11 Curious + Surprising Ways to Harness New Moon Energy

Looking for a fresh start? You need to harness New Moon Energy…

The New Moon is one phase of the lunar cycle you do NOT want to miss out on! In fact, learning to harness New Moon energy is more than simply setting intentions, holding New Moon ritual retreating into self-care, and pulling oracle cards!

Read on and you’ll find a whole lot more suggested practices and rituals to help you harness new Moon energy, maximize the benefit of this potent astrological time, and get your cycle off to a flying start.

But first, what IS the New Moon phase, and how does it fit into the rest of the Moon cycle?

The New Moon Phase is the beginning of the lunar cycle…

New Moon is the first phase in the lunar cycle when Sun and Moon align. It’s generally perceived to be the beginning.

The New Moon phase is when the Moon is dark BUT it’s not to be confused with the Dark Moon phase. It’s when a sliver of light just beginning to emerge from the darkness.

Over the next 29.5 days, the light reflected across the la Luna’s surface will increase until she’s Full ( you know how THIS phase appears, right?!) Then light will gradually decrease until her face is again shrouded in darkness.

To learn how to harness the energy of the New Moon phase, it’s important to know about the rest of the Moon cycle, too. So here’s a quick summary of all the phases our beautiful Grandmother Moon moves through in one complete cycle –

The 8 Moon Phases

To see where this Moon phase fits into the whole cycle, let's have a quick re-cap -

New Moon

This Moon begins the cycles. The new lunar phase arrives when old Grandmother Moon has just become visible. She is a sliver of light, an emerging crescent Moon in the daytime sky.

Explore further: What's the Spiritual Meaning of the New Moon phase?

Waxing Crescent Moon

Rising during the daytime and setting in the western evening sky, the Moon in this phase has a more obvious waxing crescent shape.

First-quarter Moon

Forming an astrological square with the Sun, this phase is revealed as a clear “half Moon” shape. Light will expand, overtaking the dark quarter.

Waxing gibbous Moon

Here, the Moon is closer to her Full Moon phase, than the New. In this waxing gibbous phase, she’s a more bulbous, blossoming disc of light.

Full moon

Everybody looks up into the sky and knows this phase! She’s fully illuminated. At the Full Moon phase, la Luna rises with the Sunset, and sets herself, when the Sun rises.

Read More: What's the Spiritual Meaning of the Full Moon?

Waning gibbous Moon

Past the cycle’s climax, the Moon here, is almost a mirror image of her waxing gibbous phase – still a swollen round disc but ebbing away (retreating) from one edge.

Third-quarter Moon

Forming another astrological square with our solas king, this phase is also a clear “half Moon” shape. This time, though, dark will overtake the light.

Discover more: the third quarter Moon

Waning crescent Moon (or balsamic Moon)

Closer now to the next New Moon, than to this cycle’s full Moon phase, this Moon appears more fragile-looking and weak. She appears again, as a daytime companion.

Discover more: What's the Spiritual Meaning of the Balsamic Moon?

Dark Moon

Between one and three days (and nights) where the Moon is invisible. She is actually rising with the Sun. So she is there in the sky with us during the day, awake when we are… But bleached out by sunlight, not visible. And absent completely from the night sky.

Read more: What's the Meaning of the Dark Moon Phase?

What does the energy of the New Moon feel like?

As you can probably imagine, the energy of the new moon phase is dark, quiet, still, and introspective.

This phase comes before all the rest – all the growth, creation, and expansion that happens later on in the cycle. It’s the sacred pause before the wheel begins to turn, and the action commences! Hard to describe in words, it’s an essence, a feeling, a frequency in the ether that you can tap into if you try.

Take a moment at the next New Moon phase, to stop what you’re doing.

… And instead of reaching and grasping for something to hold onto, pull your attention inside. Rest there in the stillness, and BE in that feeling. THAT is the energy of the New Moon.

Knowing it, and recognizing it is the first step to being able to harness New Moon energy. If you don’t know what it is and how it feels, how can you begin to put it to use?!

YOU are a mirror of the Moon

The way the Moon is at any phase, is reflected in the way you are.

So how the Moon emerges and expresses at this phase, is how you – and most other folks – are most likely to feel (depending on how able they are to truly attune to their inner realms).

At the New Moon phase, the Moon is veiled, hiding, almost lost in the darkness.

So you’ll probably find yourself wanting to create quiet, secluded spaces. To take time out from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, close the door and dim the lights. To enter into your own inner world, merge with the darkness, and remove any pressure to show yourself to the world.

As above, so below.

** You may have noticed that emotions rise and tempers flare under the dark and New Moon phases (as well as the waning gibbous and balsamic Moons). It’s important to realize that it’s not the Moon “making” this happen! In fact, it’s usually because people aren’t taking heed of the current energetics, and are actually going against the flow, that life appears to get in the way and they get cranky… Think about it!

Now. How can you actually harness New Moon energy and work with this phase for everyone’s benefit?!

1. Harness new Moon energy by setting new Moon intentions

The start of any cycle is when seeds are planted.

The deep, inky, fertile darkness of the New Moon phase is the ideal time for you to plant your own seeds, i.e. set your intentions, for what you want to grow and cultivate during the upcoming lunar cycle.

WHY?

Because… By setting an intention at the New Moon, you get to harness the Moon’s waxing energy. As her energy grows over the next two weeks, the delicate threads of your own intention will be gathered up in the spin of the Moon’s momentum. They’ll build and expand and draw in SO much more energy than they would, would if you set your intention at any other time.

The tapestry of life that YOU are weaving will be amplified by the Moon’s gaze. By your participation in the cyclic nature of the cosmos – and life – your desire will be met.

Your efforts to bring that intention into being will be supported. AND because you’re calling on forces beyond your own heart, mind, and fingertips, the Universe will conspire to help you out. It will.

THIS POST WILL HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR INTENTIONS: How to set intentions⎜A step-by-step guide on doing it right!

More practices to harness New Moon energy…

If you’re serious about harnessing the energy of the New Moon phase, then you gotta practice! By taking inspired action (or in some cases, consciously deciding not to) you’ll begin to align. And before you know it, you and the Moon will be moving in tandem and life will flow… Harnessing New Moon energy will become second nature.

Here are some more New Moon practices for you to incorporate into your monthly rituals and routines. But don’t try everything at once. Choose one thing that inspires you, and put your heart into it.

2. Hold a new Moon ritual

Setting a new Moon intention is one thing. But creating a ritual around it will give your intentions an extra boost, and elevate your intention them to another level entirely!

Entering the sacred space of ritual is stepping outside of the confines of ordinary reality – just for a moment.

TO be MOST effective, hold your ritual when the New Moon is exact, or in the few hours after it.

Read this article for the essential steps to take, in your New Moon ritual.

3. Retreat and rest (practice self-care)

There’s a reason it’s SO important to retreat and rest at the New Moon phase.

… And it’s not just ’cause it’s the one time in the Moon cycle you’re most likely to feel like it.

You rest and retreat at the New Moon because Old Grandmother herself is doing it.

Nature’s doing it.

Other people are doing it.

It’s a frequency that’s in the collective field. So with less effort, you’ll be able to retreat further, and rest deeper. Your self-care efforts are being matched, and you’ll be better rejuvenated for it.

If you’re a meditaton lover, then meditate. But if you’re not, don’t force this – rest is taking the pressure OFF.

If you don’t actively put in the effort to retreat and rest at this lunar phase, then you’ll be missing out on your moon-thly DEEP self-care opportunity. (Sure, you can practice self-care all month long, but if you can’t or don’t want to, then these New Moon days are your time). Otherwise, when the Moon transitions into her waxing phases, when creative energy rises and you really, really want to be out there making the most of it… you’ll be washed out and tired!

You’ll WISH you’d taken time out when you could!

4. Dim the lights

It is hard to imagine a world without electric lights and LED screens.

So it’s virtually impossible to know how it would feel if we weren’t exposed to artificial light sources pretty much all the time. But can you believe, just 200 years ago, night light came from the hearth, lamps, candles, stars and the Moon. SO at the New Moon phase, when she isn’t in the night sky at all, it was DARK!

Embracing the particular flavour of New Moon darkness is a great way to tune into her energy, so that you can harness it.

So turn down the lights, switch off the screens and BE with the darkness.

5. Cleanse and clear your space

Isn’t it better to begin everything with a clean slate?!

Energetically clearing your space (your home, bedroom, study, office, workspace, and/or altar) can be done during the waning Moon phases, but the New Moon is also an ideal time.

Clearing space removes stagnant energy, density, and stuckness. It’s also enlivening, serving as an invitation for whatever it is you’re calling into your life with the new Moon cycle.

Many people burn palo santo or white sage to cleanse and clear the energy of their spaces and/or their own aura. But unless you have access to sustainable sources of these sacred herbs, I’d suggest you use something else.

What grows locally to you?

What clarifying herbs are native to where you live now, and can be foraged, collected, or purchased from a local grower?

Where I live in my little southwesterly corner of Britain, yarrow and mugwort grow in abundance so in the summertime, I make bundles of these to burn throughout the rest of the year. AND it’s hugely significant knowing these allies of the earth come from the same soil that I do.

6. Take a ritual bath

Water and the Moon are intrinsically connected – just consider the lunar pull on Earth’s tides!

At any big lunar juncture like the New or Full Moons, and especially when the Moon is moving through the water signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces the element of water is activated. It’s charged up – like a crystal, it has more potential to HOLD intention and frequency.

There are SO many incredible water rituals you can perform at the New Moon, but the simplest (and best!) is the ritual bath. 

You CAN add herbs and dried flowers straight to your ritual bath, but think a few steps ahead… Do you really want to have to clean up a mass of leaves and petals strewn all over the bathtub when you’re done?!

So before you even draw your bath, make a batch of herbal bath tea.

It’s simple – follow these steps to make your herbal bath tea

• Bring a kettle of water to the boil, and using a large jug, pour it over your dried herbs and flowers.
• There are SO many potentials – do a little research. You could try rose, lavender, peppermint, sage, yarrow, and lemon balm.
• Let it steep for around 20 minutes.
• Strain the liquid through a tea strainer or muslin cloth.

Simple New Moon ritual bath method

• First, give your bathroom a good clean. Sure, the lights will be low during your ritual, but it’s still an important step! Not only will the space be energetically more balanced after a good clean, but you’re less likely to be distracted by those dirty tiles and empty bubble bath bottles…
• Place a clean towel and/or robe within arm’s reach.
• Turn down the lights, close the door, light a candle or two, and set a little incense to burn. You may also place any crystals around the edge of the tub.
• Draw your bath and as you do, add the herbal bath tea. If you like, add some Epsom salts too for added cleansing and relaxation.
• Get in and enjoy! Feel your body soften and your mind empty. But don’t expect anything of yourself – relax.
• When you feel complete, step out of the bath with gratitude, get warm and dry, and consider moving on to number 7…

(And for a deeper dive into ritual baths at ALL the lunar phases, check out this book).

7. Journal

New Moon is THE BEST phase to go within and spend time in self-reflection. Make space to yourself some of the big questions, questions like –

• What do I really want?
• What direction am I currently headed in.. and does this feel right?
• Where do I want to be in 6 months/1 year/5 years’ time?
• What is holding me back?
• Who is the person that I’ll need to become to get there?
• What do I need to change to become that person?

Journalling is a great tool to dive a little deeper into your truth because writing freely in response to a specific prompt can activate the unconscious mind. This is where many of your deepest desires and knowings lie, but it’s hard to access this in everyday life.

8. Do some serious goal setting

We’ve talked about setting intentions… so what’s the difference between an intention and a goal? 

Well, an intention is an aim, idea, concept or determination to do, be or have something. It’s the decision you make, that you’re going to act differently, to make something different happen.

A goal, on the other hand, is the planned outcome. It’s the aim of the game – the actual thing you’re aiming for, rather than the behaviours you’ll use to get there.

Goal setting needs you to be specific, concise, clear and descriptive. So grab a pen and paper, and get focused: NO fluff needed here! Write down what you’re passionate about attaining in this one and precious life you are living.  Do it unapologetically!

Setting clear goals is also a powerful means of course correction, ’cause it can reveal where you’re unconsicously aligned with something else – some other “goal” (maybe an old, outdated one?) that’s just not lighting you up anymore.

Writing down clear goals can also be the motivation you need to create new habits, start new projects or even initiate life changes. Coupled with a New Moon ritual… and there is NO going back!

AND… goal setting also goes hand in hand with number 9 in this list…

9. Make a New Moon vision board

A super-fun New Moon ritual practice for the crafty visionaries out there!

Grab yourself a pile of magazines, a pair of scissors and a stick of glue, and go looking for inspiring, uplifting and aspirational images of the life you want to manifest.

• Maybe it’s images of travel you aspire to do?
• An ideal home you’re dreaming up?
• Or a career that you’re working towards?

You can also cut out words and affirmations to create a collage/dreamscape/photomontage of your desires. The idea is that your vision board will externalize your inner vision.

Like a spell.

A prayer.

A focal point for all the fresh energy of the new lunar cycle, around which YOU can lay down your plans and efforts, and invite the Universe to conspire with you to make it happen.

10. TRUST your intuition

OK, this could (and totally should) go for ANY lunar phase! But really trusting your intuition HERE, now, is one of the best ways to harness New Moon energy.

At the New Moon, when light is low (literally and symbolically) there’s simply less for the mind to grip hold of.

Definition hasn’t yet formed…

The future of the cycle is still potential, imagination, thought forms, and ideas.

… Intuition is heightened because THIS is where it can be heard.

So at this Moon phase, don’t waste too much of your energy trying to pin down your thoughts with logic, systems, and strategy. Instead, TRUST the nudges, whispers, and hunches of your inner voice.

11. Call in the Goddess

Whatever you chose to do with this lunar phase, call in the Goddess to hold, witness, and support you.

Whatever you do in life, call in the Goddess to hold, witness, and support you.

What are YOUR go-to New Moon energy harnessing practices?

Sharing’s caring…! let me know in the comments below, what you love to do during the New Moon phase, to harness her powerful, fresh energy of new beginnings.