Lunar Planning for Interior Design: New Moon

New Moon, who dis?!

We’re about to kick off another lunar cycle with a New Moon on Thursday. Remember this post where I introduced you to Lunar Planning for Interior Design? Yeah, well it’s time to get started.

In my first post I gave you a seriously abridged astronomy lesson on the phases of the moon and I think it’s time to expand on that a little. Since the dawn of time…HA! just kidding. The new moon phase of the lunar cycle is when the illuminated side of the moon is facing away from earth causing us to experience what looks to be a dark moon or a tiny sliver in the sky. The Farmer’s Almanac suggests using this time to plant vegetables while the world of Woo Woo associates it with setting intentions. In Interior Design we can use this phase to frame up our next project.

Now that you’re clear on the energy of this phase let’s get into the real work.

Identify Your Project: First I want you use the next week to decide what small project you want to tackle. By small I mean something you can accomplish within a month. The new moon is associated with Yin energy so we’re going to let this idea come to us. If you have a project in mind already - perfect. If not, and you’re like most people who have a ton of items on your home to-do list I encourage you to relax, do a short meditation and then make a decision on which project to do first. For me I recognize an inspired thought as one that just comes to me, especially if I was thinking of something else or doing something unrelated. Ideas that just pop into my head are inspired ideas.

If you’re feeling uninspired think about an area of your home that’s causing you the most stress. Do you need to declutter your hall closet? Do you want to refresh your bedroom? You can maximize the effect of your work during this lunar cycle by focusing your energy on a space that’s been bringing you down every time you look at it. Just imagine how great it will feel a month from now when that space is completely transformed.

Plan Your Project: Next I want you to get inspired. This step is all about leaning into our Yang or doer energy. Now that you’ve chosen the space you need to plan what you’re going to do with it. Are you organizing it? Refreshing the decor? Are you getting rid of junk? Whatever your end goal is I want you to completely plan it out. Make a Pinterest board to get inspiration. Identify what you want to feel when you use the space. Think critically about how it is and isn’t working right now and make a decision to fix or trash anything that’s broken. Remember your home should support you and anything that causes you stress needs to be rethought or reworked.

Create a Ritual: Finally, make this process fun. Clear your schedule for 2 hours this week. Ideally set aside 1 hour on Thursday to relax and contemplate the project you want to take on. Follow that with another 1 hour session a few days later to plan the project. Set the scene by playing good music, lighting candles and having your favorite beverage and snacks. If you really want to get into the mood create a moon bath for the Yin activities, soaking in a warm bath really helps with the inspiration process. Remember this time is for you. This project is in support of you and your life.

I’ll be back with more next week but until then, Happy New Moon!