I Finally Moved – April Reflections

I finally moved! It took an entire moon cycle but I am finally home in Maine.

Since the move itself was draining and a lot to unpack (pun intended) I am going to save most of my reflections for another post. I do want to cover the Mercury retrograde and the butterfly migration I was lucky to experience during my last few weeks in California but I am still digesting all of it.

Instead of imposing my heartburn on any dear readers, I thought I would talk about how I used the lunar cycle to help my move.

In my practice the moon represents so much. It is a measurer of time, a compass for astrology, and a ruler of the ocean, tides, and water in my body. My menstrual cycle has synced up to the moon cycle and I find my intuitive abilities heightened during certain periods of the moon cycle.

Before I get into the chronicle of my month and what I did on each moon phase, here is a quick breakdown of the energy one can harness from the moon phases.

New moons are a blank slate. All the energy of the last cycle has been purged and let go. The three nights of the dark moon can be the best time for introspection and meditation. Witches use this energy for all sorts of magic but I find this time to be relatively low energy so I prefer to focus on planning rather than manifesting. I usually set a couple goals to check in on, or meditate on supplies to gather for spell work that suits the upcoming energy.

After the dark moon, the moon “waxes”. This term comes from the candle making practice of dipping a wick in wax progressively until it forms a full candle. This image symbolizes the growth of energy that comes with a waxing moon. Setting an intention on the new moon is a great practice because over the next two weeks you can see that intention grow, using the half moon as check-in after a week. If I find things aren’t moving at the pace I expected or wanted, I use the half moon to re-assess and re-frame my goals.

Full moons signify a release. Lunar power is at capacity so the only thing left to do is release the energy that no longer serves and digest the lessons you manifested over the waxing phase of the moon. The three nights of the full moon are when most witches are at their peak power. For spell work I usually spend the waxing phase gathering supplies and then the three nights of the full moon to do my spell work. After the full moon, lunar energy begins to wane.

As the moon diminishes in size, so does our power. Again the third quarter moon is a great time to check in on your goals and emotional state. It is the final stretch of the moon phase and I find this energy the most powerful for release. This energy of release can be harnessed to quit bad habits, or to let go of lingering emotions like grief, guilt, or anger. Practically, it can be a great time to clean out your closet or let got of objects that don’t do anything for you anymore. I also use this time to wrap up and discard finished spells.

The most important part of harnessing lunar energy over all four phases is setting realistic goal markers. Sometimes this can be tricky and it takes a lot of tweaking and practice in not judging oneself. I have a lot to say on this as an avid user of my bullet journal. I fully plan on making an in depth post on goal planning around the lunar phases. Until then, here are some of my antics over the past lunar cycle. I hope it is evident how each lunar phase’s energy was present in my life.

If you are a witch who practices with the moon phases, please comment and let me know how you use lunar energy in your practice. Every witch is different and I love to hear how this energy manifests for everyone.

~

The new moon on March 6^th fell in the sign of Pisces and was three days before my birthday. I used this time to spend time with loved ones and let them know how much they mean to me. Since it was my birthday too I also soaked up all the love I was given. Sometimes it is hard to accept the love of those around you but it is important to do so. It helps in owning your power. I wrapped birthday gifts and made celebration plans. I also backed up my computer so all the files I’ve worked on over the past cycle are not lost to time.

On March 14^th about a week later, the moon waxed to its first quarter. Under the half moon I was still in a celebration phase and tried to go to as many coffee shops and parks that meant something to me before leaving the state. I was also wrapping up a class where I had to make a pitch packet for an animation series and I used the growing energy of the moon to finally finish the project. That was just in time for the full moon on the 20^th.

This was the first of two consecutive full Moons in Libra. Together the two moons make a gateway signifying a transition of energy. This seemed rather poignant as I frantically packed up my car with all my earthly possessions and shipped her across the country. I was now living with only the necessities I could fit in a suitcase and had to rely on public transit and the kindness of others to get around the city.

I like to think I paid that forward as I helped my three roommates, who were working crazy hours, facilitate a move. We did donation runs (it’s hard to try and be “zero waste” while you move but we were able to recycle and donate many of our items) and scrubbed our apartment trying to leave it better than we found it (not an easy task after two years of wear and tear). The last quarter moon fell on the 27^th – the day Habitat for Humanity picked up our furniture.

The end of the month was a quiet day spent mostly waiting in line waiting to return our internet modem. But we had some time to sit in our now empty apartment reminiscing about all the joyful moments we experienced in our time there. That moment will be in my memory for a long time. I’m still emotional over it.

But it wasn’t the end of my move. The next day I flew home and after a couple delays and naps, I arrived home at midnight on April 1^st, four days before the new moon. I thought I would hit the ground running on all my goals and dreams about moving home but I was exceptionally jetlagged and sad. My body still needed to release all the feelings I was holding on to – the sadness of leaving friends, the fear that I made the wrong choice, the confusion of how to interact with my parents now as an emo adult instead of the emo teen I was when I left.

It took longer to adjust than I expected but it all made sense. The new moon came on April 5^th. I got my period (nature’s truest energetic release) and I finally had enough energy to unpack my room. I had been sleeping in our spare room since coming home – I think I was in denial about settling into a situation that felt permanent. But on April 5^th I met up with a friend I have not seen since Christmas. Our lunch together boosted my spirits and gave me so much to look forward to in the coming months home. That night was the first night I slept in my new room.

I can feel my energy growing as I rev up to accomplish everything I set out to do. I still have so much to look forward to including the growth over the next two weeks leading up to that next Libra full moon. I’m excited to see what the end of this gateway of energy brings to me in my new habitat and I am excited to share those teachings.

Until then!

XO- Riss