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Beginnings · Quiet · Intentions
Moon phase
New moon
The new moon is the start of the Moon's cycle and the one time of the month you can't see it at all. In many traditions that dark sky reads as a clean page: a natural moment to think about what you'd like the next four weeks to hold.
In the sky
At new moon the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. The half that sunlight falls on faces away from us, and the Moon rises and sets with the Sun, so it's lost in the daytime glare. Astronomers mark the new moon as the instant the Moon and the Sun line up in ecliptic longitude. From there, a full round of phases takes about 29.5 days.
Now and then the line-up is close enough for the Moon to cover part or all of the Sun: a solar eclipse, which can only happen at a new moon. Most months the Moon passes a little above or below the Sun instead, because its orbit is tilted by about five degrees.
In tradition
Many calendars start their months here. The Hebrew calendar's months follow the new moon, the Islamic calendar's months begin when the first thin crescent is seen after it, and Chinese New Year falls on a new moon between late January and late February.
In modern astrology the new moon is treated as a seed point, a time for setting intentions rather than pushing for results. You don't need to believe the Moon is doing anything to find that a useful pause.
Things to notice
- Notice what you'd like more of this month.
- Notice what you're ready to stop carrying.
- Notice which ideas keep arriving before you act on any of them.
A question to sit with
If this month were a blank page, what's the first line you'd want on it?
For entertainment and reflection.