Everything you need to know about new moon rituals

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Photo: Unsplash/Elizabeth Tsung

You’ve seen them referenced on Instagram. You may have even been invited to one. But what, exactly, is a new moon ritual—and why should you try one?

“In astrology, the moon represents our emotions,” explains Ruby Warrington, co-founder with Alexandra Roxo of Moon Club, a monthly membership program for what she dubs “spiritual activists” that follows the lunar cycle (the Brit is also the founder of the esoteric-obsessed online magazine The Numinous and authot of the forthcoming book Material Girl, Mystical World).

“I see a ritual as any sort of practice that’s designed to help bring forth an intention that you’re setting.”

The new moon—like the one this Sunday (which is a super-powerful Pisces solar eclipse, FYI)—is, as she explains, “an invitation to go inward and be with our emotions [and] our inner-voice to find what our truth is in this moment, so that we can plant the seeds for what we want to create and manifest and bring out at the new full moon.”

Think of it like vision-boarding, only supercharged with astrological energy. And no, you definitely shouldn’t feel intimidated. “You say the word ‘ritual’ and instantly images come up of, like, an altar and candles and special chanting that we all need to know—but actually, I see a ritual as any sort of practice that’s designed to help bring forth an intention that you’re setting,” says Warrington. Whether it’s lighting a candle or practicing a little bit of self-care, “any of those things become rituals when there’s some kind of conscious intention behind them.”

So what exactly should you do as the moon disappears in the sky?

Here, Warrington explains the key parts of a new moon ritual—get her tips below, and then watch the video for a deeper dive into getting in tune with the lunar cycle.

Get Started

1. Put away your phone

Set aside 20-30 minutes where you know you can reflect and—yes, this is crucial—not be checking your phone. “Choose a time of day when you can actually really be quiet with yourself,” says Warrington. “Maybe meditate for a few minutes before you begin just to clear out the chatter.”

2. Pull a card

Whether it’s from a tarot deck, an animal spirit deck, or whatever woo-woo option you’re feeling, the Moon Club leader recommends selecting just one card that will be your symbolic visual aid throughout the next 14 days.

3. Pick a crystal

No need to surround yourself with a garden of shiny rocks or obsess over meaning—just reach for one that’s calling you at that very moment. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, it’s the new moon so it has to be this crystal,'” she notes.

4. Light a candle

“Fire is actually very symbolic for the new moon because fire is like a cleansing,” says Warrington. “It allows us to burn off anything that has to go before we start the new month.”

5. Write out your intentions

Nothing fancy, just spend a few moments journaling about what you want to bring in that month. “It’s really quite simple,” she promises. And if you’re compelled to finish off the ritual with a bit of sacred chanting, well, more power to you.

You don’t have to fly solo on the new moon—here’s how to turn it into a women’s circle. Company or not, you’ll probably want to make this rose quartz-infused cocktail.

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