Listening to Grandmother Moon: A Time for Reset and Reflection

This blog post was written by Reconnection Vision Fellow and Communications Team Member Jennifer Waugh.

When the night sky turns completely dark and the moon disappears, something ancient begins to stir. The New Moon — is more than an astronomical event. It’s a sacred pause, a time to exhale the past and make space for what’s ready to begin.

Across cultures and generations, people have looked to the moon as a guide, a spiritual presence that mirrors the rhythms of life, emotion, and renewal. Many Indigenous teachings describe her as Grandmother Moon, the luminous guardian who watches over the waters of the Earth and the cycles of women. She reminds us that life moves in seasons, not linear lines — that rest, release, and reflection are just as sacred as action.

The New Moon marks the beginning of the lunar cycle, the time of darkness, stillness, and potential. It’s the moment before the first light reappears, the womb space of creation. In Māori tradition, this phase is called Whiro — the great darkness that symbolizes both birth and death, cleansing and rebirth. It’s a time to let go of what’s heavy, breathe deeply into the unknown, and plant new seeds of intention for the cycle ahead.

As one teaching beautifully expresses: “The darkness is not emptiness; it is potential.” This is the medicine of the New Moon — a quiet, introspective energy that calls us home to ourselves.

The Spiritual Meaning of the New Moon

Spiritually, the New Moon represents renewal and rebirth. It’s a reminder that every ending holds a beginning, and that stillness has purpose. In many traditions, this time is seen as the perfect moment to:

- Reflect on what has passed

- Release emotional or energetic clutter

- Set clear, heartfelt intentions

- Reconnect with intuition and inner guidance

This phase is gentle yet powerful. It invites us to pause and realign and to remember that transformation doesn’t happen through force, but through presence. Honouring the rhythms of nature and community.

Rituals & Reflections to Try This New Moon

You don’t need a complex ceremony to honor this phase, just intention and attention. Here are some simple ways to connect with the New Moon’s energy in your daily life:

1. Set Intentions Like Seeds

Take a quiet moment to write down three things you want to nurture this lunar cycle: qualities, goals, or inner shifts. Think of them as seeds of reconnection, planted with intention under the New Moon. Revisit them as the light grows toward the Full Moon.

2. Cleanse and Clear

The New Moon is a natural time for purification. Open your windows, light sage or cedar, and imagine releasing stagnant energy. You can also bathe and wash away any emotional residue.

3. Connect with Water

Grandmother Moon governs the tides, both of the ocean and of our inner waters. Drink plenty of water, spend time near a river or lake, or offer a small bowl of water to the Earth or sky in gratitude.

4. Listen to Your Inner Voice

Spend time in silence or meditation and ask yourself:

Where am I being called to Reconnect with?

What is my inner voice whispering right now?

How can I ask Grandmother moon for guidance.

Let the answers come gently — not from your mind, but from your intuition.

5. Honor Rest and Stillness

In a world that glorifies productivity, the New Moon invites rest as a spiritual practice. Allow yourself to slow down, sleep more deeply, or simply be. Renewal begins in the quiet space.

Closing Thoughts

The moon’s cycles remind us that life moves in waves that is always expanding, contracting, resting, and beginning again. The New Moon is the dark soil where transformation takes root. It teaches us that we don’t have to see the whole path to start walking it, we only need to trust the quiet beginning.

During the New Moon phase, we invite you to light a candle, breathe deeply, and turn inward. Listen for what is calling you to begin again. The darkness is not something to fear — it’s where all creation begins.

References:

With gratitude to the teachings of Grandmother Moon shared through Indigenous and spiritual traditions, and to writers like Dr. Hinemoa Elder, ShunSpirit, and Meaningful Moon for keeping these lunar stories alive.

1. ShunSpirit.

Celebrating the New Moon: Indigenous Traditions and Rituals.

(Insights on Grandmother Moon, women’s ceremonies, and the moon’s role as a spiritual guide in Indigenous traditions.)

Retrieved from: https://shunspirit.com/

2. The Medicine of the Moon: Lunar Cycles in Indigenous and Ceremonial Traditions.

(Explores the four moon phases — new, waxing, full, and waning — and their ceremonial significance, particularly within Amazonian and Indigenous worldviews.)

Source: The Medicine of the Moon: Lunar Cycles in Indigenous and Ceremonial Traditions

3. Elder, Hinemoa. (2020).

Wawata: Moon Dreaming – Daily Wisdom Guided by the Māori Moon.

Random House New Zealand. (Provides Māori teachings about Whiro, the New Moon phase, as a time of darkness,

rebirth, and renewal.)

4. Meaningful Moon.

The New Moon in Indigenous Cultures and Traditions: A Beginner’s Guide.

(Overview of new moon practices such as reflection, setting intentions, cleansing rituals, and ancestor connection.)

Retrieved from: https://meaningfulmoon.com/

5. Various Indigenous Teachings on Grandmother Moon.

(Teachings commonly shared in Indigenous cultural practices across Turtle Island, honoring Grandmother Moon’s connection to women, water, and cycles of life.Referenced through oral and written traditions.)