The Moon moves from new to full and back to new again in a little less than a month. That repeated movement can become a set of marks on the calendar, giving our own activity a little rise and fall.
The geometry of new and full Moon
A new Moon occurs when the Moon and Sun occupy the same direction in the sky. From Earth, the Moon is mostly invisible. At the full Moon, they are opposite one another, and sunlight illuminates the face of the Moon we can see.
The waxing journey from new to full takes about two weeks. The waning journey back to new takes about two more.
New Moon: a marker for beginning
The new Moon is the turn from invisibility toward growth. It has long been used as a time to begin or to imagine what comes next.
Keep the beginning small. Write one intention or take the first action on something you want to grow. The gesture can match the Moon: a start that is not visible to everyone yet, but has entered motion.
Full Moon: a marker for receiving and releasing
At the full Moon, the cycle reaches its brightest point. Look at what has developed since the new Moon. Receive what has ripened and put down what no longer needs to be carried.
Release can be modest: naming one feeling that has been held too tightly, or allowing a completed effort to be finished. Some people also feel more awake or emotionally full near this phase. When that happens, observing the heightened state can be easier than trying to suppress it.
Compare the Moon with your own rhythm
There is no correct emotional response to a phase. The value of tracking the cycle is that it gives you an outside measure against which to observe your own movement.
For several cycles, note what you want to begin near the new Moon and what feels complete near the full Moon. If your rhythm matches, you have found a useful timing marker. If it does not, you have learned that your body follows another rhythm. Both are real information.
HOSHIDOU shows today’s lunar phase and the dates of the next new and full Moon. Begin with one note at the next phase and see what becomes visible over time.