My New moon is full of soft shades of lavender and violet, along with touches of dreamy yellow too. The morning was made of flower picking in the herbal garden – borage, lavender and jasmine blossoms for tea. I put some in a small vase next to my writing desk as well. Late afternoon will be spent making calendula balm as gifts for a cousin and a friend, both who’ve been struggling with eczema.

Overhead, grey tufts of cotton clouds are gathering in the sky. I’m longing for the soothing touch of rain, but I know that this time of year the clouds often come to tease. They bring false promise, maybe a just few minutes of light rain before they disappear again. October/November is usually when the real spring rains begin. But we’ve already had some unusually early showers this year. So perhaps my wishes will be fulfilled today. I live in hope

Emotions are rising from my shadows and stirring some chaos within. Yesterday, I found myself feeling down, angry, frustrated and out of sorts for reasons I couldn’t understand. The new moon card I pulled from the Medicine Woman tarot seems to speak directly to that, encouraging me to work through fears and release my internal resistance so that the seeds and dreams I plant this cycle are imbued with clarity, faith and love.

What I like about using these Medicine Woman cards is that I don’t have a proper guide book. Each card comes with a simple one line explanation (in this case “Allure through opposition or inertia”) and the rest of the message is left up to my intuition. I love that the card I picked mirrors the subtle lavender and yellow colours that I’ve been noticing around me in recent days. I feel that the medicine woman in this card is blowing her pan-pipes to draw the shadowy creatures out from the dark corners of the wild forest into the light. Shadowy creatures are scary when hidden in the dark places of our wild unknown forest within. Yet, when we draw them out into plain sight, surrender them to the light and become better acquainted with these unknown parts of ourselves that we often learn to fear, they are no longer frightful things. Instead, they are transformed into treasures, newly claimed aspects of our wild essence that can begin to serve us and restore us to wholeness again.

As I set out to sit with my feelings, exploring my internal resistance, my fears and whatever else my arise from my shadows, I’ve been burning purifying sage, incense and aromatherapy oils to cleanse my aura, my writing space and my home. Already I feel things shifting and a lightness returning in spaces where energy has been stagnant and stuck for a while. Now is a good opportunity for me to practise the patience and tenderness that I’m learning to approach myself with, so that I plant seeds of self-compassion, acceptance and self-love.

What is this New Moon bringing up for you? What kinds of seeds are you planting?