The New Moon Reminds Us to Begin Again

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as an entrepreneur is how to begin again. As a kid, no one needed to tell me to jump back on my bike when I fell off, or to get up off the ice when skating, or to pick up all the cards and shuffle for the next game. It came naturally. It’s how I continued to experience whatever I was into at the time.

But when it came to my professional work, falling down or having a game suddenly end in defeat felt like a blow to my identity. I was somehow holding on to a myth that business growth is a steady red arrow up the graph.

That’s not how it works. Business growth is a long and winding road with a lot of twists and turns, and more than a few big bumps. It can be exhausting. What I’ve found helpful is to look at the next stair in front of me instead of looking up at the huge staircase I’ll climb over the course of my business.

One way I do this is by hitting the reset button and clarifying an intention month by month instead of year by year. And rather than doing this on the first day of the month, I do it during each month’s new moon.

Traditionally farmers would plant seeds at the new moon. You can see the effect of a waxing moon in the ocean’s tides. There is an energy that pulls the waves and the seeds forth. It can pull our intentions forth too. This is physics, not astrology. And because the human body is a body of water in a sack, it technically experiences these same effects, though microscopic. When I pay attention to the cycles of nature, and how it influences the mind and body, I feel less friction and more flow.

The new moon is a quiet time of rest and reflection. It’s the beginning of a new 28-day cycle, and each cycle has a unique energy to it. This part is astrology. The current new moon on January 11^th, 2024 (at 5:57 am central time) is in Capricorn. Capricorn rules responsibility, future security (like retirement plans and healthy aging), goals and success. The energy is well-aligned to get clear and begin to take action on professional goals and dreams.

I practice and teach a deep guided relaxation technique called Yoga Nidra. It’s like a guided tour through the various layers of the human experience. In one section of this practice, you’re invited to count the breath backward. It’s easy to lose track of the counting. The mind is easily distracted, so this is a wonderful mindfulness practice. The prompt is given is to begin again. When you lose track or miss a breath, begin again. Pulling yourself back on task is the practice just as much as staying on task. New moon intentions pull us back on track when we drift of course. The new moon is a time to reflect on the last 28 days and plant your seeds for the next cycle. To begin again.

The lunar calendar is based on months, not years. It feels refreshing to be able to hit the reset button every 28 days. Plus, focusing on one month at a time helps us live more fully in the present moment.