The Moon Phases & How I Work With Their Energy

a guide to living, healing, and casting in sync with the moon

I live by the moon. She’s my rhythm, my mirror, my clock, and my guide. Every phase she moves through pulls something different out of me. Over time, I stopped fighting it. I stopped pushing when I needed rest and started honoring the cycle. Now, my rituals follow her flow.

So if you’ve been curious how to work with moon phases in a witchy, practical, personal way… this is how I do it.

🌑 New Moon – A Fresh Start

The new moon is pure potential. It’s a clean slate, a reset button, the quiet inhale before anything begins.

This is when I set my intentions. I write down what I want to call in, not just in my life but in my energy. It’s soft, dreamy energy. Don’t rush it. Let it brew inside you.

Good for:

• Manifestation
• Vision boarding
• Journaling dreams and desires
• Planting spell jars (with seeds, crystals, herbs)
• Self-commitment rituals

Ritual idea:
Write your top 3 intentions on a small piece of paper. Fold it with rosemary or bay leaf. Burn it in a fireproof bowl while whispering “I begin again.”

🌒 Waxing Crescent – A Time for Growth

Now that the seed is planted, it’s time to nourish it. This phase is full of hope and momentum. It’s where I start to take small actions toward what I wrote down during the new moon.

Good for:

• Confidence spells
• Momentum rituals
• Goal setting
• Energy-building baths
• Charging tools with growth energy

Spell idea:
Take a green candle, carve a symbol of your goal into it, anoint with cinnamon oil, and light it while repeating: “Each day I grow closer to what I desire.”

🌓 First Quarter – Overcome Obstacles

This is where the tension comes in. Resistance shows up. Doubts sneak in. But this is also where your willpower kicks in.

I treat this phase like spiritual weightlifting. It’s when I work through blockages and double down on my vision.

Good for:

• Road opener spells
• Courage rituals
• Banishing doubt
• Cleansing your space or energy
• Recommitting to your path

Ritual tip:
Take a cleansing shower or smoke cleanse with rosemary. Stand barefoot on the ground and say: “I overcome. I adapt. I move forward.”

🌔 Waxing Gibbous – Refinement

Right before the full moon, the energy starts to peak. But instead of acting wild, this phase is about fine-tuning. Look at what’s working. Look at what’s not.

I slow down and adjust my course here.

Good for:

• Revising plans
• Healing spells
• Rituals for patience and wisdom
• Aligning your work with your higher self

Mini ritual:
Revisit your new moon intentions. Rewrite them with more clarity. Burn the old version, keep the refined one on your altar.

🌕 Full Moon – Heightened Energy & Clarity

This is the loud phase. The spotlight. The climax. Everything feels more intense here, for better or worse.

The full moon is a powerful time for release and celebration.

Good for:

• Gratitude rituals
• Cord-cutting
• Shadow work
• Charging crystals and tools
• Big manifesting spells

Spell idea:
Write down what you’re ready to let go of. Burn it under the full moon with salt, rose petals, and frankincense. Say: “I release with love. I open to better.”

🌖 Waning Gibbous – A Time for Reflection

The energy starts to dip now. This is the integration phase. The processing time.

I pull back and check in with myself. What did I learn? What needs healing? What patterns came up?

Good for:

• Journaling lessons
• Inner child rituals
• Healing teas
• Gratitude altar offerings

Ritual:
Light a candle. Speak your lessons aloud. Thank yourself for how far you’ve come. Offer flowers or herbs to your altar.

🌗 Last Quarter – Clearing & Letting Go

This is the moon’s version of a deep clean. Emotionally, energetically, even physically. I always feel the urge to declutter and deep clean around this time. It’s sacred release.

Good for:

• Cord-cutting
• Energy clearing
• Home cleansing
• Ending toxic habits or cycles
• Breaking spells or pacts no longer aligned

Spell idea:
Tie a black thread around your wrist. Name what you want to let go. Cut it off with intention and bury the thread in soil.

🌘 Waning Crescent – Deep Rest & Surrender

This is the exhale. The hibernation. I go inward here. I rest, I dream, I pull cards, I listen to my body.

Nothing is “wrong” if you’re tired, unfocused, or slow during this phase. That’s the moon asking you to pause before you begin again.

Good for:

• Dreamwork
• Tarot and oracle spreads
• Restorative baths
• Quiet altar tending
• Deep sleep spells

Simple ritual:
Put lavender under your pillow. Burn a white candle. Whisper: “I surrender to stillness. I prepare to begin again.”

🌙 Final Words

You don’t have to do big rituals every moon phase. Even just lighting a candle, whispering an intention, or sitting quietly with your journal is enough. What matters is listening, feeling where you’re at, moving with the moon instead of fighting yourself.

Start with one moon phase. The one that speaks loudest to you. Build from there.
She’ll meet you exactly where you are ♥