How to Set Intentions for New Moon

New Moon is a time for change heralded by shifts in energy and winds of change, which carry in new hopes and dreams for the future. Nearly 70% of human body is made up of water and as the moon goes through its cyclic phases, so does our physical and spiritual body and we get ready to release the old and step into new.

A good place to start is by understanding the power behind your intentions. An intention is not just a thing you set on one special night, or a box you check off in the first few days of the new year. Rather, intention is a living and breathing process that fuels growth, creation, and manifestation. Intention is that tiny breath of hope, a beginning, a seed. As with any seed, it requires attention, nourishment, occasional troubleshooting, and FAITH. If you believe your intention can grow and fully flourish, and if you give it the sustenance and care it needs, it will happen! Here’s how to set intentions for a new moon and reset your intentions:

1. Create a solid specific Intention

Being generic doesn't help and particulars are important so get down to nitty gritty of what do you really want?. For example, there’s an energetic difference between, “I want to find love” and “I want a healthy, balanced relationship with an affectionate person who respects me and shares my interests.”  How does it feel, look, smell, sound? Let yourself envision it with depth and passion! Imagine that it’s already happening. How does it feel to embody that space? That’s what you want to keep coming back to as you tend and nurture your intention over the coming weeks and months.

2. List down your intentions and keep track of them

Making a physical list and keeping periodic track of intentions are important. As the stress and responsibility of daily life start to take over, it might get tough to keep up the momentum. This is normal and natural so don’t guilt-trip yourself over it. Keeping a written list or having a reminder set up for yourself if you’re worried about this, like an alarm on your phone, or maybe a window of time a few days a week where you give yourself permission to just sit quietly and check in with yourself is a good idea. How are you feeling? Is your intention making progress? How do you feel about that? What attention and nourishment are needed to tune back into the energy stream of your most enthusiastic intentional vibration? You got yourself there once, and you can do it again. This is where your commitment and faith play an integral role. The journey is as crucial as the destination.

3. Aim for progress not perfection

The germination of your intention will probably not be smooth or effortless, and as with any kind of growth, it requires action. Intentions that stay solely in the realm of imagination tend to remain there indefinitely. They’re beautiful dreams but may never take on a life of their own. Spend time figuring out what actual steps you can make to support and materialize your intention. If your intention is to become a skilled cello player and perform at a local venue, you’ll need to take cello classes, practice consistently, and speak with the locations you’re interested in working with eventually. Making connections and forming support systems, developing new skill sets, and stepping outside your comfort zone is the bread and butter of birthing an intention into the world as a tangible reality. If you’re scared, you’re on the right track! Trying something new and risky can be very frightening, but that doesn’t make it bad. It’s just an unknown variable that you can get very cozy with eventually. Trust yourself and gamble on yourself ~ you’re worth the time, effort, and faith it takes to bring an intention to fruition.

Looking back to revisit old intentions and then manifesting new meaningful intentions is the best way to absorb in the energy and vibes of a new moon. And so it is!