I've always had a love affair with the Moon.  Her majesty and mystery calling to me each and every night.  My life cycling in and out of her orbit.

My curiosity led me to a fabulous book Moonology by Yasmin Boland.  My love affair is now borderline obsession, but in a healthy way.  I simply thirst for more information about using the Moon as part of my spiritual practice.

From Ms. Boland's book, I've embraced two beautiful rituals and made them my own. 

New Moon

The New Moon is the time to get clear about your dreams and desires.  At this time in the the lunar cycle we get real about what we truly want in our lives and let our wishes be known to the Universe. There are some cardinal rules for making your wishes:

• Dream big...but take baby steps.  You may want to have a cabin on a lake, but if you don't have a job...well good luck with that one.  Don't discard your wish.  If you truly believe it, keep it.  However, wishing for a job that pays well, so you can save up from the down payment, may make your BIG wish come true sooner.
• Hooked on a feeling.  Be certain that what you're wishing for instills a high vibe feeling.  If you're wishing for material things for reasons of pride and to gloat...then your wish may not come true.  If your motivation is to feel happy and that new home will make you feel happy because you can entertain friends or have the space to spend time with your extended family, then lean into the feeling of your wish.  Feel the happy vibe surrounding you to the point of joy just oozing from you.
• That's a no-no.   Don't wish for someone else's partner or a specific person to enter your life.  This isn't good juju.  Plus we all have free will, so you can't just wish someone into your life- they have the choice to be with you or not.  Secondly, you can't wish for someone else to change.  You can wish for your own courage, strength, reactions, etc.
• The Key. Believe you are worth it.  Channel your inner L'oreal model (because..your worth it).  You need to emotionally be aligned - you are deserving of receiving all your wishes.

New Moon Ritual

Ms. Boland has a beautiful and extensive New Moon ritual.  You can check out her website Moonology.com for the details.  I'll summarize them into 4 steps:

1. Write down your top 10 Big Wish Hit List for the next month.  Some can be carry overs
2. from previous months, and some may be new for you.
3. Visualize and feel your wishes in your body.  The feeling part is the key to manifestation, because what we're truly trying to bring into our lives are certain feelings: happiness, love, security, confidence etc.
4. Write down your action plan.  What efforts are you going to make toward making your wish come true.  You have to step up. Your in a partnership here... the Moon is a helper.
5. Meditate and the release the attachment to your wish. Let go and surrender the outcome.  The Universe is always working on your behalf; setting up behind the scenes.  If you surrender the dream, it may or may nor come true.  However, what does come into your life may be better than you could've imagined for yourself.  Let go, baby!

Full Moon

The Full Moon is about releasing and letting go. Ms. Boland indicates that the Full Moon is a time for powerful inner work: healing, shifting and getting rid of the past that keep us stuck in the present and impacts our chances for changing the future.

Forgiveness is a key in manifesting.  When we release negativity, fear, shame, drama and other yuck that doesn't serve us, we open a void for good things to flow into our lives.  At the time of the Full Moon, we acknowledge the people who have caused us pain (even ourselves) as teachers of our life lessons.

The release of the negativity and resentment leave a big opening in our energy.  We fill this with gratitude.  By focusing on what we're thankful for in our lives now, we invite more of this awesomeness in.  Our energy vibration increases and assists in preparing us in manifesting with the New Moon.

Steps for a Full Moon ritual focus on forgiveness and gratitude.  Again, check out Ms. Boland's book and website for a more intricate description of a ritual.

1. Write down on a piece of paper habits, ideas, behaviors that you want to change.  Add to it anyone who has upset you or any situations that have made you angry.  You can go all the way back to childhood, if you desire.
2. Close your eyes and visualize each person.  See them surrounded by a pink light, create a positive feeling between the two of you and then say you forgive them, seeing them float off.
3. Say a prayer of forgiveness.  You can freestyle riff or research prayers on line for this type of ritual.
4. Burn your list.  Please do it over the kitchen sink, in a wood fireplace or anywhere else where you won't set fire to your house!
5. Write a list of everything and every one you are grateful for.  Fill a page.  You can include your favorite pair of running shoes or the soft towels in your bathroom.
6. Burn your gratitude list. Again- in a safe way!!!
7. Say a prayer stating how blessed you are.

Amazing right?  I keep a list of my New Moon wishes in a separate journal, so I can witness the Universe working on my behalf. 

Play with this and have fun.  The goal is to get clear about what you want in this life, to let go of what doesn't serve you, and to be thankful for all you have in your life now.

Originally Published 03-15-2018