whether you’re being drawn to bringing in a new attitude, starting to plan for a new phase in your life, thinking about applying for a new job, or maybe even contemplating starting a family. There are a myriad ways in which the start of something new may be knocking on the door of your consciousness.

Pay attention! Keep track. What can it hurt?

Men Too

Just because women are particularly connected to the moon throughout most of their lives, it’s really important to realize that men, too, share a connection as well. Our bodies consist mostly of water, and the moon exerts a great a deal of influence over water (hence the tides). There’s not that great a difference in the water content between men and women. As a result it just might come as an even greater surprise to men, if they start tracking the moon’s influence over their lives, to realize just how much they are affected by that great orb in the sky.

Again: knowledge is power.

(T-642)