Using the Phases of the Moon for Better Energy + Focus
Seasonal living is more than just the change in seasons from Spring to Winter. Did you know that the moon also has its seasons that influence you, your mood, emotions and physical body?…
The moon is as much a part of the cycles of nature and influences us just as much, if not more, than the four seasons as it is in a constant state of change, and goes through its full cycle once every 28 days.
If you have been struggling with your energy levels, feeling exhausted all the time, struggling to keep focused, and feel like you’re not making the best use of your time, learning to shift to a more cyclical planning and creativity approach is a game changer…and this means paying attention to the moon!
The Moons Monthly Cycle
Tracking and using the seasons of the moon not only give us a deeper understanding into ourselves, our bodies, and fluctuations in our emotions or energy. It can also make sense of things you are struggling with or explain certain repeating patterns.
Although all of the planets will shift and move through our skies the moon is possibly the most prominent in its changing phases and shapes.
The cycle of the moon, or a lunar month, lasts around 29 days. Working from New moon to New moon. With each of the individual moon phases lasting 2.5 days each.
For ease of understanding (and if you don’t want to work with all eight phases just yet) the moons cycle can be split into four sections or ’moon weeks’, each lasting between 6-9 days.
The New Moon is Day one of this cycle and the Full Moon will fall around day 14. As you can see from the diagram above the days following the New Moon are Spring, where the Moon’s energy is at its fullest through the full moon is Summer, and the cycle follows through to winter at the New Moon.
During the 2.5 days of each moon phase the energy, focus and possibilities shift and change. The ebb and flow of this moon energy can often bring light to, and illuminate or make clearer the ebb and flow of our own energy. Especially women…
As human beings we are not made to live in the constant busyness and’ toxic productivity’ of our modern society. We are cyclical beings, and trying to force ourselves into the 24hr cycle is actually damaging our creativity, productivity and health!
It's human nature to wax and wane, but somewhere along the way, many of us picked up the idea that fluctuating moods and energy levels aren't normal or healthy.
Modern culture disregards our cyclicality and expects us to show up for life statically, as though we're the same day after day. We tend to take this on and expect ourselves to produce and perform constantly. But gradual crescendos and decrescendos are completely normal and even protect our health. It's important to honor our ebbs as much as we honor our flows. The lower points in our energy cycle are what fuel the higher points and vice versa.
The Moon also governs our ability to digest, which goes beyond food and includes anything we ask the body to process, such as emotion, stress, or exercise. The current Moon phase reflects how much stress, whether positive or negative, we're able to process at a given time without moving into dis-comfort. This is what I mean by energetic capacity. For example, you may feel totally ready for your work presentation under a First Quarter Moon, while that same presentation may feel next to impossible at the end of the lunar cycle.
Movement is another form of stress and is only supportive if our body can "digest" and assimilate it. We don't want to overwhelm the body with too much of anything, even "good" things. Overdoing it creates a traffic jam of hormones and waste products, blocking the body's chance to recover and rebuild. On the other hand, if we don't apply enough stress, we may not experience the positive benefits of exercise. Some days we're primed to receive extreme challenge; other days, a maintenance dose; and others, deep rest.
The Moon phase can help us decipher this.
When we reject our cyclical nature, our nourishment routines tend to lack this intelligent cyclicality too. This is when rigid dieting or compulsive exercising may take hold. Chronically rejecting rhythm is where health begins to break down. Paying attention to astrological rhythms can make you more perceptive of and compassionate toward the rhythms within you. This is one of the many reasons why I continuously encourage you to look past "your sign" and understand how the daily astrology impacts your needs.
Breaking Down the Phases
As we just discussed, each moon phase has its own unique strengths and challenges. Things that are brought to light during those days.
By lunar seasons I simply mean the phases of the Moon cycle. A few basics:
There are many ways to divide the lunar month, but for health, I find it most helpful to divide it into the four major phases. This way, each major phase lasts roughly one week, giving every week of the month a theme.
The Moon phase can act like a volume knob, reflecting how loud and busy life may be, how much activity we might be able to take on, and our emotional and physical capacity. The Moon phase increases and decreases our energetic capacity. When ignored, we often under- or overexert. Keeping in its rhythm makes us good stewards of our energy.
Each lunar phase is also associated with an element. You'll learn more about these elements as you read through part two. As the Moon moves through its phases, the elemental makeup of our body shifts in response. This changes our nourishment needs throughout the month.
But the Moon doesn't just have phases. Like the Sun, it also travels through the twelve signs, although at a much faster pace. The Sun takes one year to travel the wheel, while the Moon only takes one month, staying in each sign for about two and a half days. The sign that the Moon is in gives the day a particular mood or flavour.
New Moon —
Element: Air (blood; nervous and respiratory systems)
Theme: Set the tone
The new moon is the darkest phase of the moons cycle. The winter, and, as in our seasonal winter a time of rest and internal focus.
The New Moon phase is the beginning of the waxing cycle, but it's common to feel not quite ready to begin again at full speed.
On the New Moon, the body's energy, fluids, and resources are typically at their lowest because they've been spent waxing, waning, and living during the previous month.
Even if you've managed your energy wisely, you may feel as though you have a little less bandwidth. It's important to honor this and to go at your own pace.
Keeping in sync with the New Moon phase may be the most important, because it sets the tone for the rest of the month.
Movement for a new moon is all about pacing. You should aim to feel revived, not pushing for optimal performance.
This is still not a 'doing' phase, but rather a time for making plans, preparing the ground and planting the seeds.
It's where you get creative, get clear and set your intentions.
You will find that your intuition and self-awareness are still heightened at a new moon and you are able to be clear and focused on what you want and need.
Waxing Crescent —
This is when we see the first sliver of the moon in the sky after the New moon.
This is the time for action.
Just as the moon is beginning to grow and take shape, so are your new-moon intentions.
It is under the crescent moon that you need to stay in alignment with your vision and goals and put into place all and because of that, this may be the most important phase in the cycle when it comes to your productivity and taking action towards your goals.
But it can also be tricky because, just as the moon in the sky is still only a sliver and far from full, your visions and goals may seem a long way from wholeness or completion. It may feel like there is a lot of 'doing' without seeing much in return.
Take care of yourself and your energy at this growing phase of the month; you're only at the very beginning.
Find balance in the being and doing. Keep reminding yourself of your new-moon intentions and what they will bring into your life and stay true to your vision.
Start to take those first steps towards making your new-moon visions a reality.
First Quarter —
Element: Fire (metabolism; muscular and cardiovascular systems)
Theme: Build momentum
Each Quarter Moon serves as a checkpoint or a crossroads between the New and Full Moons, giving us an opportunity to take personal inventory and adjust course if necessary.
The First Quarter Moon is like a crescendo, gradually increasing in size and momentum on its way to fullness. Ideally, the body's resources are refreshed and ready to build on the foundation laid during the New Moon.
If you don't feel the slight quickening of this fiery phase, it's a clue that you may not have given yourself enough rest or nourishment during the New Moon phase.
On the other hand, look out for taking too much action. During this phase, especially toward the end, it's easy to blur the line between healthy Fire and stress or inflammation.
Movement during this season can start to add a bit more heat and challenge to the movement patterns established under the New Moon.
As the moon continues to grow bigger in the sky, she brings energy, ideas, inspiration and everything you need to bring your hopes and dreams and ambitions to fruition; it's like the energy of the entire universe is on your side.
This is the time of the month you need to say yes and notice every nudge from the universe - follow the synchronicities and signposts that will seem to appear daily: you think about someone and they call; you need something and it appears.
Be sure that you keep your new moon intentions as your reference point, so that you can take guided action rather than getting thrown off course.
Waxing Gibbous —
Over the next few nights it will be hard to tell whether the moon is full or not as just a little edge will be missing.
Your energy levels will start to grow with this part of the lunar cycle. You're almost there - but not quite. And, just like the moon you may feel that it's just that one little edge, that little something that is missing. There can be impatience around this time of the lunar journey - a frantic feeling of wanting to get things done but not being quite sure what or how: Be patient and trust that all the support you need surrounds you.
Many people find they don't sleep in the nights before the full moon. This is because the moon is so bright in the sky, but also due to her heightened energy; she simply wants you to make it over the finish line.
The moon gives you extra energy now to help you to finish off all that you set out to do at the start of the month. This is the time to put in a little extra work, just don’t burn yourself out.
Tune in deeply and see what is still left for you to do, don’t get distracted by busy work. This phase holds all the potential and power of your dreams. They are almost there.
Also notice where you have been procrastinating, not giving your dreams the required effort, or you have slipped out of good habits, fallen out of alignment with what you want, or had challenges come up. Under this phase it's also likely that what holds you back will come rushing to the surface so that you can be aware of it, so be mindful of the voice of doubt and doom.
Full Moon —
Element: Earth (skeletal, integumentary, and digestive systems)
Theme: Maintain momentum
The moon is full in the sky. Once again, she and the sun have aligned, but this time on opposite sides of the earth, bringing opposing forces into play.
The Full Moon initiates the waning half of the lunar cycle. The Full Moon's job is to uncover the bones, or Earth, of things.
The Full Moon is the truth teller of the phases, shining brightly on everything we've cre-ated, exposing whether or not it's what we intended. As the word full implies, under the Full Moon, life is full, and sometimes we can feel overwhelmed. To stay comfortable, after its swift peak, it's wise to move into a time of pruning.
This is where those challenges, bad habits and procrastinations you noticed in the waxing gibbous phase can be dealt with…
This might look like saying no more often or putting fewer things on the to-do list. Yes, you may have your greatest energetic capacity under the Full Moon, but this energy is only sustained if it's used on the things that matter. It's easy to fritter away Full Moon energy and have nothing but exhaustion to show for it. The Full Moon is associated with the harvest, and its purpose is not to do more but to store more energy for the waning weeks ahead.
Your energy should be at its highest and, depending on whether you have been in your flow or fighting against it, you will either feel a moment of completion, or completely emotionally frazzled during the full moon.
When it comes to movement sustainability in the key.
Working near, or even pushing slightly beyond your personal exercise threshold may feel aligned and exciting. Pro tip: This may shift depending on the zodiac sign in which the Full Moon occurs.
Whatever growth you experienced during the waxing half of the cycle, you want to maintain and carry with you into the next one. Integrate your new strengths and skills but keep longevity in mind. Ensure that movement sustains your energy rather than steals from it.
A common complaint right after the Full Moon's peak is exhaustion and body pain or stiffness, and it might be a clue that you've overextended earlier in the cycle. If this is the case, increased high-intensity movement is not the best strategy.
Waning Gibbous —
The moon begins to lose a little of her fullness, night by night, as we move through the doorway from waxing to waning and begin our journey into the second half of the cycle.
Initially, after all the busyness and high energy in the run-up to the full moon, you may feel a slight dip in energy during this moon phase. It can be tempting to give up at this stage and simply wait for the new moon to come around again so that you can start over and make new or more wishes. Don't fall into this trap, as unless you release what stood in the way this time, the same things will come up in the next lunar cycle, and the next and the next.
Use the inwards energy of the waning moon to begin to process all that you have experienced through the cycle so far and learn from it. This is where you begin to finally understand all that has stood in your way and why
What worked? What didn't? And what needs to change? What do you need to let go of in order to move forwards?
Last Quarter —
Element: Water (endocrine, immune, and lymphatic systems;
emotions)
Theme: Pause and make space
The Last Quarter Moon is the halfway point between the Full Moon and the next New Moon. We're on our way to emptiness. This is a time of completion, but unlike its waxing counterpart, the Last Quarter phase doesn't complete by building or producing but by pausing.
It's a formless and timeless space where we learn that slowing down is often the most efficient and productive thing we can do. If possible, create more breaks and flexibility in your schedule.
The body's resources are beginning to wane, and you may notice a significant shift in energy as the week progresses. This is natural, even helpful, and something to embrace. If we chronically resist the inward pivot of this phase, over time we may find ourselves consumed by an extended period of fatigue. The refreshing and quickening parts of the cycle never come, and instead we feel stuck in a waning experience.
The Last Quarter phase teaches that we do not need to be full and bright all the time to get where we want to go.
Movement in this phase needs to be flexible. When done mindfully, movement supports the completion of a cycle by acting as a processor or outlet. Moving, sweating, and breathing allow us to release our burdens, express emotion, and even expel toxins through the skin and lungs.
This is the Water phase of the lunar cycle, which beckons us to bring more fluidity and softness into our movement practice. You could incorporate more mobility, flexibility, or bodyweight work into your routine.
But regardless of how you choose to move, cultivating a flexible, self-accepting mindset is the most important Last Quarter lesson.
As the moon wanes and gets smaller, her energy is encouraging and supporting you to surrender and let go, the only way to make room for new beginnings is by letting go of all that holds you back.
There may be a feeling of uneasiness around this phase of the lunar cycle as you feel change coming and perhaps a sense of things 'slipping away.
At this crossroads in the cycle, where the moon is once again half lit in the sky, look back over your journey so far and forward to where you still want to go. Give a last push to wrapping up and making any necessary changes. Do all the things you have been putting off, get organised and prioritise.
Your energy will begin to get quieter and more inwardly directed, your intuition stronger and your tolerance for dealing with anything that is not right for you will become much less as you make your way, once again, to the dark-moon phase.
Dark Moon —
The dark moon phase falls of the last few days before a New Moon and could just as easily be placed at the beginning the the moons cycle — the Dark moon truly is the ending that brings a new beginning.
The dark-moon phase is when the moon has waned so far that she is barely visible, yet still hasn't quite lined up with the sun, so isn't yet new.
It is a time of endings, completing the cycle and preparing for the next one. This in-between void is a time of closure to help you to reset, release and not take anything into the next lunar cycle that you don't want or need. It is the most deeply healing part of the lunar cycle.
the month, the most inward facing, highly intuitive and emotional. You may find yourself exhausted around this time and yearning for solitude. If you have been pushing too hard, not taking care of yourself or giving away too much of your time and energy, you will especially feel this. This is your universal signpost to self-care.
This moon phase can literally force you to stop in your tracks. She will pull you into the darkness so that you can see where you currently are in your life - like your own internal compass, showing you where you are stuck, travelling in the wrong direction or the dead end that you keep encountering.
It shows you where you are out of alignment.
The Seasons of the Moon for Better Energy + Focus
As you can see there are phases of the moon that encourage us to be productive and driven, and others which nudge us towards being more introverted and less productive.
The moon is the feminine energy that connects us to our inner worlds, our emotions, our intuition, dreams and the call of our souls. Every month, she phases from dark to new, waxing to full, waning back to dark and, as she does, she takes us with her on a powerful inner journey. Each of the moon's phases brings its own opportunities and magic and takes us into different areas of our inner worlds to work with.
The two main phases many of us will generally work and weave magic with are the new and the full moon:
The new moon is the time for renewal, new beginnings and starting over.
The full moon is the time of completion, illumination and letting go.
As the moon moves between her phases she also waxes and wanes: The word waxing means growing or expanding, and it's during this phase that our energy grows with the moon; this is the part of the moon cycle where we actively focus on achieving our goals and taking big steps forward in the month.
The word waning means shrinking or decreasing, and this is the releasing part of the cycle, as our energy levels get lower and more inward-focused we should be spending time being creative, resting, and doing less.
The moon actually prompts us to become more aligned with the natural cycle of our creativity and productivity.
How to Use the Moons Phases
Now it’s time to start tracking and journaling your experience with the moons phases. Take note of how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally as well as your productivity and energy levels etc. for at least 3 moon cycles, and start to notice where there are patterns or repeated themes coming up for YOU.
After all the whole reason for using the energy already available is to improve your own health, well-being, and energy. And as individuals, we will all respond and experience each phase of the moon’s journey through our skies differently.
Once you understand how the moon affects you personally you can begin to personalise how you work and when to fit with your energy, focus, and needs.
If you want to learn more about living and planning with the Seasons in a way that improves not only your productivity, creativity and focus but also supports your health and wellbeing check out Seasonal Alchemy, my workbook, and planner via the link below
xo Emily
