Setting Intentions for the New Moon
A practical guide to working with the dark phase of the lunar cycle
Our lives and the world around us are built on repeating cycles, rhythms, and mathematical patterns. Studying and trying to understand these underlying cycles is my passion. One of the most accessible ways to connect with mother nature and something larger than ourselves is to connect with the moon’s 29 1/2 day lunar cycle and her eight phases.
“The moon is earth’s oldest temple holding the potency of countless prayers since the dawn of time…where body and soul can quietly drink.” ~Dana Gerhardt, Mooncircles
Humans have been observing the moon for tens of thousand of years and using its predictable phases was one of the earliest timekeeping systems. It’s no wonder we’ve been fascinated by the moon. Its phases impact everything from the weather to the tides in our oceans. They can even affect our mood, our ability to sleep, and even our cardiovascular health, according to some research.
The first phase of the lunar cycle is the New Moon which happens when the moon goes between the Sun and Earth. Because the illuminated side faces the sun and away from us, the moon seems invisible. This time of darkness is the quietest of the lunar cycle, and also one of the most powerful phases.
The new moon is the ideal time for looking forward and planting new seeds, ideas, and intentions for the future. It’s the time to reflect on what you really do want, not on what you don’t.
The process of slowing down and setting intentions on a regular basis is what helps you create an intentional life that feels aligned with your soul’s purpose. That is why many spiritually-minded individuals follow new moon rituals. It doesn’t have to be complicated, you can even just pause to reflect and create a few intentions for the upcoming cycle.
When you name what you want at the start of a cycle, you both give yourself something to walk toward for the next four weeks, and you notice what you actually want, something we may forget to do otherwise. It’s easy to live life on autopilot and lose touch with what we actually desire.
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A simple practice for setting intentions
Here is my favorite practice for setting new moon intentions. It can take as little as ten minutes, or you can create a relaxing practice around it that takes longer.
During the new Moon, take a few minutes to sit back and relax. You may want to start with a short meditation or light a candle. You can also do this outside and put your feet on the grass. Anything you can do to connect to your breath and the body will help.
Have a pen and paper or your journal ready, and then ask yourself: what do I want to begin this month? Write down three to five things, and under each one, write the feeling it carries. What state of being is this really about?
Once you have your list, read it once, out loud or quietly to yourself. Sit with it for a minute and notice what your body does. Then fold the paper and put it somewhere you'll find it again, whether that's a drawer, your day planner, a journal, or the back of a book. Plan to revisit it at the Full Moon two weeks later, and again at the next New Moon.
What’s the feeling underneath?
When we create intentions, we often focus on a particular thing, such as a job, a move, a relationship, or a number in the bank account. But underneath these things, is the feeling we're really after, such as safety, ease, belonging, or being seen.
When you write your intention, also consider what feeling you’re trying to create. Write that down too. The feeling is the real intention, and the form is just one of many possible shapes it could take.
This matters because the universe is far more creative than our imagination. When we focus on a specific form, we narrow what can show up for us. But when we name the feeling underneath, we create space for beautiful things we would never have predicted.
It’s the difference between saying “I want this specific job” and “I want work that feels alive to me.” The second option holds the door wide open for possibilities.
What makes a good intention
A few things to keep in mind:
The best intentions are specific enough to be felt, but loose enough to surprise you. "I want more money" is too vague, while "I want a $97,000 salary at a company called X by July 14" is too rigid. The sweet spot lives somewhere in between, with something like "I want work that pays me well and feels worth the hours."
Write your intentions in the present tense, rather than “I hope someday.” Something closer to “I’m building” or “I’m becoming” tends to land more powerfully. This isn’t about magical thinking, it’s about how your brain registers the intention. Present tense reads as real.
Keep your intentions personal, meaning they’re for yourself, your life, and your choices, not what you wish someone else would do. The Moon works with what’s in your own hands.
Connect them to the sign of the New Moon when possible. Each New Moon falls in a particular sign, and intentions that match the sign's themes tend to take root more easily. You can certainly set intentions outside the sign's themes, but the alignment helps.
Here are the themes for each sign:
Aries is good for fresh starts, courage, leadership, and taking initiative
Taurus is good for money, the body, and what you build slowly
Gemini is good for learning, writing, communication, and connection
Cancer is good for home, family, emotional roots, and care
Leo is good for creativity, romance, and visibility
Virgo is good for health, daily routines, work, and craft
Libra is good for partnerships, beauty, balance, and fairness
Scorpio is good for transformation, intimacy, and what’s been buried
Sagittarius is good for travel, learning, faith, and expanding your horizons
Capricorn is good for career, structure, long-term goals, and reputation
Aquarius is good for community, friendship, innovation, and the future
Pisces is good for rest, imagination, intuition, and spiritual practice
The house matters too
It also helps to know which house of your chart the New Moon is activating, since that tells you the specific area of your own life where the new beginning is taking root. The same Taurus New Moon will land in a different house for each rising sign, which means it shows up differently for each person.
For example, a Taurus New Moon in your second house is about money and self-worth, while the same Moon in your tenth house is about career and public reputation. If you know your rising sign, you can find this on a free chart calculator like Astro.com, or schedule a natal consultation and we can look at it together. I also provide you with an easy-to-read chart with all your placements so it’s easy for you to know where each moon phases will affect you personally.
Sit with it before you act
This next part can be surprisingly hard. Most of us want to set an intention and immediately do something about it, whether that's making a plan, starting a list, or taking action.
The New Moon phase asks for something different. It asks you to dream first.
Think of your intentions like seeds underground. Before they sprout, they begin to send down roots, pull in water, and establish themselves in the soil. Only then do they push up toward the light. A seed can’t be rushed, and neither can your intentions.
The first few days after the New Moon are the rooting phase, so let your intention be quiet. For each one, feel it, picture it, and sit with it as if it were already true. A good practice is to create a drawing of your dream or wish. Even if it’s just a quick doodle. This is a highly effective way of visualizing what you want.
Pausing can be harder than it sounds. If you find yourself wanting to take action, it can often mean that you don’t trust the intention will happen and you’re trying to control the outcome. Notice what’s behind your need to take action, let it go and come back to the feeling of your intention.
A simple mantra can also help you stay in the rooting phase. In her book Moonology, Yasmin Boland describes the New Moon with three beautiful keywords: a clean slate, potential, and dreams. She also recommends repeating the mantra "I am blessed" during this phase of the lunar cycle. It's a gentle way to settle into the feeling of having enough, which is the state of surrender that allows your intentions to happen without forcing them.
A final thought
What’s great about the New Moon is that it happens every single month. There’s no need to wait for the new year, or a birthday, or the right moment to begin again. The Moon gives us thirteen of those moments every year, and each one is worth taking. Every culture that has watched the sky has tracked her rhythm from dark to full and back again, and built practice around it. You're stepping into a rhythm humans have always used to mark beginnings.
If you’d like help understanding how this New Moon, or any New Moon, lands in your own chart, I’d love to look at it with you. A natal consultation gives you a clear map of how the moon phases, planets, and seasons are showing up in your specific life, along with practical takeaways you can use month to month. You can book a session or learn more about how it works at astrologywithmonica.com.
And if this post resonated, I’d love to hear what intentions you’re setting this New Moon. Hit reply and let me know!
Until next time,
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
