What is Lunar Planning and Why You Need It

If you’re not already feeling it we’re creeping up on a full moon this Thursday. I’m that weird friend you have that always knows when it’s a full moon. As I started goal setting for the next month the little full moon calendar icon grabbed my attention and I started thinking about lunar planning. If you’re not familiar with it, lunar planning is  goal setting linked to the phases of the moon, but with a twist. And while you might think “why do I need this?!” it’s actually a really practical way of planning your interior design projects. Stick with me here…

I’ve been a moon fangirl for a few years now and over the summer I snagged a copy of Ezzie Spencer’s book Lunar Abundance. Before you close out of this post you should know that Ezzie is a former Human Rights Attorney (she’s not some far out hippy with a baseless concept here) and before writing the book she researched the topic heavily and started quietly incorporating her findings into her daily life, including around the office. What were her findings? Ezzie rediscovered what our ancestors knew, that working with the energetic flow of the moon will help you accomplish more by doing less. Let’s dive in.

To understand lunar planning you’ll need to know 3 things: the phases of the moon cycle, Yin and Yang energy, and the project life cycle. 

Phases of the Moon

Think back to elementary school when you learned about astronomy and how the moon orbits the Earth and then fast forward a little to when you learned that the moon isn’t actually a light source, it just reflects the sun’s rays. Remember that?! Cool. As the Earth orbits the sun and the moon orbits Earth we continuously experience a 28 day moon cycle where the reflection of the sun’s rays creates a different moon phase every 3 days. Starting with the New Moon, peaking at Full Moon, and concluding with a Balsamic Moon there are 8 total phases in a cycle. 

Yin and Yang Energies

Now think back to that Trapper Keeper you had in 6th grade and some of those killer doodles you drew on it - one of those was probably the Yin Yang sign. At the time we just thought it was cool but it’s actually a centuries old symbol depicting the balance of Yin (resting or feminine) energy and Yang (action or masculine) energy. See ancient cultures were a lot more “woke” about the energy balance in the world and they knew that the two energy streams, much like the sun and the moon, were equally important to humanity. Likewise, applying both action and rest is equally important to achieving our personal goals. 

The Project Life Cycle

Next let’s look at the project life cycle. You may already be familiar with the 4 phases of a project life cycle but if not they are Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure. In the initiation phase you define your goal, in the planning phase you layout the path to your intended outcome which you then execute and finally, if all goes according to plan, you arrive at your goal (closure).

Lunar planning integrates all three of these by strategically aligning your goal with periods of action (Yang energy) or rest and creativity (Yin energy) based on the phases of the moon. Adding to this is the fact that the moon cycle effects all of us! Flashback to science class when you learned that the moon controls the tides in the ocean. That’s right, we’re all riding these lunar energy cycles together. This means that aligning your action and rest cycles with the natural flow of society will yield a better result with less energy. Think of it like paddling a canoe, fighting the current is exhausting but riding with the current is smooth and enjoyable. 

In the coming weeks I’ll be releasing a series of posts based on the lunar cycle designed to help you plan, execute and finalize your interior design projects without depleting your energy. Don’t worry if you’re still a little confused, I’ll be explaining each phase in greater detail as we go. In the meantime, make sure that you’re signed up for my weekly newsletter so you don’t miss any of these important, energy-saving steps!