New Moon in Aries | Word of the Year

New Moon in Aries | Word of the Year

One of my favorite ways to live with nature is to track lunar cycles. I do this in a number of ways and for a number of different reasons, but today, as we approach the new moon in Aries, I’m considering my Word of the Year and ways to set goals around getting to a new place.

I walked into my mentor, Julie’s office on a cold morning in early February and smugly announced that I thought I’d selected my word of the year. “Mess or Messy” I said, referencing the fact that I’d recently made the big move from our brick-and-mortar shop back to the homestead and was definitely feeling the impact of all of the change. Surrounded by boxes, stillness, dormant ground, and uncertainty; instead of allowing myself to become overwhelmed, I figured I needed to focus on living imperfectly and just make peace with the chaos. Julie smiled and asked. “Is that what you’re calling in this year? Or is there a word that better describes what you actually want the universe to help you attract? Because if you are calling in a mess you know that’s exactly what the universe is going to give you, and I don’t think it’s what you really want.”

Everyone should have a Julie in their life.

Sometimes in my cynical, sarcastic, hard-assed, hill person habits I lose sight of, or get lazy about, what it is I AM actually wanting to call into my life- and that’s not who I want to be.

So, on this first New Moon of the astrological new year in the fiery, get-shit-done sign of Aries, I’ve decided my Word of the Year should be “Ease”. 

Ease is not in polarity to Aries. 

Aries burns brightly, seeking awakening and inspiration, inviting us to take action and sow the seeds necessary to reap an abundant harvest later, but I believe that this work can be done with love and ease, avoiding the impulsive behavior and burnout that can often be associated with Aries and Aries Season. We can choose an inspired way to move forward, finding joy in the journey, and trusting the universe to guide our path; and we can leave behind hustle culture, taking on too much, and exhausting ourselves.

How am I planning on achieving this? Using lunar cycles! Setting goals and creating awareness around things I can do to promote ease in my life around the new moon, taking steps to achieve them during the waning moon, celebrating wins during the full moon, and evaluating and releasing anything holding me back during the waning moon. If I get busy, forget, or begin to lose sight again mid-year, I can reorient myself quickly by simply figuring out what phase the moon is in at that time and jump right back on board like a you-are-here dot on a map in the middle of the mall, lunar edition.

What about you? Do you have any fun or important goals you’ve set for yourself this year? What’s your Word of the Year? Have you ever worked with lunation cycles or have any rituals or routines you love to help you stay connected with nature? I’d love to hear about it!