Note: All archive entries are from Emergence-Activate Zoom poetry readings, organized by Nicky Rainey and Lucien Aeon.
This week Wednesday was the Taurus new moon. A new moon occurs when it is in the same sign as the sun–so the Taurus new moon is always in Taurus. This gives the atmosphere a double-whammy intensity of the sign we are currently in. (If your sun sign and moon sign are the same, you were born under a new moon!)
If the full moon is time to harvest, the new moon signifies time to sow. The theory is, as the moon grows, so will your garden. Like the full moon, this concept also relates to fertility/the menstrual cycle. (Note for those who need it: Do not use moon phases as birth control. That shit is tricky.)
Thus, many witchies use the new moon as a time to set intentions. I’m not someone who solely relies on the power of manifestation, but as one tool in our magical kit, it cannot be denied. Focusing and setting an intention is a remarkable act of magic.
The trick with setting an intention is assertive, concrete language. Not, “I’ll try to,” or “I will,” but “I am.” So, for example, “I will make more money,” becomes “I make [x] dollars per week.” (Money is a good place to start; it’s simpler magic than most, and one of our base needs. Don’t feel shallow or un-witchy if you want to do money magic. We live under capitalism. We have to eat.) More lofty examples include “I create art daily,” or “I feel gratitude,” or “I love my body.” These are all solid Taurus intentions, which relates to tangible productivity; the body; the physical realm as it relates to the self.
We’ve talked about letting go, and, inversely, embracing core parts of the self. Now that your inner playing field is cleared and sharpened, the question is: what do you want to manifest? What do you want to see in yourself? In your life? In the world?
As always, the themes of your thoughts and dreams during this time can help point you in the right direction.
Note: Sometimes setting an intention leads to challenges before it is realized. A few years ago, my kumbaya ass set to “love without fear,” and that was little like saying “I climb Everest,” without expecting the attendant exertion. I dealt with several weeks of (more than the usual) anxiety and mental hiccups relating to old trauma; I had to process a whole load of internal sludge before I could reach the place of open-heartedness I had dreamed for myself. It was worth it; it was also very, very hard. This is just something to keep in mind. As you experiment with intentions, pay attention to what changes within you, arises, or falls away. Like the magical wishes of 80s movies, the results are always more complicated than we imagine.
However, it is a really effective vehicle for change, and a worthwhile practice; intention is one of the core concepts of witchery, and sometimes all you need to accomplish your next step.
Go with strength, my fellow Activators! Message me any damn time for clarification, or questions on other topics. Like I’ve said before, each of these passages could be its own book, and I just want to hit the salient points before your eyes glaze over through the computer screen. Thank you for listening.
Ellen The Red 