New Moon time each month is the most powerful opportunity to start something new.
Every new Moon arrives right after the quiet and peaceful balsamic Moon phase, and every time it brings a big contrast to that contemplative time. We go from wanting to rest and meditate during the balsamic period to wanting to rev up and get going once the new Moon comes.
Once the new Moon arrives, we start a waxing Moon period. In this time, which lasts about two weeks, the Moon's light grows.
At first, we can't see the Moon, even though it's new, because it takes a little time for its first sliver of light to become visible. Once we can see it, the Moon appears to grow larger and larger each night, as more of its surface becomes illuminated, until it reaches the full Moon phase.
The new Moon phase lasts about three and half days, followed by the crescent Moon phase and then all the other phases of the eight phase lunar cycle.
Once the full Moon arrives and peaks, halfway through this monthly cycle, the Moon's light begins to decrease gradually. This two week period of lesser and lesser moonlight is called a waning Moon period.
New Moons increase energy. Like a seed in the ground that's ready to germinate, a new Moon carries the concentrated power of the previous phase along with a natural urge to push that power outward and manifest something.
In the case of a seed, this power culminates in germination, allowing a plant to take hold in the ground and push a shoot up through the darkness as it seeks the light of the Sun.
In human terms, new Moons spark the germ of an idea, a glimmer of inspiration - and increase the natural urge to follow those through to manifestation.
It's helpful to notice how you feel once the new Moon arrives every month. If you track these periods, you're likely to find you have more drive than in the two weeks before the new Moon.
Also, if you review outward accomplishments, you may see you're far more active on the outer plane during the new Moon (and the rest of the monthly waxing period).
Harmonize with the new Moon by allowing your energy (and life) to ramp up as of the new Moon. Use whatever inspiration you received during the balsamic phase (the three to four days right before the new Moon) to help steer your course in starting new projects or relationships.
Follow intuition and guidance from meditation in deciding how to focus your energy as the Moon waxes.
Also, pay attention to the zodiac sign of each new Moon, which will provide more clues on how (and where) to apply your renewed powers. The most important new Moon each year generally is the one in the same astrological sign as your zodiac sign. So, for example, if you're a Taurus, pay extra attention to the Taurus new Moon and start something that's highly meaningful to you personally.
The "let's get started!" energy is most powerful at the start of the new Moon and gradually diminishes over the two weeks following. So if you want to begin something, do so as close to the new Moon as possible.
Then use the rest of the waxing cycle to develop what you've begun. Once the full Moon arrives, new insight may arrive, and you can use the waning cycle to refine your work or else let it sit so your subconscious can work on it until the next new Moon gives you another infusion of outward energy.
Here are the new Moon dates for 2020. NOTE: Dates and times are based on the U.S. central time zone.
| MOON IS NEW IN THIS SIGN | STARTING ON THIS DATE |
| Capricorn | December 25, 2019 (annular solar eclipse), 11:14 p.m. |
| Aquarius | January 24, 3:43 p.m. |
| Pisces | February 23, 9:33 a.m. |
| Aries | March 24, 4:29 a.m. |
| Taurus | April 22, 9:27 p.m. |
| Gemini | May 22, 12:40 p.m. |
| Cancer | June 21 (annular solar eclipse), 1:43 a.m. July 20, 12:34 p.m. |
| Leo | August 18, 9:43 p.m. |
| Virgo | September 17, 6:01 a.m. |
| Libra | October 16, 2:32 p.m. |
| Scorpio | November 14, 11:08 p.m. |
| Sagittarius | December 14 (total solar eclipse), 10:18 a.m. |
| Capricorn | January 12, 2021, 11:01 p.m. |
While every new Moon carries great power that spurs us on to take action, some new Moons are extra powerful.
Timing related to the Moon's cycle, which lasts about 29 days, means we typically see 13 new Moons each year. That means one sign gets an extra new Moon and therefore the affairs and energies of that sign are extra powerful. This year, the double new Moon occurs in Cancer.
Double new Moons will arrive in 2020 in the astrological sign Cancer, the sign opposite Capricorn.
These new Moons, on June 21 and July 20, will help us balance this year’s extremely high Capricorn energies (and its potential for negative manifestations) with Cancer's trademark sensitivity, tenderness, and emotional intelligence.
They'll also bring super high lunar power because they'll occur in the Moon's natural sign, Cancer. That's because the Moon is the "ruler" of the Cancer zodiac sign, meaning that it oversees and strongly influences all things Cancerian.
In addition, the Moon, no matter what sign or phase it's in, affects people who are Cancers and all things in the world associated with this sign.
Another type of new Moon also is extra powerful.
Every five and half months, we experience a set of eclipses, which happen in relation to the Moon's cycle:
In general, each set of eclipses consists of a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse. Some years, one of both eclipse sets includes extra eclipses. (In 2020, for example,
This year, we'll have two solar eclipses. Any time that happens, it makes the new Moon extra powerful, like putting an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence and making the type bold face and all capital letters.
One will arrive June 21, the day after the Solstice, in the zodiac sign Cancer. That eclipse will be what's called an annular solar eclipse, which means the Sun, Moon, and Earth will be aligned properly for a total solar eclipse, but because the Moon will be farther from the Earth on that date, the apex of its shadow will not reach the Earth's surface and will not completely darken the Sun. Instead, the Sun will appear covered as the Moon crosses in front of it, but a narrow ring of the Sun's light will appear around the lunar disk.
The other solar eclipse will happen December 14 in Sagittarius and will be a total solar eclipse.
If skies are clear on these dates, and you have proper viewing glasses or other safety gear permitting you to view the Sun, you might enjoy watching the eclipse that day.
Find out about other Moon phases in these articles:
Enjoy the new Moons every month, all through 2020.
May each one start you off in a wonderful new direction!
