I noticed a big change in my life when I began observing the ebb and flow of the lunar cycle. It was subtle at first, but over time I became calmer, more grounded, and a lot more intuitive about the things coming toward me in my life. About the things I wanted to move toward. And about the fine line between the two.
See, I used to be an overachiever. Everything I did was for the purpose of reaching a goal or getting gold stars. And when I reached the goal or got the accolades, I’d be happy for like a minute, and then I would need another goal. When I didn’t have something to work toward, I felt aimless and restless and scared.
I clung to my goals and action plans for dear life. As if they were my life. Because they were.
Obviously that wasn’t very healthy. I knew that having goals wasn’t the problem. The problem was in my attitudes and beliefs about my goals. I was way too rigid and attached to specific outcomes, and I believed in my own self-worth as a reflection of my achievement. If I was getting the exact results I wanted, it was a good day. If not…well…you know.
So that’s where moon journaling comes in. In the simplest of terms, this is an intuitive approach to goal setting and action plans.
The moon naturally sets a rhythm for us that we may or may not be aware of. Most people acknowledge that full moon madness is a thing. People and events just seem a little bit keyed up at the full moon, don’t they? But have you ever stopped to notice the energy or vibe of a new moon? I find new moons to feel very energetic and creative, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
The new moon phase is considered the beginning of the lunar cycle. It’s a time of darkness, of full shadow, of absence. This empty place, this “new” place, is the perfect time to stop for a moment and feel into what we really want to create in our lives. It’s a good time to observe your desires and ask yourself if they are really for your highest good. Do you really want that? Why? How will it make you feel to have it? Do you really believe that you can have that? When we ask these questions of ourselves in a truly relaxed state, we are sometimes surprised at the answers.
A place of intuitive knowing is the most powerful place to set intentions from. And if you aren’t in that place yet, tapping into your intuition is a great place to begin.
Intentions are not completely different from goals. Both are things that you mean to do and be and have. But when you say that you have a goal to do something, and you say you intend to do something, don’t those two things each have a unique feel? A goal is something that we want to achieve. Goals are supposed to be a little challenging, right? We were also taught that goals should be S.M.A.R.T., and we were supposed to break them down into action steps that were logical. And if we did it right and followed the action steps–if we worked hard enough–we would eventually get to the goal. Well, I still think there’s a time and a place for a nice action plan, but I really don’t want to live by one anymore.
Setting intentions means you affirm to yourself, and to your Source or Higher Power, that you have a healthy desire and that you believe it’s right for you. And then instead of setting a to-do list, you commit to listening to your own vibe each day and taking inspired action toward those intentions. Inspired action is high vibe action that’s in alignment with your intentions. When your intentions, your inspiration, and your feelings are all aligned, you will get shit done that you never dreamed possible. Believe me. And the funny thing is, it might not look a thing like you thought it would when you were worried about action steps. But you’ll like it. And isn’t that what a good life is about?
The full moon is a time of illumination. This is the perfect time to reflect. We look at what has occurred in the past two weeks. We express gratitude for all the good stuff, the little things and the WOW moments combined. We begin to be more aware of what lights us up. And likewise, we identify and release anything that isn’t serving us. Sometimes we even learn that the thing we thought we wanted so badly a few weeks, months, or years ago, we no longer want at all. The full moon gives us full permission to let it go when we’re ready to, regardless of how much time we think we’ve sunk into it. Reflect and release. Side note, since I started observing full moons, I’m almost never in a bad mood on them. And if I am, I feel better after meditating and writing about it.
There are some “rules” about working with intentions. What you put out in this world comes back to you. I don’t know if it does times three or not, but there does seem to be a boomerang effect. Therefore, we must never set intentions for other people. It’s their job to set their own intentions. Don’t set any intentions that will hurt another or take a thing that they have. Adopt a mindset of bountifulness. The world is a big place. We don’t have to compete so much. It’s fun sometimes when all participants are on board, but not for fulfillment. And lastly, sometimes things that we want badly are just not for us. Have you ever achieved a goal and then felt empty? This process requires that we stay open to the possibility that success isn’t quite what we had in mind. Shoot for the stars, yes. But don’t turn your nose up at a perfectly good day at the beach just because it’s on the ground.
Also, be patient. I find that I’m creating change in my life on a six month basis most of the time. As in, some of the things that are happening today are things I wanted six months ago. Which is why it’s important to set your intention carefully, and release things if you realize they aren’t for you after all. I used to always try to keep my options open, and at one point, fairly recently, I found myself with way too many options, all of which I had wanted at one point. None of which were appealing at all anymore, but I hadn’t released my hold on them. *tiny violin*
As you settle into this cycle, this practice, you’ll begin to be more aware of the things that you wanted that you are getting. And you will begin to learn to let go of the crap that weighs you down emotionally. It’s a commitment to constant renewal and alignment with your highest potential.
Does this excite you like it excites me?
You can join my Moon Journal Circle on Facebook. I’ll post journal prompts there every new and full moon to get you started. My intention is to hold sacred space for a group of like-minded writers and creatives doing the same transformative moon work that you are doing.
If you join, the only things you’ll need are a journal (dedicated solely to this work) and a good pen. Because nothing ruins a good vibe for a writer quite like an awful pen!
Thanks for reading! I hope to see you in my circle 🙂
