It's said that New Moons present us with auspicious timing to instigate something new. Those of us who follow the phases of the moon in an astrological framework are encouraged to acknowledge the lunations at least twice a month, on the New Moon and Full Moon respectively, in ceremony, and, in the case of the New Moon phase, by setting intentions. But the Moon flies around the Zodiac at what at times can seem like a frantic pace, perhaps finding some of us in addition to myself feeling the pressure of a deadline looming as the moon wanes and the inbox begins to fill up with time sensitive astrological material, urgently urging us to harness the energy of the lunation to sow seeds, physical or metaphysical, start new ventures or habits on the day of the New Moon. Feelings of failure can arise like the rushing of the incoming tide if we let the moment of the New Moon slide. This I know from experiencing those feelings many, many times!
On this past New Moon in Taurus, for example, I had a quite lovely time. I was in Manhattan by 11am for breakfast with an old fellow musician friend who moved to the West Coast many years ago. We were just hanging out, but since we're both now discovering and experiencing the tentative reemergence of the music biz, we bounced around a lot of ideas about what the future holds for us personally and collectively on that front, so it kind of felt like a meeting. Being available for 11am meetings seemed like it could be a new habit I could put into action which might tie into some Taurus themes., so I hastily and unofficially set that intention as the idea occurred to me in real time. Check.
I was abuzz from my first lesson with a new astrology teacher the night before, under the dark moon, and I continued reconnecting with my music friends and colleagues for the rest of the day, locking in several months of tour dates for late summer/fall and visiting a diner for the first time in over a year with my fellow baritone sax player Claire Daly. I went to an art exhibit and had a dinner date -- plenty of Taurean fulfillment for all my the senses all day and evening long. But I didn't write my blog. I didn't send out what would have been the inaugural Zodiac Soundtracks newsletter, as I'd planned, even though Mercury and Venus had arrived in Gemini. I didn't create a blogpost about Taurean James Brown's natal chart which I'd decided back on his birthday on May 3 to do, when I saw what a fantastic symbolic representation of the way in which he lived his life was contained therein. And so despite utterly enjoying all the springtime pleasures which came my way on the New Moon in Taurus in my 5th house, I felt disappointed in myself for not consciously starting anything new per se on that actual day in May. As for intention setting ceremonies, I've almost never succeeded in enacting such a thing. It isn't really something I usually feel like doing. HOWEVER, I do acknowledge the New Moon every month and there is always a feeling of excitement for me. My favorite holiday, apart from my birthday which isn't one , is New Years Eve. I do love the idea of New Years resolutions and the sense that there's a chance for a fresh start. In acknowledging the New Moon each month, I have that feeling of recurring potential, and since I'm an optimist, that's thrilling to me. So I acknowledge every New Moon with optimism, and that is in fact my ritual. It doesn't take much time, but it can last all day. It's not formal, but it appears in a consistent rhythm, if not in a consistent form.
I'm sorry I didn't send out a blogpost or a newsletter promptly on the New Moon, but I hope in disclosing the above, I can send a message to anyone else who may need it that we are all moving mellifluously in time and not every detail of life needs to be as tightly regimented as a James Brown song that hits on the one every time, as much as I love those songs and the way that band sounds.
I'm attaching here my James Brown Moon Time Zodiac Soundtrack . It barely has an astrological theme other than that we are still in Taurus time, a time for patience, perseverance and allowing ourselves to enjoy a state of rushlessness as much as possible.
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