With the back-to-back onslaught of Venus Retrograde and Mercury Retrograde, let’s just say the last two months have been tough. You may have been unable to get into your groove. Maybe you have been visited from some emotional blasts from the past or experienced some frustrating delays. For me, the energy around me has been simply off.
Couple that with several late client payments (as always seems to be the case for me during Mercury Retro) and it’s an understatement to say that I’m ready to experience something new. Lucky for me and all of us: that retrograde energy is finally leaving when Mercury goes direct on December 6. And the following day marks a new moon that may be one of our best manifesting new moons of the year.
December 7 marks the new moon in Sagittarius.
I must admit that I’m particularly excited about this one. I love new moons in general. When it comes to rituals, they are a time for manifesting new things that we desire. We plant those seeds in the darkness of the new moon and as the waxing moon appears to expand, the energy focused on our desires works under the surface to bring those desires to fruition.
Understanding the power of Sagittarius
Every new moon has its own qualities and attributes, partly related to the sign that the new moon falls under. In November 2018, the new moon is in Sagittarius. To understand the impact of the sign the moon falls under, you need to understand a little bit about that sign, itself.
If you are a Sagittarius or you know one, this may be a little easier for you. Think of a Sagittarius’s characteristics. Some of the words that come to mind:
Adventurous
Risk-Taker
Independent
Free-Spirit
Outspoken
Extroverted
Impulsive
Outspoken
Optimistic
I haven’t had many Sagittariuses in my life until recently. And getting to know people who fall under this sign is never boring as they seek out new experiences and pride themselves on having many ideas. They seek out what’s new and they’re not afraid to go after what they want. (For more info on Sagittarius or any other side, or to get your own chart done, click here.)
So how can that power translate into the new moon?
Well, the new moon is about creating something new, and what better energy can you have behind you than energy that is adventurous and willing to take a risk? The optimism and adventurous spirit of Sagittarius adds a little can-do magic to any manifesting efforts.
If that’s not enough to excite you, Sagittarius is also ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion. Manifestation and expansion go hand in hand. And just a few weeks ago on November 8, Jupiter entered its home sign of Sagittarius for the first time since 2007. It will stay in Sagittarius until December 2, 2019.
So add all of this together and this new moon has a little extra juice to make your manifesting more magical than usual.
How the new moon in Sagittarius might affect you
So every new moon brings its own unique energy. That’s right — not all moons are the same. Some new moon periods will have you in your feelings. Others have you wanting to spend time alone. Still others have you filled with energy and ready to go, go, go. Think about what you know about Sagittarius and you can probably guess that this new moon is more likely to have you moving than sitting still.
Sagittarius is a fire sign and it’s a sign of action.
Don’t be surprised if you feel the urge to get up and try things you’ve never tried before. You may feel more sociable than usual and you may be flooded with a few million-dollar ideas. Keep a journal nearby so you can capture those ideas and work on them later. Sagittarius is also known for honesty so you may feel the desire to own your truth, or someone may share things with you that they didn’t have the courage to share with you before.
There is one caveat that you might want to keep in mind. If you have the desire to take a risk in the next few days, make sure it’s calculated. Try to avoid impulsive actions under the Sagittarius new moon. Yes, it is a time for taking new steps and forging new paths, but there’s no need to rush. Steady progress toward a goal will have the effect you want without putting you in danger of making a harmful choice.
A simple ritual for the new moon in Sagittarius
The new moon in Sagittarius is the perfect time to create a ritual for manifestation. Rituals are effective ways to focus your intention and energy. They allow you to state what you want to manifest and acknowledge your desire to see your dreams to fruition.
While you can do a manifestation ritual at any time while the moon is waxing, I prefer to do any ritual on one of the first two days of the new moon cycle. You can also choose any time of the day to perform your ritual; I tend to do mine at night, probably because that’s the time when I can best focus my energies. Plus the darkness is when I feel most powerful.
To perform a ritual for the new moon in Sagittarius, you need:
A white candle
Incense
A piece of paper
Pen
One of the following essential oils: Eucalyptus, Geranium, Rosemary, Tea Tree (Each of these essential oils are known to work well with Sagittarius energy because they promote some of the qualities Sagittarians are known for. For example, Tea Tree oil is known for promoting an active lifestyle. Eucalyptus is often recommended for exercise or rejuvenation. Geranium is an oil known for supporting you during change. Rosemary is known for stimulating circulation, which again is about activity and movement. There’s no need to use all of these oils in any ritual; one is likely sufficient.)
Get ready to manifest
Find some time in which you won’t be disturbed during one of the first couple of days of the new moon. If you have an alter or a place where you pray, meditate or do other ritual work, that’s the ideal place to go.
Light a stick of incense to put yourself in a meditative mood. Breathe deeply and set the intention to embrace the power of the new moon.
On the sheet of paper, write down something new that you would like to bring into your life. While you can write down as many things as possible, I suggest working with one or two goals for any given new moon ritual. Whenever I do a new moon ritual, I typically focus on one manifestation at a time. I find it’s easier to focus my efforts on one thing and it’s also easier to track my results.
Then, take the oil and use it to dress the candle. While you can use any color candle that has meaning to you, white candles often symbolize new beginnings.
How to prepare your candle
Dressing a candle is a process of preparing a candle for ritual work. When you’re planning a ritual to bring something to you, as you are when you want to manifest something, you rub the oil on the candle from the top of the candle to the middle of the candle. Then, rub the oil from the bottom of the candle to the middle of the candle. (If you were doing a ritual to eliminate something from your life or to release something, you would do the opposite. You would rub the oil from the middle of the candle to the top of the candle. Then you would rub the candle from the middle of the candle to the bottom of the candle.)
While you’re dressing the candle, think of what it is that you are trying to manifest into your life. Once you’ve dressed the candle with the oil, you are ready to light the candle and complete the ritual.
The idea behind candle magic is to allow the candle to burn down. As the smoke rises from the candle and the incense, your intentions are being drawn up into the Universe.
Music to set the mood
You might want to have some music playing if it will relax you and help you to be more emotionally open to what you’re trying to manifest into your life. If there is a song that makes you think of what you want to attract into your life, it could be helpful to play that song while you are conducting the ritual. Once the candle burns down, the ritual is complete.
You may decide to allow the candle to burn down entirely in one setting (particularly if you’re using a smaller candle.) You can also light the candle over a series of days, allowing it to burn for a while each day before putting it out. Just make sure you keep safety in mind. Don’t leave a candle unattended, and definitely keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
With any ritual, there’s no need to follow someone else’s guidelines. You can always make up your own ritual. In fact, a ritual you create may yield better results because your ritual will reflect your own beliefs and personal symbols. However, following a set of ritual instructions that have already been created may provide a level of comfort for someone who is just beginning to learn the ins and outs of ritual magic.
Tracking your new moon in Sagittarius manifestations
No matter what ritual you choose to do, it’s important that you track what happens. Also, write down what you did. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say they did a ritual and it worked, but they didn’t remember all of the details of their process. As a result, they could not repeat it even if they wanted to.
Also be aware that all manifestations take time. While you’re setting the intention for your manifestation during the new moon, sometimes it takes a full moon cycle, or maybe even two or three before you see tangible results. However, you’re likely to see signs that you’re on the right track if you simply open your eyes and pay attention.
