New Moon in Sagittarius
WELCOME & ORIENTATION
Hello everyone, and happy new moon!
Welcome to Moon Moments, and thank you for being here. This is a program where we gather every two weeks, on the new and full moons. Each new moon is a time for invitation, longing, intention-setting, and introspection; and full moons are times for gratitude, celebration, connection, and reflection. In the dark of a new moon, we plant seeds that grow for six months and culminate with a bright full moon in the same astrological sign, which then wanes for six months until it empties and returns to a new moon in that sign, and the cycle begins again.
Today’s new moon is in the astrological sign of Sagittarius.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are on the unceded traditional lands of the Duwamish Tribe, ‘the people of the inside’. As we take this time to connect with the earth, let us honor with gratitude the past, present, and future Duwamish people, who are the family of this land. This land offers us so much; may we offer back to the land and their Duwamish kin through this time together, through what we nurture in and between us, and through what we do with what we receive from this time. We hold deep thanks and deep intention for justice for the Duwamish people in this space.
MOMENT OF ARRIVAL
For tonight’s moment of arrival, we will stretch and open the part of the body associated with Sagittarius: the hips. Sagittarius is a mobile, flexible sign that is always seeking expansion through adventure or learning. As you stretch, consider how you make room for movement in your life, literally or figuratively. How can we practice openness to new experiences and resist stagnation?
If seated in a chair: Lift up one ankle and place the outer side of it on the other leg’s knee. Hold this and, keeping your back straight, slowly lean your chest forward as far as you’re able. Hold this for a few moments, then rise back up. Repeat a few times, perhaps noticing the stretch deepen each time. Repeat with the other leg.
If seated on the floor: Place the soles of your feet together with knees pointing outward. Holding your feet gently and keeping your back straight, lean your chest forward as far as you are able. Hold this for a few moments, then rise back up. Repeat a few times, perhaps noticing the stretch deepen each time. Repeat with the other leg.
If standing: Hold on to a wall or nearby piece of furniture for balance if needed. Turn one leg outward to allow the foot to be pulled facing up toward the opposite hip while the knee remains low. Holding the foot as high as you are able, press the knee down and back as you are able so that you feel a stretch in the hip of the leg that is bent. Hold this for a few moments, then lower your foot to the ground. Repeat a few times, perhaps noticing the stretch deepen each time. Repeat with the other leg.
REFLECTION
If everything is change, and we’ve grieved change that’s happened against our will, how will we now lean into change? Knowing now that life inevitably shifts and moves, if you could choose some of those changes what would you do? Sagittarius especially leans into learning, adventure, curiosity, and expanding horizons to do this. now that we know better than to idealize our options and possibilities, how will we actually choose and actually enjoy? How will we experience and LIVE now that we have chosen to keep living even with first-hand knowledge that life holds pain?
ALTAR
So much of this sign of Sagittarius is about inspiration, and inspiration tends to be a layer or two deeper than the cognitive and conscious. As we seek purpose and aliveness, as we lean into meaning-making, what images, items, and experiences are you surrounding yourself with? White, colonial, Western culture elevates words, but our brains actually make far more connections when looking at something than when reading or thinking about something. Tonight we will lean into our visual life.
Altar-building has intimidated me, but I am finding it to be a soothing, grounding, and creative practice that can allows me to draw meaning through simple decoration. Any way that we can get our bodies and senses involved not only in our spiritualities but in our lives as a whole is impactful. We don’t need to be experts to engage in practices that are new to us. We can place crystals that we’ve read are relevant to our situation or ones that we simply find inviting or beautiful in the moment. We can connect with herbs as curious students, experimental children, as long as we heed warnings about ingestion. We can try things out and see what happens; we don’t need to know the journey ahead of time. Altars are a fun way to engage big themes of our lives in a tiny, fun, safe format. If a spiritual practice feels too big to be accessible, try turning it into play. The Sacred is a lot more playful than we give it credit for.
Our altar tonight has various items relating to Sagittarius: a collage with a lit match and an unlit match beneath a quote about life’s constant change; obsidian, malachite, quartz, tiger’s eye, amethyst, and sodalite crystals; a candle; carnations; and a mini simmer pot with cloves, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, dandelion root, mugwort, and St. John’s wort.
MEDITATION
We’re playing with a lot of fire themes tonight because Sagittarius is a fire sign. With every new moon we make space for listening, introspection, and intention-setting; and tonight, we’ll let fire be a guide as we do this.
Either with our bonfire or with one of these candles, I invite you to spend the next ten minutes gazing into the flames.
You can sit still or move and sway as feels helpful. You can narrow your attention to just the flame and your breath, you can let the flickering focal point spark ideas for reflection, you can bring questions and let thoughts or images come to you as you sit and stare, or you can simply let this be a moment to rest your mind and body. Use this time however feels right, and return to warmth, coziness, and a gentle gaze anytime you find your mind moving toward harshness.
If meditation and silence are new for you, this may feel uncomfortable. Let self-compassion and non-judgment be your anchor. This time is yours to play or rest in and to notice what arises for you. I will invite us back in ten minutes.
PAINTING
Engaging what arose for you during meditation or opening to new ideas, let’s spend the next fifteen to twenty minutes on reflective painting.
Sagittarius is both adventurous and philosophical, committed to both play and growth on the journey, so artmaking feels fitting.
The following prompt is for you to use as you please. Take it literally or metaphorically; follow it or ignore it or actively reject it; depict something or respond abstractly; if the prompt sparks a totally separate idea, that’s okay too. The prompt is not an assignment, it is a gift. This creative time is not about skill, it is about experiencing ourselves through the artmaking process. So just notice what comes up for you and follow that. After painting there will be a time for optional sharing; you can show what you made, tell about it, or keep it private.
Prompt: Where are you in the landscape of your journey?
Take another minute or two to finish your painting, and then we’ll come back together.
Let’s take a few deep breaths as we transition out of our interior worlds and back into our shared space.
TAROT READING
Our last activity will be intention-setting, but before that I want to give everyone who wants one a chance to receive a one-card tarot reading about the following question: What is this Sagittarius new moon inviting you into?
I am using a deck called The Gentle Tarot and its companion guidebook by Marisa Ryce Aparicio-Tovar.
INTENTION SETTING
I have here notecards and envelopes for our final activity. I invite you each to write down an intention or commitment for expansion, which you can then seal and keep to revisit in six months on the full moon in Sagittarius.
You can use what arose for you during the meditation, painting time, or tarot reading, or you can let one of the following questions lead you toward an intention that feels alive and aligned for you right now.
What new adventure, learning project, or activity can I explore?
Where is my interest / motivation pointing?
What is inspiring me?
How will I choose to be brave? For what? What risk will I take?
What bigger picture can I refocus on? How can I do things differently in order to stay on a path toward that goal?
How might we make space internally and externally for new opportunities and experiences?
How can I let myself be more human and trust that to guide me well?
CLOSING
Thank you for sharing your beautiful presence with each person here tonight. It is a gift that you offer simply by showing up.
Our next gathering will be on December 15 for the full moon in Gemini. This is a social and playful sign that I expect will be fun with the celebratory energy of a full moon. I hope to see you there!
