Happy NEW Moon and New Year Sage Friends! This is the first New Moon of the year, and as you know from past blog posts, we at Sacred Land Sage honor a new year for as long as we can (well beyond Jan.1), and with as many meaningful rituals over a New Year Season; two months between new moons. (Especially when moving on from last year is critical, as it is for so many of us.) Plus, manifesting anything new naturally takes intention and time.
Here in the shop, many views and traditions are represented, including the date a new year begins. For some, the new year started on Winter Solstice of last year. For others, tomorrow; the first day after the first new moon of the year. For others, it’s all about spring so either Feb or March is where at new year is at. We like it all, and suggest that you, like us, take your sweet time, and keep honoring your journey!
No matter when you celebrate- if you need to restock sages, we’ve curated a special IN with the NEW Sage and Crystal smudge kit with lots of special goodies and intention candles for you. Find it in either shop.
NEW YEAR SEASON (And why we celebrate over 2months)
I’ve talked about the basis here and here. In a nutshell, the reasons are:
1) Taking time for ceremony is taking time for us; We need as much meaningful ritual in our lives as we can possibly create;
2) Goals, intentions, and resolutions “stick” best when we think about them often for 30-60 days, and;
3) We are talking about our life here; we are worth taking several months to rest, regroup, rest, try things out, and start fresh. It’s winter after all; time for post-holiday rejuvenation. Taking our time and celebrating more reduces stress and can be downright fun!
I see it every year, stressed clients and friends bemoaning around January 1: ”The holidays leave me exhausted; my pivot from last year is taking me longer since so much happened’, or ‘I need more time to to grieve, figure out what’s next.”
So I share here our New Year Season; dates we honor at Sacred Land Sage, for release, seeding intentions, and inviting blessings. And we joyfully give you permission to DO YOUR OWN THING! The advice I give everyone is that basically, January 1 is an artificial construct by a guy named Pope Gregory from around ce 1582. And, Yes, while our work, projects, or others fiscal deadlines may revolve around this Gregorian date of Jan 1, (or other dates), Your personal life DOES NOT need to consider this; you can follow your own timelines and set your own key dates!
Give yourself some breathing room on when and how you transition from one year to another; let go of the cultural norms and expectations around January 1. Take all the time you need to honor your journey, to celebrate your LIFE, your progress, and your needs. Period. Our rituals should not be rushed. And so we call this our New Year Season filled with rituals between 2 moons, Jan – Feb.
A suggested timeline for New Year rituals can be anywhere from Dec. 21 Equinox to Mar Equinox. So basically now through spring. Feel better? For more detail on these dates and why they matter- see previous posts.
Lunar-Solar New Years
The Lunar New Year: for most of the world’s population including cultures in the East and North, a New year is Soli-Lunar-based from long-lived ancient practices linked to the agrarian calendar and seasons. A new year for most Asian Countries, like Chinese New Year or Tibetan Losar, begins the day after the new moon and marks the end of winter. Honoring a season of change, after the earth begins its winter thaw and before spring, makes so much sense and is highly appealing to us as sage planters and growers.
So here at Sacred Land sage, we recommend honoring this important time of year- a New Year- over at least 4 weeks, with three distinct cycles involving: Releasing the old, Setting new aims/ intentions, and Manifesting new outcomes– all created to honor your life. (See dates below). Key dates are timed with solar and lunar events, specifically, the solstice, and new moons of Jan., Feb., & March. Such timing only adds power and gravitas to your saging ceremony!
Lunar- Solar Power. As well, during these three months, beyond the basic lunar changes, we have seasonal
events, a super moon, and Lunar and Solar eclipses- all of which serve to magnify or augment your intentions and practices. This is such a powerful time! To time your rituals with the position of the Earth with the Sun (equinoxes & solstices), and the cycles of the changing Moon (new, full, and waxing/waning) simply times your ritual with greater forces. I’m a believer that we all get a lot more help when timing our work with the pull and push of celestial bodies in the skies above. We all know how the moon affects our ocean tides, our bodies, activities, and our moods. To pay attention to seasonal and lunar events is to me, where the science meets the magic; in our smudge bowl where we can pair up the connections we can’t see (Heaven/ Spirit/ Energy) with those we can (the earth blessings and sage in our smudge bowls), all swirling together with our own Qi and Prana in our breath of Intention.
Key dates for the 2021 New Year season: PST, San Francisco
Setting Intentions/ Goals/ Resolutions/ Aims/ Planting ideas
New Moons:
Jan 12 – (pm PST)
Feb 11 (11:05p) PST Lunar New Year begins on Feb 12 (Losar 2/12-2/26)
Mar 13 (2:21a) PST
Creating conditions for our Intentions to germinate and sprout (The First Quarter moons) through the growth, augmenting, and expansion into fruition (the Full Moon):
Waxing Moon through the Full Moon
Jan 13- Jan 28 Full Moon
Feb 12- Feb 27 Full Moon
Mar 14- Mar 28 Full Moon
Time for Introspection/ Review/ Release of the old, outdated, and negative. Cleaning House literally and figuratively; simplifying to create space for the new. Times of release during waning cycles start after the full moon through the 3rd quarter moon, up to the New Moon again.
Waning moon cycle- before New Moon
Jan 29-Feb 11
Feb 28- Mar 12
Mar 29- April 10
For many, the few days before the full moon are important times for ceremonies about manifestation: of our intentions, of abundance, and favorable circumstances. Many will time intentional ceremonies in the days before the moon’s hour of fullness, stopping promptly when the sun and moon are in perfect and opposite alignment. For others, it’s the day past the New Moon that holds all of the power and magic; first of incubation. And then of planting and sprouting new seeds followed by 2 weeks of expansion for growth and nurturing. This is all personal, so experiment with both and Have Fun!
Thank you for reading and following! May your 2021 be SO insanely filled with HEALTH, Beauty, LOVE, and Blessings of Joy, Community, and Abundance Whew- we all need it!
See our IN with the NEW Sage and Crystal Smudge Kit in the Etsy shop here.
Sacred Land Sage 