Go Deep Within This Weekend With A New Moon Ritual For Shadow Work

Each phase of the moon offers a different energetic quality for us to work with. Where full moons represent culmination and release, new moons are all about fresh starts.

We've got a new moon coming right up on the night of Saturday, November 14, so we asked astrologist and reiki practitioner Mal Mathurin about her go-to new moon ritual for working with this fresh energy.

Mathurin is quick to note that we can tailor our lunar rituals to the astrological sign that the moon is under that day. "We're able to interact and really connect with those aspects in our chart," she tells mbg, "be they dominant, or a part of our chart where we don't have a lot of energy."

This weekend's new moon will be seven degrees in Scorpio. "Seven is a very spiritual number," Mathurin notes. "It's a number of internal analysis and deep exploration, which, of course, is what Scorpio is all about."

"The energy of Scorpio is also about alchemy and transformation, so I would do some shadow work," Mathurin adds. Shadow work calls for confronting all parts of ourselves—even our darkest corners, or shadows.

Mathurin suggests beginning by reflecting on the hidden shadow aspects of yourself. These are often things like shame and guilt. Here, know it's OK to grieve and to feel what you're feeling. The energy of this new moon is all about accepting our shadow and also finding gratitude for what we do have.

Ask yourself where your feelings of shame or guilt come from. Then, either out loud or mentally, release what comes up. After that, show yourself gratitude and offer yourself some love. You can say something along these lines, for example:

I allow the darkest shadow that's buried within me to be released. I release fear; I release doubt; I release shame; I release insecurity.

Now that you've energetically cleaned your slate, you can set your new intention. "I would write what I want rather than what I don't want," Mathurin notes. For instance, she offers: I want to connect to healing in my heart. I bring in love; I bring in understanding. Ask yourself what you deeply desire, and write it down.

Mathurin suggests keeping a new moon journal of all your intentions, but you can also write it on a loose sheet of paper. Trying putting it under your pillow and sleeping with it there for a week, or place a crystal over it to intensify the intention.