New Moon Charm for Banishing Heartbreak

Any new moon is the perfect time to create a new opportunity. Clear away relationship “baggage” with this banishing spell. If you have been hurt emotionally, this will clear it, fast.

Gather together

    * a clear glass bowl filled with 2 cups (480ml) of water

    * a silver spoon

    * a salt shaker

    * palo santo incense

    * 2 white candles and 2 black candles

Place the clear glass bowl of water on your altar. Set a silver spoon beside the glass bowl along with a salt shaker. Light the cleansing palo santo incense, the two white candles, and the two black candles. Pour salt on the spoon, sprinkle the salt into the water and stir with the spoon clockwise. Recite aloud:

    Hurt and pain are banished this night;
    Fill this heart and home with light.
    With harm to none and blessings to all.
    So mote it be.

After a few moments of contemplating the candle flames, recite the spell again. Using the silver spoon as a snuffer, extinguish the candles. Toss the bowl of water out on the street in front of your house, near a drainage grate. All your love troubles should drain away by the end of this lunar cycle.

New Moon, New Friends

When I moved to San Francisco, I didn’t know a soul, but I used this tried-and-tested trick to fill my life with friends.

Gather together

• 1 candle of any color or size
• your favorite incense

Timing: Try this on a new moon Friday (Freya’s Day, which is ruled by Venus, is ideal for fun, love, flirtation, gossip, and good times).

Light the candle and incense. Breath in the sacred smoke and dance around, arms held upward, joyously. Say aloud:

I call upon you, friend Freya,

To fill my life with love and joy. I call upon you, Goddess,

To bring unto me that which I enjoy

In the form of people, wise and kind.

This I ask and give thanks for, blessed be.

This resulted in me having friends who have stuck with me through thick and thin; I can count on them for boundless love and they bring so much joy to my life.

Garden of Prosperity: A Ritual to Plant New Beginnings in Your Life

Nature is the ultimate creator. At a nearby gardening store or hardware store, get an assortment of seed packets to plant newness into your life. If your thumb is not the greenest, try a wildflower mix or poppies, which are extremely hardy and will grow quickly and spread, beautifying any area. They reseed themselves, which is a lovely bonus.

On a new moon morning, draw a square in your yard with a “found in nature” wand, a fallen branch. Apartment dwellers can use a planter on a deck or a big pot for this ritual. Each corner of the square needs a candle and a special stone. I get my stones at new age bookstores, which often have the shiny tumbled versions for as little as one dollar. Mark the corners as follows:

• Green candle and peridot or jade for creativity, prosperity, and growth
• Orange candle and jasper or onyx for clear thinking and highest consciousness
• Blue candle and turquoise or celestine for serenity, kindness, and a happy heart
• White candle and quartz or limestone for purification and safety

Repeat this chant as you light each candle:

    Greatest Selene, I turn to you to help me renew,

    under this new moon and in this old earth.

    Blessings to you; blessings to me.

    Blessed be.

Put the seeds under the soil with your fingers and tamp them down gently with your wand, the branch, which you should also stick in the ground at this time. Water your new moon garden and affirmative change will begin in your life that very day.

Crystal Cleansing

Over time, you will doubtless adorn your sacred altar space with many beautiful crystals. Whenever you acquire a new crystal, you need to cleanse it. A new or waning moon is the optimal time to perform this cleansing. Gather these elemental energies:

• A candle for fire
• A cup of water
• Incense for air
• A bowl of salt

Pass your crystal through the scented smoke of the incense and say:

    Inspired with the breath of air

Pass the crystal swiftly through the flame of the candle and say:

    Burnished by fire

Sprinkle the crystal with water and say:

    Purified by water

Dip the crystal into the bowl of salt and say:

    Empowered by the earth

Hold the crystal before you with both hands and imagine an enveloping, warm white light purifying the tool. Now say:

    Steeped in spirit and bright with light

Place the cleansed crystal upon your altar and say:

    By craft made and by craft charged and changed,

    This crystal I will use for the purpose of good in this world.

    In the realm of the gods and goddesses,

    I hereby consecrate this crystal.

    Blessings to all, blessed be.

Thursday’s Prosperity Incantation

This ritual is excellent for getting a new or better-paying job. You will get the best results on a new moon or full moon Thursday night, but any “Thor’s day” will do.

To prepare yourself, take a money bath by pouring a few drops of green apple or lemon verbena essential oil into hot running water, and bathe by the light of a single green candle. As you close your eyes, meditate on your true desires. What does personal prosperity mean to you? What do you really need, and what do you really want?

When you are clear about your answers, focus on the candle flame while whispering: 

Here and now, my intention is set.
New luck will be mine and all needs will be met.
With harm to none and plenty for all.
Blessed be.

After your sacred bath, perform this tried and true prosperity ritual that can help get a job and bring fiscal abundance your way.

Light a gold candle, although red will also do.

Repeat this incantation eight times while envisioning yourself with perfect abundance or at the perfect job: 

I see the perfect place for me;
I see the place of plenty.
Upon my heart’s desire I am set.
Prosperity will come to me now.

The New Moon

The new moon is sometimes called Diana’s Bow, a reference to the Roman goddess of the hunt. The Maiden phase arrives when the moon comes out of the shadows and begins to show its first glimmering crescent of light. The new moon is the time to begin new projects and bring new energy into your life. It is an auspicious time for blessing rituals. I save new ventures to begin them on the new moon. Now is the perfect time to plant a garden, reorganize your office, start a new business, begin an art project, or embark on a new relationship—anything that requires the energy of developing and growing. Budding and building are the key words for the new moon.

New Moon, New Beginnings

This new moon time is a wonderful opportunity to involve yourself in personal improvement and transformation, whether spiritual or health-related, like practicing yoga or following a new diet. The new moon has great advantages for healing. This phase is also marvelous for rituals that draw something to you. Rituals and charms commenced in the new moon can have tangible results by the next new moon. Divinatory rituals performed during the new moon can also bring great clarity.

Here is a new moon ritual to ignite new energy for new projects and new beginnings.

Phases of the Moon

Performing a ritual at the optimal time of the lunar cycle will maximize your power. As you read, keep this basic magical guideline in mind: Each lunar cycle begins with the new moon phase, when the moon lies between the sun and the earth so its illuminated side cannot be seen from the earth. During the next two weeks, the moon gradually waxes until it has moved to the opposite side of the earth. When the moon has reached the far side of the earth, its lit side faces us as the full moon. Now it begins to wane until it apparently vanishes. Then it cycles again.

The entire cycle takes approximately a month, during which the moon orbits the earth. To determine the sun sign governing the moon on any given day, you will need a celestial guide or almanac. My favorite is Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. The moon moves into a new sign every two to three days.

New Moon Herbal Potpourri

This flower-infused potpourri is wonderful for clearing the way for the new in your life and planting “seeds” for new moon beginnings. You can also create a wreath with garlic bulbs for self-protection and insurance that your newly laid plans won’t go awry.

Flower ingredients:

- Rose, Marigold, Cyclamen, Snapdragon, Carnation

Place the flowers in a bowl and then sprinkle them with a few drops of geranium, clove, and cinnamon oil. Place the mixture on the south point of your altar for the duration of a full lunar cycle, from new moon to new moon. A wreath of these same flowers with garlic cloves woven in will protect you from harm and illness. If you want to remain calm at your place of work, place a small, sweet-smelling bowl of your sanctuary incense on your desk for constant comfort.

New-Moon Lover’s Spell

On the next new-moon night, take the two pieces of rose quartz and place them on the floor in the center of your bedroom. Light two red candles and use this affirming chant:

“Beautiful crystal I hold this night,
Flame with love for my delight.
Goddess of Love, I ask of you,
Guide me in the path that is true.
Harm to none as love comes to me—
This I ask and so shall it be!”

Sowing the Seeds of Change

Nature is the ultimate creator. Get an array of seed packets, and plant newness in your life. If your thumb is not the greenest, I suggest nasturtiums, which will grow in any soil and seem to thrive on neglect.

On a new-moon day, draw a square in your yard or planter with a natural wand—a willow branch or an oak stick, for example—and mark each corner with a candle and a stone:

• *  Orange candle and stone for higher intelligence (onyx or jasper),

• *  Green candle and stone for creativity and growth (jade, peridot, or malachite),

• *  Blue candle and stone for serenity and goodness (lapis lazuli, turquoise, or celestite),

• *  White candle and stone for purification (Herkimer diamond, quartz, or limestone).

Repeat this chant as you light each candle:

“Great Gaia, I turn to you to help me renew,
Under this new moon and in this old earth. Blessed be.”

Poke the seeds under the soil with your fingers and tramp them down with your wand. Gently water your new-moon garden, and affirmative change will begin that very day. 

The First New Moon of the Year: Chinese New Year

This most special holiday for Chinese all over the world is a “moveable feast,” as it occurs on the second new moon after the shortest day of the year (the winter solstice, December 21) and lasts about two weeks. According to the Western calendar, this means the holiday begins sometime in either late January or early February. Tradition holds that homes must be cleaned from top to bottom in preparation for the festivities. On New Year’s Eve, families get together for a banquet, and at this feast fish is the dish of delight, as the Chinese word for “fish” sounds like yu, or “great plenty.” Red is the color of luck and all children receive red envelopes filled with money and bright, shining moon-like coins. Adults write “spring couplets” on red paper; these are short poems that are hung around the doorway to greet the New Year auspiciously. Oranges are placed around the house in bowls and plates and blooming plants adorn the home both indoors and out. All generations of the extended Chinese family, from great-grandmother to the tiniest toddler, stay up late playing games, telling stories and making wishes for the New Year. They call this most auspicious time of the year “Hong

Bau,” and apply the ancient and sacred principles of feng shui in a celebration of love and luck. Gather red envelopes, coins and paper money. The Chinese call the red envelopes lee sees.

On the actual day of the Chinese New Year, go around to your neighbors, friends and family with red envelopes containing money. If you are like me, bright, shiny coins are what you can easily afford to give instead of envelopes stuffed with paper money. With each gift, greet folks with Gung Hey Fat Choy, which means “Wishing you prosperity and health.”

Give every child two lee sees, because happiness comes in pairs. By taking care to provide the children you know with lee sees, you are making sure the next generation has good luck. Business owners also give lee sees to employees, important partners and associates. When you hand a lee see to anyone you may have a grudge or grievance with, you should let go of the old feeling and refuse to drag the new you down with emotional baggage in the New Year.

New Moon Crystal Shrine

To enchant all of your jewelry, you need to create an altar for this express purpose. You can prepare the way for letting crystal and gem magic into your life, and focusing your desires and dreams, with a crystal-magic altar. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some of the following elements. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be.

Your gem-magic altar can be a low table, the top of a chest, or even a shelf. First, you must purify the space with the smoke of a sage bundle. This is called smudging, and is essential in clearing energy to make way for magic. You can use wild sage or purchase it at any herb store or metaphysical five and dime.

Once you have smudged the space, cover your altar with your favorite fabric; I recommend the color white. Place a candle in each corner. I prefer candles of many colors to represent the rainbow array of gems. Place gems and crystals of your choice around the candles. Rose quartz is a heart stone, and fluorite is a calming crystal, so these are good choices for grounding yourself, particularly if your altar is in your bedroom, as many are! Add to the altar fresh flowers, incense you simply love to smell, and any objects that have special meaning to you. Some folks place lovely shells or feathers they have found in their paths or on the beach, and others use imagery that is special, like a goddess statue or a star shape. The most important point is that your altar be pleasing to your eye and your sensibilities. You should feel that it represents the deepest aspects of you as a person.

Ideally, you will bless your altar on a new moon. Light the candles and incense, and say aloud:

Here burns happiness about me,
Peace and harmony are in abundance, 
Here my happiness abounds.
Gems and jewels—these bones of the earth 
Bring love, prosperity, health and mirth.

Be it ever thus that joy is the light 
That here burns bright.
Blessed be!

You have now consecrated your altar. It will ease your spirit anytime and become your power source. Your altar connects you to the earth of which you and all gems and crystals are a part. Your altar will connect you to the crystal magic that has now entered your life. Whenever you want to add a dash of magic or a supernatural sparkle to a stone or piece of jewelry, you can place it on your altar for seven days. On the seventh day, wear the jewelry and bewitch everyone you encounter! Remember that your level of clarity and concentration will be reflected in the jewel’s power.

Now, enjoy your sacred stones.

New Moon Love Connection

If you are looking for love, perform this rite and you will soon find a lover to satisfy your needs. On the night of the next new moon, take two pieces of a pink or red crystal—rose quartz will do nicely—and place them on the floor in the center of your bedroom. If you are lucky enough to have two garnets of rough rubies or pink tourmaline, by all means use two of those heart stones.

Light one pink and one red candle and speak this love and life- affirming chant:

Beautiful crystal I hold this night, 
Flame with love for my delight, 
Goddess of Love, I ask of you, 
Guide me in the path that is true. 
Harm to none as love comes to me. 
This I ask and so it shall be.

Within a fortnight, you shall receive some kind of communication from a potential love interest. It could be a handsome stranger at a coffee shop who can’t take his eyes off you, or a shy bookworm at a literary reading. Be on the lookout and let your intuition be your guide.

Salt of the Earth Rejuvenation Ritual

Salts have been used to purify the body, by way of ritual rubs, since ancient times in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. Beauties from the biblical era utilized this simple curative of natural salts to exfoliate the skin and enhance circulation, vital to overall body health. There are wonderful imported Dead Sea salts readily available at most bath and beauty stores, or you can make your own using Goddess Glow recipes, one of the kitchen cupboard cures that follows.

To prepare for your body glow session, light a white candle, step out of your clothes and into your tub or shower, and hold the salts in the palms of both hands, praying:

Aphrodite, in your wisdom, help me reflect your image;
My body is a temple to thee, goddess.
Here, I worship today with my head and hands, heart and soul.
Blessings to all, blessings to thee, blessed be me.

Use the salts with a new loofah sponge and scrub yourself vigorously during the waning moon or new moon at midnight.

Planetary Protection Charms

Planting three red flowers in the new moon will keep trespassers off property and allow the land to return to a wild well-being. I suggest penstemon, wild roses, geraniums or nasturtiums.

To heal and guard an ailing or endangered tree, an old Celtic custom involves tying a red ribbon around the trunk and chanting:

Red for the sap-blood inside this spirit-tree,
Every Full Moon,
I will retie a cord of magic around thee.
So mote it be!

Pendulum of Truth Invocation

Many witches carry a pendulum with them at all times to help make the right decisions. I sometimes see pendulums twirling over herbs and produce at the farmers market or hovering over restaurant menus. They have recently become available at most metaphysical stores, but a lovingly handmade pendulum is imbued with more personal energy. An easy DIY way to make your own pendulum is to take a strong string or length of leather and tie a ring, gemstone, or crystal to the end. By the light of the new moon, take a bundle of sage, light one end and pass the smoke over your pendulum, “smudging” and purifying your space.

Wear the pendulum around your neck for seven days. Each night, light black candles on your altar to absorb negative energy and, holding the pendulum still, chant:

Guide me to the path of truth, O goddess hear my song.
This pendulum I charge with my energy, to judge right from wrong. 
So mote it be.

On the seventh day, you can begin using your new tool. Any time you need advice before making a decision, dangle the pendulum and observe its movement—swaying from front to back means yes, left to right means no.

Moons of Manifestation

You can fill your coffers and reduce your stress by mind. When the moon is waxing, growing from a new moon state towards full, this is a time to sow seeds and plant crops, and cast spells for attracting things into your life. Use this lunar waxing time to attract the new into your life. When the moon is waning, gradually getting smaller from a full moon state back into a new moon, this is a time to harvest crops, cut your hair, and shed that which you no longer want in your life.

The Writing is On the Wall - Wednesday Waning Moon Magic

In the days of yore, people often made their own inks, thus imbuing them with a deeply personal energy. They simply went to the side of the road and gathered blackberries or pokeberries from the vines that grew there. Often a bird flying overhead will supply a gift of volunteer vines best cultivated by a fence where they can climb, making berry-picking easier. When it comes to matters of the heart, contracts, legacy letters and any document of real importance that you feel the need to make your mark upon, an artfully made ink can help you write unforgettable love letters and very memorable memorandums. This spell is best performed during the waning moon.

Gather the following for your ink recipe: a vial or small sealable bottle, dark red ink, 1/8th cup crushed berry juice, nine drops of burgundy wine, apple essential oil, and paper.

Mix the juice, wine and red ink in a small metal bowl. Carefully pour it into the vial and add one drop of the apple essence. Seal the bottle and shake gently.

Incant aloud:

By my hand, this spell is wrought.
With this ink, I will author my own destiny 
And have the happy life and love, I sought. 
So mote it be.

Now write the fate you envision for yourself in the near and far future using the enchantment ink and a feather for a pen. Let dry and seal it in an envelope and keep on your altar until the new moon phase. Then, by the light of a red candle, open the letter to yourself and read aloud. After, burn the paper using the candle and scatter the ashes in your garden. By the next new moon, you will begin to reap the positive plans you invoked.

Vision Quest: New Moon Conjuring Incense

You can access your prophetic capabilities with a Wednesday incense ritual using:

• 3 palmfuls ground chicory root

• 1 palmful ground cloves

• 3 palmfuls cinquefoil*

*Cinquefoil is in the dandelion family. If you can’t find any, substitute dried fern fronds or dandelions from your front yard.

Mix and burn the herbs in your fireplace in an outside sanctuary spot or on your altar while concentrating on a question. Maybe you are considering a new home, or whether to take a new job or pursue a business venture. Use this time to cleanse your mind of all concerns, worries and thoughts, making way for pure insight. Answers will come.

Dark Moon Magic: Symbol Writing

If you wish to make direct contact with your subconscious, here is a way to see through the veil between two worlds and enter the recesses of your mind. At any herbal store or metaphysical shop, obtain dried mugwort, dried patchouli or wormwood. The latter is a bit harder to come by, but worth the try.

Crumble any one of these herbs between your hands until it is gently ground into an almost-powdery consistency. Pour the herb into a baking pan. Make sure the crumbled herb dust is evenly spread over the surface of the pan.

Light yellow candles and close your eyes. Take the forefinger of your left hand and touch the center of the pan. Run your finger back and forth in a completely random pattern—don’t think, just rely on your instincts for two minutes. Open your eyes, look at the pattern you have drawn, and write down what the symbols and designs bring to mind. Also write down the thoughts you were having while you were drawing. This ritual is best performed in the new moon phase, but if you have an urgent need to connect with your innermost self, you can do it anytime in the darkest of the night.