In an ever changing world full of uncertainty, challenges and transformation, finding a way to be still, grounded and connected to something larger than yourself - something timeless and enduring - can be empowering, energising and the source of great joy and contentment.

All suffering and uncertainty holds the possibility of deep spiritual growth - if we know how to approach it. Thankfully, the wisdom of our ancestors is still very much available to us to help us with just this.

It’s in the stars, the wind and the trees - their inspiration and their teachers are all around us. Humans have known, felt and mapped these connections for millennia. It is only our modern world that has forgotten them.

There is no separation between you and the entire cosmos for you are a way for the universe to know itself. Our ego-minds create separation but in truth it is only an illusion - an important and necessary illusion so that the one can know itself through the many.

But inside each and everyone one of us is pure consciousness - pure loving awareness. The part in us that simply is and always will be.

To find it, ask yourself this question: “What am I more? The voice in my head or the awareness that hears it?”

We identify with the voice but we are the loving awareness.

Life is then an endless game of hide and seek with our own true nature and our battles and entanglement with our ego-minds, the traumas it stores the memories of in order to keep us safe, even at the cost of maintaining limiting beliefs, blocks and restrictions.

However, over countless years, our ancestors mapped the heavens and the human soul, the land, the sea, the air; the mind, the heart and the life force in all things.

It is to these teachings that we can turn to help us to remember who we truly are, where we have come from and the nature of the Great Mystery that we find ourselves a part of.

The Moon is a doorway to discovering more about the Great Mystery and ourselves.

She shows us how and when to reflect, what to reflect on and for how long. She encourages us to set intentions and let go of our limitations.

Attuning to the Moon means reflecting on different aspects of your life at different times, in relation to the phases of the Moon, the energy offered during each phase and the energies of the different Zodiac signs that colour the Moon’s energy as she passes through them. 

Every 28 days the Moon travels around the earth from the New Moon, to the Full Moon and back to the New Moon again. Every living thing is affected by the Moon’s cycle including our mind and body. 

Becoming attuned to the Moon’s cycles and harnessing the different energies of the Moon will help you to feel more grounded and intune with your body's natural patterns. The Moon can therefore help to direct you in your day-to-day life as an ever present guide and reminder of the larger wheel of time that you’re a part of. 

‘Attuning to the Moon’ can help you become tuned into the natural ebb and flow of your energies. 

Each phase of the lunar cycle brings with it different energies. 

The New Moon is a time to slow down and begin to prepare for a new cycle - a time to write and set new intentions for what we hope to achieve and look forward to during the new cycle. 

The Waxing Moon phase is a time to be getting things done and working on our intentions.

The Full Moon is then a time for completion and tying up any loose ends before spending time during the Waning Moon phase reviewing and reflecting in preparation for the lunar cycle to begin again. 

The 8 Moon Phases

During each lunar month there are eight key moon phases. Each phase is like a checkpoint to keep us on track during our journey. Each phase helps us to focus on the ebb and flow of energy, from the high energy during a Full Moon to the waxing and waning energies throughout the cycle. 

By working alongside this cosmic energy we can become more attuned to the Moon and our own inner emotions and connections. The link below will look in more detail at intention setting and reflection during each of the moons phases to help you to become more in tune to cyclical living. 

Within a lunar month (the time from one New Moon to the next) the Moon moves through each of the twelve zodiac signs, staying in each one for around 2-2.5 days. 

It does not matter what your zodiac sign is, everyone is affected by both the New Moon and the Full Moon every month.

However, each sign of the zodiac has a differing influence, bringing with it different energies that emphasise different aspects of ourselves. Each of the twelve zodiac signs fall into four different elements, air, water, earth and fire and each of the signs are either a cardinal, fixed or mutable sign. 

Everyone has both a sun and moon sign, each sign making up the foundations of your personality. Follow the link to find out in more detail how the moon and the zodiac effects you, how it can help you with your New Moon intention setting and what it means when the Full Moon and New Moon is in each zodiac sign. 

Not only does the Moon Calendar mark each moon phase throughout the year it also includes the Pagan Wheel of The Year around the centre. 

There are eight Pagan/Wiccan holidays known as Sabbats - celebrated around the world. 

They are seasonal celebrations representing the cycle of birth, death and rebirth whilst also being based on the Earth’s rotations and seasonal markers. 

The Pagan seasonal cycle is known as the Wheel of the Year celebrating nature’s life cycles.

The Sabbats are split into two categories, four ‘Greater Sabbats’ which are known as ‘Earth Festivals’ or ‘Moon Sabbats’ - Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain. 

Then four ‘Lesser Sabbats’, the points in the solar calendar that represent the beginning of each season - Spring and Autumn Equinox and Summer and Winter Solstice. 

Just as there are no beginnings or endings in nature, the wheel is cyclical and never stops turning. 

The themes of the Sabbats have many similarities to other religious celebrations and seasonal festivals. The reason for this is that Paganism predates many religions and influenced their development. 

The eight Sabbats are roughly spaced out every 7-8 weeks across the year. 

Hit the link to find out in more detail how the Wheel of the Year works, what it means and where to find it on your calendar.