I have always been fascinated by the moon and the stars. As a young child, my mother and I would lie out in the front yard on clear nights, and she would teach me about the constellations. I can still remember the book we bought mapping out the stars in our sky. We weren’t very good, but it instilled in me a cycle of life that included where the stars were in the sky. To this day, I know that when Orion shows up, he is here to help me through the days of winter and will be watching over me as we move through these darker, colder, slower months. I feel his presence carrying me through to the Spring.

Along with being star struck, I am pulled to the energy of the moon and her phases. The moon is my guide as I move through the phases of my life. Working with her energy has been an integral part of my healing, growing, and finding more balance through the wheel of the year.

new moon intentions: A Journey Through Stream of Consciousness

I start by setting my intentions for the current moon cycle, guided by the Tarot card I drew for February at the end of last year. This card initiates a flow of thoughts in my journal, linking its imagery and meaning to the present moment.

Monthly Tarot Card

The last week of each month, pull a tarot card for the upcoming month. This will be the theme of your month and help you find focus on areas of expansion and growth.
See the Full Deck

This is where the stream of conciousness begins. In my journal, I write down connections and corespondences that come up both from the image on this card and from the written meaning of the card.

The suit of swords, associated with Air, aligns with my Sun sign's ruler, Jupiter, symbolizing expansion. With the New Moon in Aquarius, also an Air sign, and positioned at 17 degrees in my 6th House of Health and Wellbeing, I'm reminded of the importance of self-care and personal growth.

The 6th House: “Essential to the work we do in life is the work we do on our self. Duty, responsibility and personal growth all contribute to the creation of a fully-realized being. We work for others as well as for ourselves; we are at service to those who need us, including our own being. There will be times when crises of health or faith will stand in the way of our best self. At those times, we must endeavor to heal ourselves so that we can return to the work of realizing our sum potential, of serving our purpose” -astrology.com

Air represents movement and divine connection for me. Feeling the wind reminds me of the ever-present energy of the Divine Source, encouraging me to incorporate more physical movement into my life. This realization becomes the foundation of my intention.

Crafting your intention statement

Tarot: Embrace upgrades, expansion, and growth.
Element: Air signifies life force and divine connection.
House: Focus on the 6th House for health and well-being.

Refining my intention statement for clarity and precision:

Lately, I've been stretched thin by various responsibilities and haven't prioritized self-care. As I age, I recognize the need for physical and mental rejuvenation. My intention centers on healing, self-love, and self-care, utilizing resources like Yoga International, Insight Timer, and face yoga.

My intention for this moon cycle:

"I commit to a weekly practice of movement through yoga, stretching, and dance. I make mindful choices about my nutrition. I dedicate time daily for meditation and breathwork, ensuring mental clarity and prioritizing these practices. I overcome any feelings of lethargy or procrastination, focusing on providing my body and mind with their needs."

For those interested in exploring their own intentions, I recommend using a simple and informative birth chart website like this one. If you need assistance with your birth chart or wish to delve deeper into your monthly placements, consider joining my Sacred Skincare Membership for personalized guidance. Learn More

“You’ll be invited into profound honesty and vulnerability. Cultivate patience for yourself and others, and be present with where you’re at and where you hope to be. We all have the potential to engage in deep healing work and receive divine inspiration this week. Let’s get to it”
-Aliza Kelly “The Curiosity Report”

Where do we go from here?

I love a good ritual. I have crafted a New Moon Ritual below for you to follow and put your intentions into action.

**New Moon Sacred Skincare Ritual**

Tools:
Spell Candles (1 black, 1 white)
Paper or journal to write your intention
Shea Treatment Butter
Incense, oils, herbs, and crystals that support your intention
Recorded Meditation here

Setting the scene: Gather your tools in a space where you will be undisturbed for about an hour. This ritual is beautifully incorporated into a luxurious bath and is written as such. If you want to exclude the bath, then set up a small sacred area you can place your candles, crystals, incense etc. and have a spot to stand comfortably or sit in front of.

Take three deep breaths to center and ground yourself. Breathe all the way into your belly and fill your chest. Hold the breath at the top for a moment, take in one last sip of air, then sigh it all out. Audibly sigh, don’t be afraid to make noise! This helps to release any pent-up energy in your system and the breathing opens the energy channels. Allow your breathing to settle back into it natural rhythm.

Begin to envision a light at your heart center, this light can be any color it chooses to show up as. If you’d like direction for the color, green and pink and the colors of the heart center.

With each breath, allow this light to grow stronger until it surrounds your entire being, inside and out. As the light fills and surrounds you, send out a mental beacon to your spirit guides, Goddesses, Higher Power, Divine Source, whomever you choose to call in as your Ultimate Divine. Request that they guide you and protect you as you perform this ritual.

Divine Spirit Guides, Goddesses, Universe, Mother Moon, and all energies in the Cosmos, I call to you to guide me and protect me as I do my sacred work here tonight. May only light and peace reside in this space and in my heart. Hear my call, my intentions, and my prayer.

Light your white candle and state

I light this candle to bring light and peace into my heart and my home. This candle represents the seeds I am planting tonight, for the growth and expansion journey I am embarking on during this cycle of the Moon.

Read your intention statement aloud. (insert the statement you crafted earlier)

During this moon cycle I nurture a weekly practice of movement in the form of yoga, stretching, and dance. I make conscious decisions about the foods I put in my body. I am available for peaceful contemplation in the form of meditation and breathwork. I have time to dedicate to these practices everyday because they are a priority. I push through any thoughts of lethargy and procrastination with the goal of giving my body and mind what it needs. And So It Is.

Light your black candle and state

I destroy and uncreate all contracts and agreements I made that limit me. I release any energy that is not aligned with my highest good. May it leave now.

At this point you may do a few things. If you have a place where you can safely burn items, write down 3 things you would like to release from your life, beliefs and actions that limit you and hold you back from the growth you want to see this cycle. Take each one and light them with the black candle, repeat

I release all negative energy that holds me back from my highest good.

Place the paper in a burning bowl, cauldron, fireplace, or someplace safe for it to burn out. If you do not have somewhere you can burn, then place the strips of paper under the candle until it has fully burned down. The next day you can throw them away, compost them, or bury them.

Incorporating Sacred Skincare
At this point, draw your bath, add some beautiful bath salts or bath oil and as the bath fills, envision the water and a cleansing source that will draw any negative energy from you, cleanse you, and leave you ready for this journey. At the end of this post is the Shea Butter Moisture Treatment Ritual. When you get in your bath, follow that portion of the ritual.

Meditation

Stand comfortably or sit. Begin your meditation. Use your own or listen here to the one I recorded for this ritual.

Closing Your Ritual

As you come back from your meditation, begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Open your eyes and come back into your body and your space. Stretch your arms up and over your head as you take a deep breath in. Bring your palms together over your head and move them down and in front of your heart space as you exhale.

With your hands in prayerin frontt of your heart, thank your Guides, , Goddesses, and the Universe for being with you during this sacred time.

Spirit Guides, Goddesses, Mother Moon, Divine Source and Universe, thank you for protecting me ang guiding me during my sacred work. I send this intention out on the wind to be planted in my spirit during this moon cycle. Hear my prayer. As Above, So Below. As within, So With Out. So Mote it Be and So it Is.

Take a final deep, cleansing breath. Let your candles fully burn out if it is safe or extinguish them to finish burning later. They are now full of the potent energy of your ritual.

So Mote it Be and So it Is. All is Well.

Stay Radiant!

Shea Butter Moisture Treatment: A ritual within a ritual

Moon Phases and the Skin
The New Moon is a time for feeding your skin. You want to give it love, nutrients, and hydration. Try a Shea butter moisture treatment followed by a hyaluronic serum, skin mist, and face cream. This treatment is targeted to set the stage for soothing and nourishing over the next week.

OIL C L E A N S E

Cleanse your face thoroughly with an oil cleanser, massaging it into your jawline, up your cheek bones, along your nose, gently over the eyes, and your forehead. You may also cleanse your neck and decolletage. Rinse with warm (NOT HOT) water and a soft washcloth. Squeeze excess water out of your cloth and pat your face. This absorbs excess water but ensures your face is damp for the next step.

M A S S A G E

Take about a dime size amount of Shea Treatment Butter and warm in your hands. Massage into your face and neck, starting at the jaw and working up the face in slow, circular motions, then work down the neck and decolletage.

MINDFUL PRACTICE

Allow yourself to rest for ten to twenty minutes. Take this time to listen to a meditation, visualization, or sound bath. Sit in silence and focus on your breath and intention for the New Moon Cycle. This can also be done in the bath for a deeply self-loving ritual.

S T E A M

Steaming activates the treatment. Take a washcloth and submerge it into hot water, wringing it out to remove excess moisture. Place the steamy cloth over your face, pressing gently into the cheeks, forehead, and chin. Repeat 3-4 times until all the Shea Treatment Butter is absorbed and skin feels smooth and supple.

H Y D R A T E

Spritz your face generously with Skin Mist and pat the droplets into your skin. Apply a hydrating serum that includes hyaluronic acid. HA is hydrophilic and will help absorb the moisture from the skin mist into your skin. Mist again and apply a light veil of Frankly Face Night Cream.