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Since the earliest times, the moon has embodied the feminine goddess, and is a powerful symbol of intuition, the subconscious, and the cycles of life, death and rebirth.
For Wiccans, the moon isn’t just a satellite of earth. She’s a spiritual leader that helps us connect to the “other world”, to the psychic and the magical through spells, ceremonies and rituals.
In this guide, we’ll give you a template that will enable you to create your own rituals to honor and draw power from the moon, as well as explaining how to choose the right time for your ceremony, and how to get into the correct frame of mind.
Let’s jump straight in and get started:
What is a Wiccan New Moon Ritual?
Any ritual that is scheduled to happen on the evening of a New Moon is considered to be a ”New Moon Ritual”. Typically, the New Moon represents abundance, wealth and success in new ventures. It’s also thought to be a very effective time to begin new patterns and form good habits. New Moons also represent “beginnings” and “rebirths”.
What is a New Moon?
By its modern definition, The New Moon isn’t actually visible. Before super-accurate lunar timetables, pagans referred to the first appearance of a tiny crescent moon as the “New Moon” and the invisible moon as the “Dark Moon”.
In this guide, we’ll stick with the traditional view that a New Moon
is a moon that has only just come into view.
It Doesn’t Seem Right to Simply Make up a Ritual!
This viewpoint is completely understandable.
Wicca isn’t a rigid faith with a fixed instruction manual for conducting rituals. Spellcraft is all about visualization and focusing on intent. That means there’s a certain amount of freedom involved in constructing rituals in a way that best helps you to get into the correct frame of mind.
The four elements involved in constructing a successful magical ceremony are as follows:
- Willpower.
- Intention.
- Symbolism.
- Ritual .
These four elements, when acting together in harmony, can have a profound impact on the human mind, allowing it to exert its will on the universe, and influence positive outcomes.
How Do I Keep Track of the New Moon?
It’s easy enough to find a lunar calendar online: You could try Amazon or a similar online store, or download an app to assist you, such as:
- The Simple Moon Phase Calendar
Android app. - My Moon Phase iPhone app.
- Time and Date’s lunar phases calendar.
- For an actual calendar (hint: you can pair it with your Book of Shadows), check out Luna’s Witches calendar. Apps are nice for the modern era, but it’s easier to get back in tune with the rhythms of the universe with a physical book, rather than an app!
It’s important for Wiccans and pagans to regain their knowledge of the natural world, starting with the lunar cycles. So how can you re-learn those old skills?
Simple! Just look up more often! Become familiar with the night sky and try to get a feeling for the changes in the seasons. In no time you’ll be able to determine the lunar phase, first by sight, but also by intuition!
How to Create a Personalized New Moon Ritual:
The only rule when it comes to making up a New Moon ceremony is as follows:
“There are no rules!”
You absolutely don’t need to organize masses of equipment. You don’t need to advertise on social media for assistance and you certainly don’t need to document the ritual on Instagram. In addition, the ritual doesn’t need to be exotic, complex or overly “Witchy”.
Start small and build in layers over time.
Your ritual should be personal to you, and allow you to visualize your intentions. It will feel much harder to get into the right state if you’re simply copying the construction of your ritual from a book or website.
Now that we’re done with the lecture, let’s talk through the actual process of designing and acting out a New Moon ritual:
Find out When the Next New Moon is Visible:
On average, a moon cycle lasts 29.5 days. You can find out when the next New Moon is due to appear by checking your lunar calendar or moon phase app.
Next up, consult your local weather forecast to check the outlook. If the weather looks cloudy or generally low on visibility, it might be best to hold off until the next cycle.
One other point to note: Some apps will tell you the exact time of a New Moon. This isn’t very helpful for the Wiccan looking to actually see something in the sky. That’s because the official start time of New Moon isn’t visible from earth at all. In addition, if a particular moon phase is scheduled to happen at say, 2pm, then you’re going to need to wait until that evening to actually see anything!
Decide on a Theme for the Ritual
Are you looking to increase your wealth? How about a job promotion or pay rise? A New Moon ritual can help with financial issues, but it can also help with matters of the heart and changes of habit. New Moons symbolize rebirth and moving forward, so take time to reflect on those themes and think of an important focus for the ceremony.
Focus Your Intention
Now you have a theme for your ritual, you need to set a definite outcome for the ritual or a statement of intent. You can do this by simply writing out the outcome on a piece of paper and sealing it in an envelope.
There’s no need to write anything poetic or flowery. Just write out a plainly spoken and heartfelt “wish” or “desire” that you’re looking to manifest.
Prepare Symbolic New Moon Objects
Next, it’s time to gather a few symbolic objects that represent both the New Moon, and your desired outcome.
You could choose objects in your house that represent yourself, or stick to traditional items that represent the moon. There’s no hard or fast rules here: You could assemble a collection or flowers, crystals, small statues of gods, herbs, candles or jewelry.
The important part of this process is to choose items that really resonate with you, items that you’d be happy to keep for a long time and ones that help to cement your desired outcome in your mind.
Decide on a Location
Before the day your ritual is scheduled to take place, take time to consider where you’ll perform the ritual. It’s totally fine to conduct a New Moon ritual indoors in your apartment, and don’t feel disheartened if you lack the confidence or access to use an outside space.
With that being said, there’s definitely a unique atmosphere that comes from performing a moon ritual outdoors, and if you’re able to find a quiet (and safe) spot, it will definitely help to focus your intentions.
Arrange Your Symbolic Objects on an Altar
If you’re performing your ritual outdoors, don’t think for a moment that you need to construct a large and conspicuous altar! Many Wiccans simply pack their symbolic objects into a small wooden case or felt bag, and arrange them on top of a cloth once they’re in position.
If you’re performing your ritual indoors, feel free to get a little more creative, and perhaps consider setting up a permanent altar for future use.
Perform the New Moon Ritual
Newcomers to Wicca shouldn’t feel the need to spend hours doing highly elaborate and complex rituals. The key to conducting a successful ritual with a positive outcome is more about repetition and evoking a powerful image in your mind.
Gather your symbolic objects and arrange them on the altar in a way that resonates with you. Don’t try to overthink the process. Just pick a system and stick with it: For instance, you might choose to place objects around a circle or to form points of a compass. You could burn your “letter of intent” or submerge it in water to symbolize “letting go”. You could even use edible or drinkable objects to symbolize empowerment, health or renewal.
As you perform the ritual, imagine the first beams of lunar light breaking from the New Moon and being channeled into your unconscious. Keep your goal in mind as the white, glowing energy of the moon connects you to the goddess.
Keep your breathing steady and try as best as you can to focus on the goal and to shut out the outside world.
Symbolically Close, or Ground the Ritual
When you feel as though the ritual is drawing to a close, it’s time to ground yourself and bring things to a close. It’s important to have a method for ending rituals in a formal and conclusive way, because your mind needs to be able to differentiate between the unconscious spiritual world and the physical everyday world. That’s why you might have seen or read about various Wiccan rituals that end with words like “Let it be so”, or “I mote it be.” The words themselves aren’t important, but the physical act of stopping the ceremony is vital.
Creating Your Own Ritual Doesn’t Need to be Difficult…
Wicca is an organic, nature based religion that gives its followers the freedom to worship and cast spells however they see fit. Creating your own rituals is a very important part of developing your skills of visualization, intent and general spirituality. Why not give it a try on the next New Moon!