New Moon —by Míchealín Daugherty The new moon is a time for shaping fresh ideas. It is a time for anticipation as Hecate or the Crone Moon has just withdrawn and we are making way for the Maiden Moon who will give us more alertness and energy. This is a time when energy is tender, bright and uplifting; it is a time of purity — a time to start new projects or look at old projects (or relationships) in a new way. This is a still time and it may even be filled with a little tension, restlessness or apprehension. When the moon is exactly new, her face is turned toward us and she cannot be seen, but we know she is there. It is in this same way, the new ideas and possibilities are just beneath the surface of our minds.  Meditate / Reflect This is a time to meditate upon the darkness within us and begin to realise the energy, potential and creativity that will soon emerge. Light a small white candle and burn sandalwood, jasmine or lavender incense. In Praise to the Moon: Magic & Myth of the Lunar Cycle, Elen Hawke recommends entering a state of "listening awareness" whilst you meditate, that is, listen for your thoughts, wait for them to coalesce. As you meditate, try to focus on a small, bright point of light and imagine it becoming gradually stronger and clearer — this will allow deep intuitive prompting and an emergence of new ideas. The goddesses most often associated with the New Moon are Athena (Greece), Minerva (Roman), Artemis in her girlhood, Persephone when she emerged renewed from Hades and Inanna when she ascended toward the light again after her descent to the Underworld. Brighid, whose festival is in February (Imbolc), is also associated with new ideas and may be associated with the New Moon. Here is a an invocation to the young Artemis, to call her energy into your New Moon meditation: Artemis run swiftly through the dusk, Where the hare bounds, there you are, Where the deer leaps, your heart leaps too, Soaring to the open sky, When the crescent of your bow curves bright and clear. Solitary huntress, keeper of the wild, You are fierce, brave and strong: I / We need your courage. Draw back your bow, Release desires' arrows: Their target lies beyond this world. Be there to birth them when they've grown. They come to us from the realm of dreams. Sources: Hawke, E. Praise to the Moon: Magic & Myth of the Lunar Cycle. Llwellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN. 2002 Personal knowledge/traditions See Also: The Dark Moon Drawing Down the Moon Moon Song Page last updated 6 Oct  2006 Website Design and Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2006 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.