New Moon, new Intentions

It’s New Moon.

Please checkout this episode on my podcast if you feel like it, voice carries much more emotions than text, I say much more in it. My podcast is on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

To be clear, I know nothing about cycles (women know better!) and even less about astrology that I have never really believed in but I am started being curious. I have been intrigued for a long time by what the app “The Pattern” tells me. It feels very accurate with a very long cycle “courageous transformation”. I will write more on that another day. Add me on The Pattern if you use it, I am @loic there.

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The New Moon is when the sun and the moon are aligned, with the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Moon.

Being together with a “Moondancer” -Magdalena Sartori- I have been “apoyo” at two Moondances and could learn more about feeling the presence of the Moon. It is a great privilege as I got to see 300 women fast and do rituals, dances and songs for 4 nights in a row at Full Moon which they do in secret. They are the good modern witches.

Here is one of the only video to my knowledge of an Abuela explaining what is the Moondance.

During my Muka dieta in the jungle I also learned to feel the Moon and its cycles. The one year Muka dieta itself can only be started on a new moon, I started mine on April 2, 2022 saying my intentions aloud to the Yawanawà leaders who were witnessing my “initiation”.

Here are a few notes from a quick research today.

The Moon cycles are the ancient ways of measuring Time

“The new Moon marks the beginning of a lunar cycle. This means that there’s a new Moon about once a month, because the Moon takes about a month (29.5 days) to orbit Earth. The months weren’t 30 or 31 days as defined by the Gregorian Calendar which is in fact very recent, it was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII.

In fact, the word “moon” shares its origins with the Latin word metri, which means “to measure,” and mensis, which means “month.” The Moon is called the Moon because it is used to measure the months.”

What the Moon does to oceans, animals and… to us

"The Moon exerts a strong gravitational pull that causes the changing tides in our oceans and seas. This gravitational pull is at its strongest during the New Moon and Full Moon, so here we experience the highest and lowest tides.” If the Moon can change tides, it is pretty obvious it affects us too as we humans are made up of 70% water.

Scientific evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep

“We found that around full moon, electroencephalogram (EEG) delta activity during NREM sleep, an indicator of deep sleep, decreased by 30%, time to fall asleep increased by 5 min, and EEG-assessed total sleep duration was reduced by 20 min. These changes were associated with a decrease in subjective sleep quality and diminished endogenous melatonin levels. This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without time cues.” The brain waves of a dying person have also been recorded recently and change dramatically just before and after death.

I try to journal my dreams every day and unlike most days I could not record any this morning, I wonder if it is connected to the new moon.

New Moon: A Time to Pause

“The darkness of a new moon is a time for reflection and exploring the unseen. Often thought of as a feminine moon phase, its spiritual meaning is a call for presence. In being fully present you can explore your deepest desires and heartfelt wishes that sometimes get lost in the flurry of so much doing.

Bring a quiet sense of intention and presence as you allow yourself to rest, spend some time journaling and exploring what is in your heart of hearts. Ask yourself the question, “What do I most want to bring forward in my life right now? How do I want to be in my relationships, my work, and with myself?”

Answering these questions can help you understand where you will want to spend your energy throughout the moon cycle.

Give yourself extra time in meditation or walking mindfully in nature. Go outside and soak in the energy of the new moon, giving thoughtful appreciation of the beauty of darkness. Enjoy the stars that can be seen when the moon is hidden in shadow.”

New Moon is a time to pause and also make wishes (or prayers if sounds better to you) for this upcoming new cycle.

Here is what The Pattern app says as a “World Cycle”
-the new moon is a blank slate and a fresh start each month
-approach these few days with conscious attention as it will influence the rest of the month
-it is in “Virgo” (no idea :-) which means it is about nourishing yourself and simplifying all areas of your life. This energy can help you see through complex situations and gain new levels of clarity (perfect!)
-review goals and tasks. Which ones are nourishing you (starting a new business) and which ones are depleting you (need to write a longer post about this)
-cross off what isn’t necessary and minimize distractions (laser focused on the new event I am launching)
-remove anything that is not part of your wider mission (okay!)
-be compassionate towards yourself, self acceptance to make you feel more in control of your destiny
-perfect time to replace existing patterns and habits with new rituals (on it!)
-question to ask yourself: “am I doing what I was born to do?”

What I will be doing tonight for this new Moon

-journal what I am grateful for this previous cycle. What did I do good? What could I have improved?
-journal my intentions: what I wish happens and I accomplish for this new cycle (my relationship, my family, my community, improving myself spiritually and materially, my body, the business I am creating, helping others and the planet…)
-meditate for 3-4 hours by myself in the dark, outside and in nature, surrounded by trees.

Do you feel any effect from the Moon cycles to your life or your body? Do you have anything to share about it or anything to share at all even if you find this weird? Do you have any habits or rituals you practice during the moon cycles? Share here in comments or join our community on discord to discuss it there (drop me an email at loicdirect at gmail dot com with a few lines if you’d like to join). Thanks!

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