Do the Moon phases have a spiritual meaning? You bet they do…
Like most esoteric and astrological wisdom, the more conscious you become of it, the more meaning is created for you. So the spiritual meaning of the New Moon will mean as little or as much as YOU allow. But let’s assume you want to go all in 😉 Here goes…
First off, what is the New Moon?
The new Moon is one phase in the lunar cycle. To see where it fits in, let’s take a quick look at the lunar cycle as a whole…
One lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days. Each day, the Moon moves eastwards by about 12 degrees. This means she rises about 50 minutes later every day, and this staggers the Moonrise further and further behind the rising Sun, each day. This gentle dance is what creates the increasing and decreasing amounts of visible light across her surface. Here’s a (brief!) outline of the 8 lunar phases. Plus an extra that most people forget about…
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 is the Spiritual Meaning of the New Moon
Even though we know cycles are ongoing (that’s their nature!) you can see how the New Moon comes at the beginning of the 29.5 day lunar month. So it holds a special resonance within the cycle as a whole, and is usually considered to be the beginning of the cycle.
Spiritually, the New Moon represents new beginnings.
It’s when we sow our metaphorical seeds into the dark, fertile soil.
The spiritual meaning of the New Moon holds hope for the future, and the belief that anything is possible!
At the New Moon, all potentials are alive in the universal fields of becoming. It’s a mystical place: dark, soft, quiet, but full of latent power. New Moon is the quiet beginning, the origin point.
Spiritually, the New Moon gives us faith
After the waning Moon phases, and the deep, dark inky skies, the re-emergence of the crescent Moon promises new light and new life. Akin to the weeks after the winter solstice – the darkest sabbat and season of the year – the New Moon phase signifies the return of the light.
Mythologically, the last waning quarter Moon phases represent our descent into the underworld…
Like Persphone, Innana, and the Dark Goddesses who traverse the shadowlands, the darker lunar phases were an invitation to you, to descend and seek out your shadow.
The spiritual meaning of the New Moon is the ascent. It’s the moment we return, rising above the surface of the Earth and back into consciousness.
So the New Moon signifies a change in direction – it’s an invitation to turn your focus from within, to without. It’s the ideal time to set intentions, tentatively begin to take aim for the future, and set out goals for a new chapter of life, and the cycle ahead.
BUT I don’t want you to just believe me about any of this!
Uncovering the spiritual meaning of the New Moon for yourself is YOUR journey! And this journey may reveal new and exciting insights. But for a lot of folks, a bit of an explanation as to WHY these spiritual significances exist is useful. SO that’s what I’ll share with you next…
WHY does the Moon have a Spiritual Significance?
Astrologers know that (as well as a myriad of other qualities) the Moon represents our unconscious.
The unconscious is the part of your psyche that you’re unaware of. It exists, and it’s there soaking up information, creating patterns and habits, and associations all the time! But you don’t know it’s happening.
SO… even when you’re not consciously interacting with the Moon and her phases, your unconscious is STILL being activated by her. This means the spiritual meaning of the New Moon is tugging at your psyche, and your psyche IS responding.
Even if you’re not even aware of what phase the Moon is in, your unconscious is!
… And let’s not even get started with the physical affect of the Moon. That’s a different article entirely…
New Moon Practices, Rituals + Correspondences
The most well-known New Moon practice is to set New Moon intentions!
This can be done simply by stating your intentions. Or why not create and perform a New Moon ritual around them, to connect more deeply with the Spirit of the Moon, and/or any lunar deities to help you manifest them?
Need help figuring out your intentions? READ THIS
Some other New Moon practices to try are:
- Slow down and take more time to be present
- Trust your intuition, gently shuuush the monkey mind
- Open up to the possibility of new opportunities
- Journal to gain clarity
- Set a crystal grid to focus and call in your desires
Corresponding crystals to work with are:
- Clear quartz
- Selenite
- Moonstone
- Black obsidian
Other specific crystals, herbs, plants, colours, and deities you may want to incorporate or call into your spiritual work with the new Moon phase, will depend on the astrological zodiac sign of the New Moon. And of course, your own intuitive guidance.
Now leave a comment telling me YOUR New Moon practice. Let’s connect!
Now have a look at some of these…
20 Warning Signs of Wounded Feminine Energy (and What to do About it)
Wounded feminine energy is a term referring to the emotional and psychological scars that people have caused by distortions of their feminine energy. These distortions come from cultural and societal expectations of what "femininity" is. They can also come from their...
Healing the Mother Wound: Finding Emotional Freedom From Generational Pain
Do you ever feel like there's an invisible force holding you back from living your best life? Like there's a deep, emotional discomfort that you just can't seem to shake? If so, you may be experiencing what's known as the "Mother Wound." This complex and often...
25 Signs of Blocked Feminine Energy and How to Free the Flow…
Blocked feminine energy will show up differently for everyone, so different people will manifest different signs. In truth, a lot of modern women and men have blocked feminine energy. If it were flowing freely and without distortions, our society wouldn't look the way...
What is Feminine Energy? Plus 20 Ways to Step into your Feminine Power
Feminine energy is often associated with traits such as nurturing, compassion, and intuition. But in truth, feminine energy is SO much more than just these qualities! It's a powerful force that can be harnessed by both women and men to bring greater depth, meaning and...
Who is Hecate? An Introduction to the Greek Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft
Hecate is a goddess of ancient Greek origin, known for her association with magic, witchcraft, and the dark night. She’s often described as a triple goddess, so is also associated with the three phases of the Moon, specifically the dark Moon phase. Hecate is a...
Meaning of the Wild Woman Archetype + 10 Ways to Embody Huntress Energy
The wild woman archetype is a powerful and complex symbol present in mythology, literature, popular culture, and archetypal psychology. She represents a woman who is free-spirited, independent, and in touch with her primal instincts. She is not afraid to embrace her...
