Friday, May 22nd - New Moon party in Gemini! Woohoo!
Seriously though, what does that actually mean? People toss words around about the moon and the amazing energies coming, and for most people it's a big ol' Eh? Why should I care about this new moon and what does it mean when it is in Gemini?
So a new moon, basically means that from the earth we can't see it. Furthermore - it is in conjunction with the Earth and Sun. This means that it is perfectly aligned with these three bodies. The reason why this is important is that the Sun and the Earth are the two bodies in the solar system that have the most impact on what goes on with the moon. The fact that they are all aligned it means a concentration of purpose. But what purpose?
A new moon is a still moon (A moon that appears to stand still). This means it doesn't appear to be moving (although it is, but from our vantage point it isn't). It doesn't light up anything - actually it is the opposite of light. It is a truly darkened sky. A New Moon reminds us that ultimately we are alone, and we need to get our crap together if we want to survive! So a new moon is all about me, me, me, me! The one time in the month that it is ok to tell everyone else to back off so you can focus on yourself. Take advantage of it!
But what does it actually mean when the moon is in a zodiac sign? The moon in zodiac is astrological concept, that describes the monthly lunar apparent path on the sky, visible from Earth. We see the Moon moving daily from one zodiac constellation sector to another. This means, that from our vantage point, as the moon moves (and as it stops) we see it moving through each constellation (each zodiac sign). It doesn't mean that the moon is actually going from one constellation to another, but it does mean that from our point of view it appears that it is - and hence the influence. Think of the moon as a prism, changing the energy coming to us from constellations in different ways.
Hence a New Moon, a still moon, means no outside work. It means focusing on yourself and doing some much needed shadow work. Now take that work and put it through the prism of Gemini (the sign the moon appears to be passing through). How does the sign of Gemini change the energy of the new moon?
Gemini is about the two sides of our personality. The side we show to the world and the one we keep for ourselves. What happens when these two sides disconnect or collide? Gemini is an air sign, ruled by mercury - which means that Gemini tends to get stuck in their heads - in thought patterns and obsessive thoughts. What aspects of yourself are you currently blocking? What aspects are you currently overthinking? These are all characteristics of Gemini. This moon speaks to self-sabbtage tendency that we all have. How we tend to stop ourselves from taking changes because we believe we are unworthy or that people will make fun of us?
In this moon evaluate your own behavior patterns. How do you sabotage your own plans? How do you stop yourself from taking changes because fear tells you it's too risky? Take advantage of the still moon - when everyone appears to be standing still to find the quiet place inside you, to understand and change these negative behaviors. You can be your best ally or your worst enemy. This moon offers you a chance to choose which one you want to go with for now! Are you ready to let your inner badass-self out?
Gemini is about the two sides of our personality. The side we show to the world and the one we keep for ourselves. What happens when these two sides disconnect or collide? Gemini is an air sign, ruled by mercury - which means that Gemini tends to get stuck in their heads - in thought patterns and obsessive thoughts. What aspects of yourself are you currently blocking? What aspects are you currently overthinking? These are all characteristics of Gemini. This moon speaks to self-sabbtage tendency that we all have. How we tend to stop ourselves from taking changes because we believe we are unworthy or that people will make fun of us?
In this moon evaluate your own behavior patterns. How do you sabotage your own plans? How do you stop yourself from taking changes because fear tells you it's too risky? Take advantage of the still moon - when everyone appears to be standing still to find the quiet place inside you, to understand and change these negative behaviors. You can be your best ally or your worst enemy. This moon offers you a chance to choose which one you want to go with for now! Are you ready to let your inner badass-self out?
2) 1 Tablet of charcoal – this can be round or square. There are many different types of charcoal out there – just find something you like best. Place the charcoal on top of the sand inside your burner.
3) One set of tongs of some kind – you can buy special charcoal tongs but sometimes they tend to be expensive – but I use little metal serving tongs you can buy at the grocery store for $2.
What you will need to do is pick up your charcoal with the tongs – and place it in direct flame for about 10-15 seconds to light it. Depending on the charcoal you are using, you may need a few more seconds. Some people use a lighter for this but I prefer to use a candle, it is safer. Once my charcoal is lit, I generally blow on it a little to see how far in it is – so long as it lights you should be good. Place your charcoal back down on your burner (on top of your ash) and let it sit there for about a minute or so while it finishes catching.
4) Select your herbs or incense to burn. Place the herbs or incense on top of the lit charcoal block. It will begin to smolder. My recommendation is to use very little to start with and then gradually add in more herbs or incense until you reach the desired amount. If you put too much herbal material or incense, you can actually snuff out your charcoal, so start small!
