Spiritually, the Black Moon is a powerful time for shadow work, release, and profound   transformation as it combines and amplifies the energy of the New Moon and the Dark Moon. Whether you see it as the ultimate lunar reset or a chance to plant long-term intentions, the Black Moon’s energy invites you to go inward, shed what no longer serves you, and trust in the unseen process of growth.

The New Moon for the next lunar cycle commenced last night (23^rd August), the “Black Moon” that comes about every 29months. It’s titled this because it’s the second time in the month we have had a new moon. Each lunar cycle starts with new beginnings, new hopes, and new intentions.

Where the waning moon (8th cycle of the moon) asks us to reflect on what has not been working and serving us to our full potential this month, the new moon allows us to set good and positive goals. For me, personally, my journey of self-care and respect began almost two years ago when I decided to head to Bali to study yoga. Shortly after, I quit drinking to focus on my life as a single woman, now that my children had all grown up and my parents were getting older.

Over the past two years, despite losing a parent and retiring from business ownership, I’ve found a sense of calm and a sense of who I am. I have learned a great deal about myself and started to forgive that side of me where I haven’t been so proud.  As I continue on my personal development journey, I have completed my studies in Women’s Wellness, enabling me to share my knowledge with my students. I have lost the booze/sugar weight, gained muscle, and headed into Menopause, (started HRT), and decided that for me, these are the start of some fabulous years ahead.

You see, the internal work we do must be as important as our external work. Get to the heart of healing so that we can live in harmony with our inner dialogue, which was once a tool for support, and that inner voice that drives us crazy sometimes. To look good is one thing; to feel amazing is what I personally strive for. It is said that for each troubling thought, it can last as little as 20 minutes if you can sit with it, saving years of ruminating over it. Most of us don’t want to feel the ugly side, so we push it away. Finding the courage to lean into it takes practice and time, patience and faith.

So, for me, this new moon, this black moon, my new intentions are to find purposeful healing, as I know that there has been a lot of frustration in my life over the past couple of months.  For me, it’s about letting go of past relationships that no longer serve me. Going through life-changing experiences does change who you are, and you start to respect and protect yourself with self-compassion. I have been angry over the past couple of months, and instead of ruminating on that anger, I have had to ask myself exactly why. Instead of facing that fear, I had replaced it with anger. I see that there is some healing to do, so my intention for this month is to find peace with that.

I believe that this day not only marks the anniversary of my father’s passing, but the new moon lets me go forward, wants us all to move forward, and set those intentions that are important to us so that we can start to live our best life, without fear, self-judgment, and embrace the new cycle.