Using the moon Phases

To walk in rhythm with the Moon is to remember that you are not separate from the cosmos — you are a vessel of its tides. The Moon is not just a glowing orb in the sky; she is a mirror of your emotional tides, a metronome of your spiritual process, and a cosmic clock revealing where you are in the eternal spiral of growth, death, and rebirth. In alchemy, she represents the subconscious, the soul’s chamber of reflection, and the subtle energies that shape your outer world. Each phase she wears is a different key to transformation, and when understood properly, you can ride these lunar waves to amplify your manifestation, purge your shadow, and harmonize your inner architecture.

The New Moon is the sacred void — the womb of becoming. It is here, in the velvet-black silence of the lunar cycle, that creation whispers its secrets. In alchemy, this is Nigredo, the blackening, the fertile darkness before form. It is not the time to act — it is the time to dream with discipline. Sit in stillness. Journal not what you wish for, but what your soul commands to build. Set intention with sacred seriousness — choose one or two truths you are ready to embody. Cleanse your space, your body, your thoughts. Name your intention, then plant it like a seed in your journal, perhaps sealed by a symbol or sigil to carry it through the cycle.

As the Moon moves into her Waxing Crescent, she begins to grow in light — and so must you. This is where momentum is gently born. The seed you planted needs alignment now, not force. This is the time to match your behaviors, words, and thoughts to the future self you are summoning. Begin light rituals: morning affirmations, checking in with your journal, small acts of belief. Like a magnet being calibrated, your field begins to hum. Ask yourself: “How would I act if I already were this version of me?” Begin to act accordingly. Alchemy calls this the early stage of Coagula — the beginning of form from the formless.

Then comes the First Quarter, the moon split in half — the tension of choice. This is where resistance shows up. It is not a punishment. It is a test. Every intention you set will stir up its opposing current. Your job? Hold the line. This is the sacred pressure cooker of transformation. Journal your fears. Meet your self-doubt like a worthy opponent, not a saboteur. Take one bold action, even if it’s small. Face discomfort, because alchemically, this is the phase where friction becomes fire. Don’t mistake this tension for misalignment — it’s proof that your spell is working.

As the Waxing Gibbous Moon approaches full, refinement is required. Your energy is building. You are close to the apex. This is where you fine-tune your frequency. Anything in your attitude, belief, or emotional tone that’s off? Now’s the time to adjust it. Use music, visualization, and movement to match the internal vibration to the outer intention. The soul speaks in feeling — your journal becomes your tuning fork. You are sculpting not just outcomes, but identity. The energy you hold now is what determines how much of your intention can take form in the coming days.

Then — radiance. The Full Moon. Here the mirror is brightest. Whatever has been seeded is now revealed — either the bloom of your intention or the thorns of your unresolved shadow. Both are valuable. In alchemy, this is Albedo, the whitening, the illumination of truth. If you’ve aligned well, you may see synchronicity, breakthroughs, manifestations. If you haven’t, you’ll likely meet discomfort, clarity, or emotional chaos. Either way — journal it all. Celebrate your growth, and release anything that surfaced but no longer serves. Burn what must go. Dance, weep, howl. Full Moons demand embodiment.

As the moon begins to wane into the Gibbous phase, the energy softens. This is a time of integration — of distilling wisdom from what occurred. No more pushing. Now you review. What did you learn? What shifted inside of you? What worked — and what didn’t? This phase is less about action and more about digestion. Share your insights with someone, or simply write them as if you were teaching your past self. Alchemically, this is the phase of distillation — extracting the essence from the experience. Gratitude becomes your tool for anchoring lessons into the soul.

Next, the Last Quarter Moon arrives — a slicing moon, where we begin to prune. This is the time of letting go, not out of weakness, but power. The gardener cuts to make room for bloom. Now you must ask yourself: “What needs to be released for my next level to emerge?” These may be outdated beliefs, relationships, habits, or even old versions of yourself. In journaling, write these down. Get clear. Then release through ritual — burning, tearing, deleting. You are not discarding; you are refining. This is the alchemical separation — not of loss, but of elevation.

Finally, we arrive at the Waning Crescent, the sacred sleep of the cycle. The womb returns. This is Mortificatio — the necessary death before rebirth. It is time to rest, reflect, and receive. The work is not to do — it is to be. Journal your dreams, both sleeping and waking. Listen for whispers from your higher self. Sleep more. Pull away from demands. This phase is quantum. What happens here is not linear. It is the recharge of the soul in silence. Do not try to “figure it all out.” Let the mystery metabolize.

And then, like clockwork, the Moon disappears — back to the New Moon, and the spiral begins again. To work with the Moon is to work with yourself. She does not ask for perfection. She asks for rhythm. For ritual. For awareness. Each month is an opportunity to refine your magic, track your cycles, and expand your soul’s expression. As you master each phase, you begin to level up — not just as a manifester, but as a sovereign being who co-creates with the cosmos. Your journal becomes your lunar companion. Your life becomes your alchemical work of art.