Every new moon offers us the opportunity for a release and a restart.
Tonight’s new moon in Libra is especially well-suited for this, as it also coincides with the start of the month of Tishrei on the Jewish calendar.
Libra is a cardinal sign — it initiates the Autumn season, the beginning of a new cycle. It’s symbol is the scales; it is a sign of balance, justice, and harmony. And also, sometimes, judgment.
These themes are prevalent in the month of Tishrei, especially at Rosh Hashana.
Tishrei is a sacred month of rest, rebalancing, and spiritual renewal. It begins with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish spiritual New Year, and ends after three weeks of back to back holidays that all carry themes of balance, justice, and harmony.
(Fun fact: Tishrei is actually the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar.)
The new moon is the dark time. It’s a time to retreat inward, to self-reflect, to release what no longer serves, and to plant new seeds.
This is how we start Tishrei. The Jewish new year doesn’t begin with resolutions. It begins with a process of introspection, self-reflection, and release. We are invited to consider how we have been showing up and whether we are living aligned with our purpose, vision, and values.
Rosh Hashana is also known as Judgement Day; the sages taught that God acts as a judge on this day, and it’s as if we are in a courtroom, making the case for why we should live another year.
Before we can move forward, we must engage in a form of “spiritual accounting” to assess how we have been living our lives.
Some journal prompts for this new moon:
- How have I been showing up in my life? Am I living true to my values and purpose?
- What areas of my life are out of balance, and how can I bring them into balance?
- How can I make decisions and commitments that honor myself and my needs, and treat myself as an equal partner and player in my life?
- What parts of myself do I need to release to step into where I’m being called next?
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...