Working with Dark Moon Energy to Manage Transitions - Discussion and Journaling Prompts
I’ve been in the midst of a major life transition for a few years now, and I have become an avid Dark Moon releaser.
I’m an avid tracker of the entire Moon cycle (learn more about that here), but each month I truly look forward to the end of the cycle because I just love letting go of anything that no longer supports me. It’s not always an easy decision to let go, but it is always a valuable one. Letting go during the Dark Moon helps me to feel lighter, more connected to my natural self, and more confident. Whether I’m letting go of thought patterns, unsupportive habits, material goods, or relationships, I find that the Dark Moon phase of the monthly Moon cycle is truly the best time to let go.
Last week while reading this Hare in the Moon Astrology blog, I learned that every year has a “Dark Moon” period. I was both delighted and amazed to discover that the entire period of time between the Pisces New Moon and the Aries New Moon is infused with the transformative energy of the Dark Moon, gifting us with an entire month to fertilize our soil to prepare for the year ahead.
This is awesome! Let me tell you more about the Dark Moon so that you understand why.
The Beauty of the Monthly Dark Moon
During the Dark Moon phase, the Moon is a few days away from the end of her cycle and very little light from the Sun is reflected off her surface.
The Sun represents our conscious awareness, and the Moon represents our unconscious emotional nature, so as less light from the Sun is reflected off the Moon’s surface, more of our own unconscious mind is accessible to us. As without, so within.
Dark moon periods are a great time to access the contents of our unconscious. The stuff we feel but don’t often see. Our emotions, our dreams. Sometimes these dark periods can be uncomfortable because we can feel the ending of the old cycle, but we can’t quite see the beginning of the new one. Our mind, body, and energy feel tired. Our focus wanes with the Moon. Nobody ever said transitional periods were easy.
But the Dark Moon period offers so much more than just an opportunity to let go. It gifts us with a container to transmute and transform anything that we’ve been carrying, any parts of us that are trying to be seen, heard, and held. When we take time during the Dark Moon to allow our deepest emotions to be seen, heard, and held with love and compassion, we can move ourselves into a state of greater joy and ease.
The journaling prompts below will guide you into a deeper awareness of yourself so that you can access and take advantage of the powerful transformative energy of the Dark Moon. But first, a few words on the annual Dark Moon period that we are in right now.
This year, the period of time between March 13, 2021 and April 11, 2021 is our gift from the universe, our container and our energy to let go, transmute, and transform everything we’ve lived through in 2020! And of course all of the prior years as well.
Working with the Dark Moon Energy
You don’t need to know anything at all about astrology in order to take advantage of the Dark Moon energy in your own life. All you have to do is make the space to consciously and deliberately consider these questions, which are adapted from the blog I linked above.
Questions for Journaling:
Who and what am I naturally?
Who and what am I unconsciously withdrawing from?
Who and what is withdrawing from me?
Which old sources of joy are drying up?
As old stories fade, which new stories must I begin to recognize?
Final Note
So far I have only used these questions for the annual Dark Moon period, but I plan to use them for monthly reflection going forward.
Feel free do to this more than one time over the period between now and April 11! You may find that letting go creates momentum for more letting go during an extended Dark Moon period like this one.
I wish you the best of luck in writing and reflecting through this annual Dark Moon and I pray that you are able to swiftly and gently release all that you are ready to let go of.
I’m also curious to know how all of you work with the energy of the Dark Moon. Please share any tips in the comments below!
Namaste, friends!
