The New Moon

The Moon is the fastest moving of all the astrological bodies circling the earth. The Moon completes a circle around the Earth every 28 days and catches up with the Sun every 30 days.

When the Moon catches up with the Sun, we don’t see it (except in the instance of an eclipse). Since the Moon is (roughly) between the Earth and the Sun, it does not reflect the Sun’s light to the Earth.

The New Moon is the darkest phase of the Moon, but it also marks the beginning of the two-week period when the Moon moves away from the Sun and increases in light. This creates favorable conditions for us to increase in our lives, set our plans into motion, and plant seeds.

Since ancient times, whether they were astrologically inclined or not, farmers and gardeners have planted crops by the Moon’s cycles. The waxing Moon (increasing from New to Full) is known as a good time to plant above-ground crops such as flowers or vegetables. Because the energy is increasing, the seeds absorb this energy and grow large and healthy.

If we take this principle and apply it to our lives, the waxing Moon is a period to plant seeds of intention, either by taking action to launch a new idea into reality, begin a new relationship, or just admit to yourself that you want to make a change. The important thing about the New Moon is that it’s a time to take the first steps.

The New Moon is a powerful time to make wishes and start new projects. The sign that the Moon is in gives you information on what types of wishes and plans are especially important that month.

For some help making those wishes and planting those seeds, please take a look at Jan Spiller’s wonderful book, New Moon Astrology.