The new moon is the beginning of a new cycle, and in Aries, it’s all about you, baby! That’s because Aries is the sign of the self, so it’s about taking things into your own hands in order to create the life of your dreams.
The Aries new moon is always the first moon of the zodiacal new year (the zodiac-what?). Since astrology is based on our connection and relationship to the movements of the sun and its planets, the new year starts on the spring equinox when the day and night are equal lengths. Why is this important? Because it means that the Aries new moon is a time to set brand new New Years' resolutions! So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the cosmos so we know what kinds of resolutions to set and how to set ‘em.
Aries New Moon Vibes
This new moon is on March 31st but it’s going to be exact at 11:24 pm for all of us on the west coast of North America. So the energy is going to be perfect for magick on March 31st but also on April 1st.
We already know that Aries new moons are about setting new resolutions to better ourselves and our lives, but there are three two other planets that are joining the party on that day: Mercury and Chiron.
At the exact time of the new moon in Aries the sun, moon, Mercury, and Chiron will all be conjunct which, in English, means that they will all be hanging out really close together. Mercury is the planet of communication and processing information, and Chiron is the asteroid of the wounded healer, meaning that it’s our little cosmic therapist always helping to inform us of where we need to concentrate on soothing ourselves. So this moon is all about coming up with a solid game plan for your health, happiness, and healing in this next year.
This Aries New Moon Asks You to Focus on Healing
Every new moon is an opportunity to set an intention for the next 6 months of your life, meaning that the magick is going to come fully to fruition by the corresponding full moon. For an Aries new moon, this means that by the next Libra season (when the full moon in Aries occurs) you should have attained everything you set out to.
So we know that the best intentions to set for this new moon have to do with healing and doing what is best for ourselves. Sit down and journal a bit about where you feel like you need some good healing energy, how you might struggle with taking care of yourself right now, and where you need to focus a bit more energy on yourself. Whenever you’re journaling it’s good practice to make sure you continue writing and don’t stop until you’ve learned something new about yourself, but it’s especially important for this ritual. Once you’re all done writing you should have a clearer picture of what kind of healing you need and how you might be struggling to show up for that kind of healing.
So now your intention is clear, perfect! You’ve got to get your thoughts straight before setting an intention otherwise it may not go according to plan.
When working with fire signs such as Aries it’s always good to utilize flames in your rituals, so for this one, you’ll want to have a candle on hand. What you’re going to do is “dress” the candle, which means that you’re going to put some herbs which align with your intention on it. Since we’ll all be working on different modes of healing under this new moon, the next thing you’re going to need is some healing herbs. Don’t worry if you don’t have a cute little apothecary in your house full of crystal jars with dried herbs ready to go... everyone has some in their kitchen cabinet!
Whether you’re working on healing a broken heart, moving through a limiting belief, or sending good healing vibes to a part of your body, there’s an herb or two that will work perfectly. Here’s a quick list of some of the common ones that you’re likely to have on hand already:
- Chamomile relieves stress and worries, helping to create more calm and ease. It’s also great for reducing swelling, so if something feels too big in your life right now this will help to reduce the problem.
- Ginger helps with nausea and can ease an upset stomach, so use this if you’re feeling unbalanced or if something has put a bad taste in your mouth.
- Ashwagandha is known to relieve stress and anxiety—studies actually show that it helps to reduce cortisol levels in the body, so it’s another great option similar to the effects of chamomile.
- Lavender this beautiful purple flower is a powerhouse of healing, its uses being both medicinal and therapeutic. It can be used to treat bites, burn, and wounds, as well as help us sleep and calm our nerves.
- Turmeric is another common herb that packs a punch healing-wise. It helps to improve your skin, your digestive system and actually relieves joint pain. If you need things to flow with more ease, this is a great herb to consider using.
For the next part, you’ll need some oil, really any oil will do but make sure to look up the medicinal properties of the oil you choose. Whether it’s olive oil, lavender oil, or even CBD oil, every one of them has a bit of magick that you can use to strengthen your intention.
Next, place just a few drops of your oil on the candle. You don’t want the candle to be too slippery because the oil will act as a bonding agent for your herbs. Now take the herbs and gently rub or place them onto the candle, imbuing it with your healing intention. It’s important that you don’t overload your candle with plants because then you won’t be creating magick, you’ll be creating a fire hazard—safety is number 1!
When you’re all done dressing your candle in oils and herbs, place it somewhere special (an altar is great, but you can work with any clean surface you have). Depending on what kind of candle you’ve chosen you’ll want to place your written out intention either under your candle or nearby, wherever is safest (remember fire safety!).
Light your candle on the night of the full moon and sit by it to watch how the flames flicker and dance. How your candle burns can often be a good indicator of how the spell will come to fruition. You can burn through the whole candle on the night of the full moon if you’ve chosen a small one, but if yours is bigger you may want to consider blowing it out and repeating the small ritual of lighting the candle a few times over on different nights until it is burned all the way down. Tuesday is ruled by Mars (the ruling planet of Aries) so that’s a good time to repeat the ritual, or on the nights that the moon is in Aries if you are someone who follows the movements of the moon through the zodiac.
Remember healing takes time, patience, and grace, so give yourself all of that on this new moon healing journey. And once again, safety first!