Manifesting & Healing with Lunar Energy + Moon Decks & Books (Podcast Ep. 38 Blog)
This blog goes along with Healing Thru Tarot Podcast Ep. 38: Manifesting and Healing with Lunar Energy + Moon Decks and Books. In this blog, I’ll discuss healing and manifesting with lunar energy throughout all the different moon phases, and I’ll review the Queen of the Moon Oracle by Stacey Demarco along with her book, The Enchanted Moon: The Ultimate Book of Lunar Magic. And I will share a custom 9 card spread on moon manifestation to help you connect with the moon and find out how to use this energy to your advantage. Plus, I'll cover some of my favorite tarot and oracle decks that feature the moon that are great for working with lunar energy.
I published an episode in 2020 on Moon Magic with the Tarot – It’s Ep. 10 where I talked about new and full moons and moon decks. Check that out if this is a topic that interests you. I wanted to revisit this topic because I’ve learned so much information about the moon phases and progressed moons in the 2 years since that episode aired. So, this episode is a more advanced discussion on the topic. There’s lots to cover, so let’s jump right in.
Every time I think how big this world is, I’m always reminded that we look upon the same sun and moon each day and night. Each night every human lays their head down to sleep under the same bright, gorgeous moon as me. It’s something that connects us all. Gazing at the moon helps me feel connected to everything – not just my fellow humans but to the universe as a whole. It helps us put things into perspective. Moon gazing is the best isn’t it? Just think - all our ancestors looked up at the same moon and had some of the same thoughts, dreams, and questions about life as we do now. There really is more that binds us than separates us.
Photo: The Moon from The Light Seers Tarot
The more you research the moon and its effects on us, the more you realize how beneficial moon energy can be when harnessing this energy, especially when boosting our healing and manifesting abilities. That’s why I wanted to dedicate a whole episode to working with lunar energy.
Whenever I’m looking at starting a project or launching a project on a specific date, one of the first things I look at is the astrology of the moment. I look to see which planets are in retrograde (especially mercury), and most importantly I’m looking to see if there are any eclipses occurring around that time or a powerful new or full moon that needs to be considered. And of course I check the void-of-course moon times as well.
This is important for any project or business launching dates. The void course moon is a period of time before the moon moves into a new zodiac sign. During this time there are no planetary aspects, and it’s sort of a rest period when it is not advised to start new projects, launch anything, or take action. This energy can feel like a brain fog. So, it’s helpful to know these time periods during the week which could last a few hours or a full day. You can find these times online for each day/week. Just navigate around these times when launching anything to avoid delays or stagnant energy. You always want to work with the flow of energy to build up the most momentum you can.
Example of Void Course Moon for month of November 2022
Astro-seek.com has a void course moon calendar that’s easy to use. Once you’re on their site, click moon phase and under that tab you will see the void course moon calendar for any year. If you have the 2022 Writual planner Sheila included the void course moon calendar in the back of the planner making it so easy for us to track it when planning out our year. Make note of when the VOC starts and ends and try not to launch anything during that period.
Progressed Moon Cycles
I just learned about progressed Moon Cycles this year, and I’m fascinated by them. When looking at your progressed moon cycle, we’re looking to see the energy cycle you’re currently in and where you’ll be moving to in the future. This helps us with predictions of how your energy will be best spent during those times. Each cycle in each sign lasts 29 months (2.5 years) – moving 1 degree per month. It’s noticeable when our moon cycle changes zodiac signs, so you may feel this happening in your life when it occurs.
When charting the progressed moon, I always find it helpful to look at the past cycle that was just completed, the one you are currently in, and the next cycle or two you will be shifting into. This helps you determine which goals to set, how to use your time and energy wisely and it helps you understand why things are occurring the way they are in your life. It helps to make sense of it all so that it isn’t confusing or overwhelming. I find that the more that we understand why things are happening, the easier it is for us to align with the energy and not fight against it, which often makes things more uncomfortable for us.
To determine our progressed moon, we use our birthtime and date. There are calculators online to help with this. The moon cycle always goes in order around the zodiac wheel staring with aries, then taurus, gemini, cancer and so on. And it shifts every 2.5 years. I’m going to walk you through an example of my progressed moon from 2017 through 2025 to help you see what type of information we can learn from this process.
Example of Progressed Moon
Between December 2017 and June 2020 I was in the Gemini moon cycle which is an air sign. During this cycle, it is expected that your energy is increased, and your attention can easily switch from topic to topic. Your communication skills increase in every way, and you’ll be drawn to studying or writing. Now what’s interesting about this, is that I started writing my fictional divination book series, The Divining Sisters, during this time.
I first participated in Nanowrimo in November 2019 which is a national writers month competition where you write 50,000 words in one month. I had started researching divination a few years before that while still in this gemini moon cycle as well, and I started writing the first book in September 2019 and I haven’t stopped writing since. So this stands out to me when I see that I was in a Gemini moon cycle here. I wrote about 200,000 words in the series from Fall 2019 to summer 2020.
And gemini is all about writing, studying and communicating. Also, I got my first tarot deck in March 2018 and studied intensely for the next 2-3 years. So, all of this fits for this Gemini Air energy. I also started my podcast, Healing Thru Tarot, during the summer of 2020 when I was wrapping this air moon cycle up.
Then I moved into a Cancer moon cycle in Summer of 2020. This is a water energy cycle and is quite introverted. During this cycle, you can expect to feel your energy soften. Your home will become important along with your desire to be with family. You may also feel more emotional during this cycle. Here I was home bound because of the quarantine that started in 2020 and has lasted a few years. Being homebound and not working in my private practice like I normally would, has given me time to tap into my creative side more, which I’ve decided to stay with even after the pandemic. And in the podcast I chronicle my healing journey, which definitely taps into my more emotional side, especially as we tackle shadow work. I also published my first novel in the summer of 2022 during this creative water phase.
Photo: Ace of Wands (Fire) from The Light Seers Tarot
I'm moving into a new cycle now starting in late Oct. 2022 and lasting thru Jan 2025 – this will be in Leo which is fire energy. During that cycle, I can expect my energy to be heightened. It’s a great time to study and learn about yourself. You’re encouraged to give yourself permission to shine. This is a perfect time for creative projects. I will be continuing to write on my book series, and this leo energy will be great for marketing my first book since leo energy is helpful for putting yourself out there and promoting yourself.
So, this gives you an idea of how you can chart your progressed moon and see how the change in cycles impacts your goals, what you are focusing on, and what you’re launching at those times. To find your progressed moon, I suggest Astro-seek.com again – once on their site, hover over the free horoscopes tab and click on secondary progression and you’ll see the progressed moon calendar – click on that and type in your birth information. You can choose certain filters before running the chart so choose a few years back and that will show you your past, present and future cycles, and leave the tab set for all 12 zodiac signs and the default of placidus for the house system – progressed moon calculator link
Here is a description of the progressed moon cycle through the 12 zodiac signs so you can see what energies, focal points, and interests to expect when you land in a particular zodiac sign for your moon cycle. This information comes from Debra Silverman, an astrologer who specializes in progressed moon cycles. For more of her information on progressed moons, you can look here.
Phases of the Moon
Let’s take a look at the different phases of the moon. It has been proven that the phases of the moon impact and influence our emotions, our sleep, as well as the ocean tides. For millennia, wise elders, witches, and healers used the energy of the moon for divination, spells, prayers, healing, to heighten intuition and psychic abilities and for setting intentions. There are 8 phases of the moon, but they can be grouped into 4 basic stages that most of us know the New Moon, Waxing Moon (growing), Full Moon And Waning Moon (fading). We’ll take a look at all 8 phases for this blog.
In this moon phase section, I’ll be presenting information from the Moon Spells book by Diane Ahlquist and The Enchanted Moon book from Stacey Demarco that I will review in detail at the end of this blog. Photos in this section are from Stacey's Queen of the Moon Oracle that I review later in the blog.
First we’ll start with the New Moon - The new moon is the first phase of the lunar cycle. It starts when the moon is invisible in the sky, which lasts 1 day and is known as the dark moon because it rests between the Sun and the Earth. On the following days, the moon slowly begins to appear in the sky. During a new moon, it’s best to use this time to reflect and turn inward for introspection and rest. This gives you an opportunity to make a fresh start and set some intentions for goals you want to accomplish over the month for the full lunar cycle since this is the first day of the lunar cycle. Some people cast spells on this day and others say to set your intention for the spell and gather materials for spells. When setting intentions, use language that is present tense not future oriented. Write “I am” not “I want or I will.” Imagine already having the things you desire. New moons are powerful times for healing as well.
The Waxing Crescent Moon phase starts 3 days after the New Moon. Here, we begin to see a sliver of the moon in the sky. This phase provides energy that is best for abundance, prosperity, and money spells because this energy is growing and expanding. Focus on growing your business, and on your financial and educational goals during this time. Charge your moon water here as well.
First Quarter – the first quarter moon phase begins around 7 days after the New Moon. Here focus on abundance, growth, and healing as this moon continues to enlarge. Focus on what you want to grow and attract in your life. Take the time to treat your body well during this time with plenty of self-love and self-care.
The Waxing Gibbous moon phase starts the 10th day after the New Moon and goes until the 13th day after it. It’s best to rest at this time and let the universe do its work. Plan your next move by organizing your tools and getting ready for the full moon. This is a gestation period so pull back here.
The Full Moon occurs 14 days after the New Moon. This represents the culmination of everything you initiated during the Waxing Moon phase. This is the perfect time for spellwork, divination, rituals, and taking action on your goals and desires because you will see impactful results at this time of the full energy of the moon. If you had to pick one day for a spell it would be on the full moon. That’s why we often see full moons depicted in spell scenes where witches are working their magic. Dreams may be more vivid at this time, and psychic abilities may be heightened here as well. Always take full advantage of the full moon’s energy each month. It’s such a powerful time. The full moon can be draining and overwhelming. Definitely rest the few days afterward and spend time on renewing your energy as well and drink extra water. Take a crystal bath or salt bath to help cleanse your body and refresh your energy.
The Waning Gibbous Moon phase occurs on the 3rd day after the Full moon and goes until the 7th day. This is the perfect time to release, surrender, and eliminate negative/toxic energies because the moon grows smaller each night. Therefore, the energy is reducing. Let go of anything that blocks your goals, limits you, or holds you back like bad habits, obstacles, and negative thoughts or beliefs. Here you can perform a banishing spell or a cord cutting ritual to send the message that you are through with these energetic drains.
The Last Quarter moon phase occurs on the 7th day after the full moon until the 10th day afterwards. This energy can help you complete the process of cleansing yourself of negative energies. If any toxic energy still lingers after the full moon, you can complete this process. Tie up loose ends here of any current deals/projects. Spend time on renewing your energy as well.
The Waning Crescent Moon is the last phase of the moon cycle, occurring from the 10th day after the full moon until the night before the new moon. This is a time to reflect on this past lunar cycle to see what you accomplished and what you may need to carry over into the next lunar cycle to work on. This is not a time to start a project or make big moves or decisions.
My Moon Rituals
I tend to work the most with full and new moons because they are great times of the month to check in with yourself to see how you are feeling and to assess your progress on goals you set for the month. It’s also a perfect time to journal about your feelings, your outlook on your life currently, and what you would like to change or draw toward you at that moment. New Moons are big resets for the month and here we can readjust if there are things we need to tweak along the way. It’s a time to course correct.
Meditation is perfect at this time to help you connect with yourself and the universe. So unplug from the noisy world and spend some quiet time checking in. I love to pull cards for each new and full moon as well. I have a ritual where I pull my new moon or full moon spread from my own spread ebook, A spread for all seasons, and after interpreting my spread I use that to help set intentions for that moon phase. This helps to align me with the energies of the moon, which I use to help boost my manifestations and intentions. It’s best to work with this energy and not against it. And I always use this energy to boost my healing as well. I’ve recently started working with moonstone, which is a great crystal for enhancing intuition. I use it when reading cards now.
Moon Deck Reviews
Now I’d like to share some moon oracles and tarot decks with you to help you incorporate the moon into your divinatory practice.
The Moonology Oracle cards are great for advice and timing. These cards help to determine if you’re on the right track, if relationships are shifting, or if a project is gaining steam or losing energy with the waxing or waning moons. I love that this deck has a card for the new and full moons in each zodiac sign, which gives you specific guidance on the issue you’re asking about as well as teaching you about the different zodiac energies. You can even read the description for each of these moons if you just want to know how to work with the energy of that new or full moon in your healing work, your creative or work projects, or with manifesting your intentions and goals.
The Moonology deck also includes cards for special moons like a super moon or blue moon as well as eclipses. I use this deck in my moon readings each month, in year ahead spreads where I pull 1 card per season to get a flavor of those 3 months and when I have a question related to timing. The cards can help you determine if your answer will come quickly or slowly.
The Queen of the Moon Oracle Review
My newest moon deck is the Queen of the Moon Oracle by Stacey Demarco. I love her decks. She also created the Halloween Oracle, which is one of my favorites. Rockpool Publishing sent over the Queen of the Moon Oracle for me to work with and review for this lunar episode.
This deck is perfect for this topic of working with lunar energy because this deck has cards for each phase of the moon, and the cards tell us how to work with that phase. I love that you can learn the energy of each phase of the moon by reading the guidebook in order through a full lunar cycle. You could pull that card out and work with it that day. So, here we are using the deck to learn about lunar work as well as an oracle deck if you want to pull cards randomly for messages. I like when decks have multiple uses. This is set up really nicely for that purpose. It’s very educational and tremendously useful if you’re wanting to incorporate more moon manifestation in your practice like I do.
I love that the card backs have the full lunar cycle represented. And if you look closely at each oracle card, they reflect the moon phase in the corner of the image. We start out with a dark moon and then we see that small sliver of moon light appearing in the next few cards, and that sliver grows each day until we hit the full moon. And after that phase, the image shrinks to represent the waning moon energy.
This is a perfect representation of the phases we experience each month and helps us visualize the changes, which I think helps us learn the information on a deeper level. It always helps me to see things visually. Working with this deck has really helped me connect with the moon’s energy and monthly transformation in a much deeper way. And I feel like it has boosted my manifesting abilities, too. I also use the moon phases for healing, and I feel it has helped boost that healing work as well. The overall look of this deck is beautiful. The colors keep a deep dark blue color palette throughout with very dreamy, etheral imagery. The moon represents our subconscious, so this dreamlike state reflects that theme nicely.
The Full moon card in this deck is powerful. The image of the moon here moves to the center of the card instead of just the corner and is very enlarged to signify the moon at the peak of its power, energy, and influence. This is a great card to display during each full moon to amplify the energy of your moon rituals and intention setting sessions.
This Queen of the Moon Oracle has 44 cards – one card for each phase of the moon for the month, plus a few cards for the seasonal moon types such as the Hunter moon, Harvest Moon, and Snow Moon. The Wolf Moon card is exceptionally gorgeous in this deck with a wolf howling at the giant, majestic full moon. The guidebook gives us a description for each moon phase, how to work with that energy, suggestions for rituals, a message for that card, and each card is paired with a crystal, which is a nice touch to help give us more ideas on how to channel this energy and use it in our daily lives. Thanks to Rockpool Publishing for sending over Stacey Demarco’s Queen of the Moon Oracle deck for me to review.
The Deviant Moon Tarot
While we’re talking about moon focused decks, I want to briefly talk about the Deviant Moon Tarot. I reviewed this deck already and featured it heavily in Ep. 33 Shadow Work Pt. 1: Delving into the Shadow. This is a deck I often use for new and full moon readings and shadow work. And that’s because the moon card in the tarot represents the shadow, the subconscious, hidden fears, repressed emotions, illusions, and our intuition.
The deviant moon tarot revolves around the moon. So, it’s a perfect deck to explore our shadow selves and to connect with lunar energy. And I love how the creator, Patrick Valenza, uses the moon phases in the card imagery to signal the awareness of the figures in the cards and how the size of the moon signals the impact the moon has on the figures. When reading with this deck, pay close attention to where the moon is, where the moonlight lands, how large the moon is, how close to the figure the moon is, and if the moonlight touches the figure or illuminates any part of them in the image.
Patrick uses the moon images to convey the transformations taking place within the characters, the struggle between their conscious and unconscious minds, and how they ultimately grow from their experiences with their shadow selves. Check that deck out if you really want to dive into moon energy with your tarot work.
The Enchanted Moon
Rockpool Publishing sent over Stacey Demarco’s book, The Enchanted Moon: The Ultimate Book of Lunar Magic. I was blown away with all the great suggestions presented in this book. Stacey’s gorgeous book teaches us how to tune into our bodies to discover how the moon cycles and phases impact our bodies, sleep, mood, fertility cycles, and diet.
Did you know that the moon phase you were born during has an impact on you throughout life? I was fascinated to learn that I was born under a Waning Crescent moon. Stacey says that knowing this lunar return is important to pinpoint when we are at our highest peak of energy physically and mentally. To find out your birth moon phase just google the moon phase on your birthdate and year for the location of your birth. Stacey encourages us to keep a moon journal of the moon phase and our mood, sleep, behaviors, and physical symptoms to learn how the moon impacts all areas of our life.
Did you know it’s best to start a new diet right after a full moon and not a new moon? She says to do it when the moon is waning so that it takes the extra fluid with the waning energy. This will result in more weight lost. And it’s best to exercise during waxing moons due to increased energy. Stacey also makes a point to explain that all moon phases are magical. I love how she breaks things down and helps us understand how to make any moon phase impactful, powerful, and productive. It just takes some tweaking of spells and intentions to tailor them to the moment. You don’t have to wait until the next new or full moon anymore. Make any moon phase work for you to incorporate practical magic into your life on a daily basis.
I didn’t realize we could use the ocean tides for manifesting and spellwork until I read Stacey Demarco’s book. I’m definitely adding the ocean tide work to my practice to boost my manifesting abilities. Stacey provides moon meditations, moon rituals, and suggestions for how to bring moon magic into your daily life through gardening, fertility, crystals, etc. She provides recipes and spells for making moon water, potions, elixirs, and juju bags under the different moon phases. She pairs crystals with each phase as well to help guide us on boosting our moon work. Pick up a copy of Stacey Demarco’s The Enchanted Moon for all these lunar energy tips plus much more.
How To Make Moon Water
You may have heard about it but might not realize how easy it is to make it. All you have to do is leave a jar of water outside over night or on a window seal to soak up the energy of the moon. This can be done in any moon phase. However, the new and full moons are the most common times. There are so many ways you can use moon water in your daily life to boost the energy of your spells and rituals, self-care practices, cleaning and more.
You can use a bit of this water to anoint your tools and your altars, and to cleanse your crystals and spell materials. You can add essential oils like peppermint to clean and eliminate negative energies. You can add the water to your bath or foot bath by combining it with Epsom salt or in a vase with flowers. You can dab a few drops on your forehead to anoint your third eye and increase you intuition or add to your vision board to amplify your intentions and goals. This also works the same way with your art or creative projects. You can even cook with it to add a touch of magic to your meal.
Add the moon water to your herbal tea and set intentions when sipping it. Add it to a mister to mist your face throughout the day and to water your plants or use it to wash your face. Add the water to a dark bowl and use it to scry. Moon water is amazing in combination with divination. While you charge your water in the moonlight, take the time to charge your tarot and oracle decks and crystals too. Give it a try and find creative ways to add some practical magic to your life.
Moon Manifestation Spread
I will now share with you the 9 card custom spread I created to help us connect with lunar energy. I already have a new moon and a full moon spread included in my spread ebook, A Spread for All Seasons, so I decided to go a different route with this episode’s spread. I created a spread called the Moon Manifestation Spread, and this spread will help us determine what to focus on and manifest with the current phase of the moon, so this can be used with any moon phase you’re currently working with, which means you can use this spread over and over again.
If you want to throw this spread for yourself, I would love to see the photo of your moon manifestation spreads. Please tag me on Instagram @healingthrutarot and please use the hashtag #healingthrutarotmoonmanifestationspread
If you’re looking for a good new moon or full moon spread, check out my spread ebook called A Spread for All Seasons. It’s only $10 and includes 17 custom tarot/oracle spreads covering holidays, the four seasons, full and new moons, mercury retrogrades, eclipses, and weekly and monthly spreads that you can reuse again and again. These are the spreads I use every month of the year. It’s a great deal and covers everything you need for the entire year.
Have a happy halloween and samhain at the end of the month! Check out my Samhain ancestor spread below if you want to connect with your ancestors this month.
If you want to pin my spreads, you can find all my custom spreads under the Healing Thru Tarot Custom Spreads Board.
And if you are looking for a good witchy book for an autumn read my new book series, The Divining Sisters, is perfect for this time of year. Book 1 in the series, The Call of the Cards is available now as an ebook $4.99 and paperback $14.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Find out more details on my novels on my author website author.heatherhardison.com
Launch of my newest spread eBook - Healing Thru Tarot's Shadow Work Spread eBook and Workbook
This eBook contains 20 custom shadow work spreads centered around shadow work and integration of shadow aspects. This workbook guides you through diving into your shadow, identifying and neutralizing triggers, managing self-criticism, and facing deep seated fears. This workbook guides you through integrating your shadow aspects into a whole, healthy version of yourself where you can tap into your greatest potential and live a more authentic life.
These shadow work spreads include the hidden shadow aspects spread, breaking through resistance spread, shadow-related fears, self-deception, and the unconscious motivations spread and many, many more. See the full list of the 20 shadow work spreads below.
If you loved my 3 part shadow work podcast series, then this shadow work eBook will help you dive further into the shadow work needed to take your healing journey to the next level. This is my most in depth spread eBook yet!
You can find this spread eBook on my website healingthrutarot.com for $15. Or click here to purchase.
While you’re there, check out the other 3 spread eBooks I have on healing and mental health spreads and A Spread For All Seasons. Together we can heal thru tarot
Links for topics discussed in this blog:
Debra Silverman's astrology site where she teaches about progressed moons
Books and Decks shown in this blog or recommended: The Deviant Moon, The Enchanted Moon book, The Light Seers Tarot, Moonology Oracle, Moon Spells, Queen of the Moon Oracle
Link to Podcast Episode 38 on Anchor click here
Other relevant Podcast Episodes - Click title to listen
Ep. 10: Moon Magic with Tarot + Magical Gifts Spread
Writual Discount Code & Link for You!
Use my Writual ambassador link here along with my discount code HEALING (all caps) to get 15% off your Writual purchases at checkout. Writual has tarot stamps and stickers, dated and undated tarot journals and planners, including one for kids, lunar planners, tarot resources, tarot decks and tarot-themed mugs, candles, and jewelry so check them out using my link and code!
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