Welcome back to part two of our Intention Setting Series. Last month was a review of why Intention Setting is important, and a few options for grounding and employing creativity as you set your intentions. For this post, I want to touch on how to utilize lunar cycles and Tarot cards as enhancements for your practices.
Moon Cycle Breakdown
For the uninitiated, here is a quick overview of each Lunar Phase:
- Phase 1 - New Moon (Cleansing, prep-work, beginnings)
- Phase 2 - Waxing Crescent (Charging, revelation, intuition)
- Phase 3.- First Quarter Moon (Growth and focus)
- Phase 4 - Waxing Gibbous (Nurturing)
- Phase 5 - Full Moon (Celebration, Gratitude, Releasing)
- Phase 6 - Waning Gibbous (Contemplation and Refinement)
- Phase 7 - Last (Third) Quarter Moon (Acceptance, letting go, banishing)
- Phase 8 - Waning Crescent (Inner reflection)
Each phase of the Moon carries certain energies with it (a few examples are in the parentheses above), so if you’re looking to hone in on a specific task, spell, or learning opportunity then try to align your goal with a particular phase that can enhance your intention's energy. For example, I am working on my meditation routine because down the road I want to start practicing Mediumship. I am using the different energies of the Moon to charge my intention surrounding my meditation exercises. You can use the energy of a full lunar cycle by intention setting during the New Moon, or you can pick and choose which phase will best enhance what you are trying to accomplish. Now, you can set intentions and practice divination or spellwork at any point in the cycle, but if you’re looking for an extra energy boost then do your best to use the Moon to your advantage.
Finally, I want to quickly mention different tools that can act as guides while you’re establishing your intention. You can use anything from crystals, oracle decks, runes, whatever floats your boat, but my preference is Tarot cards when I need a little (or a lot of!) clarity on what to focus on. I won’t get into the details of specific cards or spreads, I’m leaving that wealth of knowledge to Ms. Vanessa and her podcasts. Please be sure to subscribe so that you never miss one of her episodes! I digress, I love using Tarot cards in my intention setting rituals because it’s a way for me to channel and ask for help on where to focus my energy to achieve my desired result. Using the mediumship example from above, I actually reached out to my guides via Tarot and asked where I should start in order to begin building that skillset; it was a VERY clear “Work on your meditation, lady!” After that reading I saved the cards and used them as a focus during my intention setting ritual at the upcoming New Moon.
These are just a few tips on how to incorporate Lunar energy and divination tools into your intention setting practices. The most important item to remember though is give yourself permission to play. Not every ritual and exercise will be perfect, or work right off the bat! Give yourself grace and love as you journey down this road. Be well and stay safe magickal souls. I look forward to having you back for our next series on Cleansing.
~ Effe Bayliss
