Using the Moon to set goals
I have been using the moon to set my goals and intentions for over 2 years. Some things I have made progress on, like completing my AAT studies, and some things I am still working on, mostly my health and fitness goals.
Each lunar cycle (from New Moon to New Moon) lasts for around 29 days, roughly 4 weeks. And each of these lunar cycles are part of a bigger lunar cycle which runs from the New Moon to the Full Moon in the same sign, around 6 months.
We can split each of these lunar cycles into two halves of around two weeks. The Waxing Half which runs from New Moon to Full Moon, and the Waning Half, which runs from Full Moon to New Moon. During the waxing half, we want to add things into our lives. And during the waning half, we want to remove things to create space for the new things we want to add.
If you think about a bookcase, there is only so much space there for books. Eventually, if you want new books then you will have to remove some of the old books to create space. It’s the same thing we think about when adding and removing items from our lives. You only have so much space and time for all the things you want to have and do.
Let's look at each of the eight phases of the moon and how that can guide our goal setting.
New Moon
This is the time to set your goals and intentions for the next 4 weeks. What do you want to grow in your life? What do you want more of? What do you want to work on and focus on over the next four weeks? This can even be a mini goal within your bigger goals.
Waxing Crescent
As the moon starts to grow in the sky, we begin to start taking action. If you haven’t already, then make a plan. What are the things that you can do to move you in the direction of your goals? One small step is all you need to get moving. We are essentially building the foundation to work from here.
First Quarter Moon
This is the halfway point between the New Moon and the Full Moon, and is a good time to pause. How are things going? If you haven’t taken any action yet, why not? What next steps can you take? Because of the harsh angle the moon is making with the sun at this time, this is when we may start to have doubts about our ability to achieve our goals. Obstacles can come up, and problems that need to be solved. It is important to keep going and adapt the plan as needed.
Gibbous
As the moon swells in the sky, emotions and energy rise. This is a time for building momentum and excitement around your goals. As we approach the Full Moon, this is the last sprint when we keep going with the finish line in sight.
Full Moon
This is a time to celebrate all your success and progress so far. It is important to note that not all goals will be completed during this first two-week period. Unless it’s a small goal, it can take many cycles to achieve your goal, or even to feel like you are actually getting anywhere. This is also a good time to release any blocks you may have. What challenges have you faced? What has held you back?
Disseminating
As the moon starts to shrink it’s time to wrap things up and reflect on how they have gone. After the heightened energy of the Full Moon, this can also feel like an emotional hangover. And if things have not gone as well as you had hoped you may feel like a failure. It is important at this time to keep your spirit high, take extra time for yourself doing the things that you love and reflect on your achievements.
Third Quarter Moon
This is the halfway point between the Full Moon and the New Moon, and is again a time to pause and when problems and issues can arise. I like to think of this phase as the crossroads of the cycle and when we look at where we were, where we are now, and where we want to go next. What has worked well? What has not worked well? What do you want to take with you? What will you leave behind? This is not an exercise in beating yourself up, it’s looking for the lessons so that you can improve your strategy and make progress in the next cycle.
Balsamic
The last phase of the cycle is all about self-care, self-care, self-care!! Balsamic means healing or soothing. What are the things you still need to heal? It’s also a time for looking forward - do your goals still excite you? Are you ready to work on them again?
And then we have the New Moon and it all starts again!!
I hope you have found this week’s blog helpful and if you start to set your goals with the New Moon then I would love to hear how you get on!!
If you are ready to take this deeper, then book a free call to see how working with the moon can help you to tick all those mundane tasks off your to-do list to give you more time to do the things you love!!
