New Moon, New Year, New Decade

January 21st marks the first new moon of the new year and the new

decade. This gives us crazy powerful energy for setting intentions and goals for our next month, year, and decade. There are several ways to do this. I like to choose Tarot and Oracle cards that support my intentions and then set up an altar around them. I will leave my altar up for at least a week so I can really focus my energy.

The first step is to find a quiet time and space to really think about your intentions and goals. You’ve probably been doing this already and have some ideas. If not, it doesn’t matter. Simply asking the Universe to guide you to the right path works just fine.

Next, set up your altar. As you can see in the picture, I have Tarot and Oracle cards on my altar. I chose these cards specifically to help manifest abundance and prosperity as well as to end what I need to and start new things. The Tarot Deck I'm using is The Steampunk Tarot. As you can tell by the pictures, this is a well-loved and used deck. The oracle cards I chose are the Angelarium Oracle which is so damn beautiful and strange. I also have herbs, crystals, and my bamboo pig. Something else I’m using is a beautiful Sacagawea coin that I found while cleaning out an old jewelry box. Feel free to use anything that you like. If you feel like it needs to be on your altar then it does! Below is a brief explanation of the items I'm using and why.

1. Tarot and Oracle Cards-The cards I selected specifically support my wishes coming true. That Is why we see the Nine of Cups in the center of the altar. Remember, there is powerful energy with the new moon, new year, new decade so freaking go big and ask for exactly what you want. We have the ability to manifest some awesome shit right now. Just remember that you must be very specific when manifesting.

2. Crystals-I’m using clear quartz, which is always good to use for a new moon. Really, clear quartz can be used for anything. Then we have citrine. Personally, I like citrine for happiness and positivity, but it also attracts prosperity and abundance which is perfect for my altar. The giant green stone is, well, I’m not sure. I got it several years ago in a rock shop near Zion National Park. I’m pretty sure it’s calcite but I’m not an expert. More than anything, I like the powerful energy it has and I use it for the green color too. Green represents prosperity and abundance and you’ll notice several other green items on the altar.

3. Botanical Items-I have a sunflower for happiness. The cinnamon stick provides protection for my spell as well as being a powerful prosperity attractor, especially when used with cloves which I also have. The star anise has long been used for luck and I know many witches who carry it around with them at all times. I always have some in my wallet as well as mint. Mint has so many magical properties but here I’m using it for prosperity. Lastly, I threw some bay leaves in for manifesting. It's a super-powerful herb that serves many magical purposes.

4. Candles-Green for prosperity and white for new beginnings. I absolutely love candle magic and use it often. As a fire sign, with a fire sign rising and an air moon, I feel like I'm naturally drawn to it.

5. Random shit-Bottle of moon water. Moon water is badass for manifestation spells!

The Sacagawea coin is being used as a visual representation of prosperity. When I found it I knew exactly what I wanted to use it for. The feather is there to help promote change and also to aid in communicating my desires to the Universe. I also have two cute piggies hanging out on my altar. Symbolically pigs are bringers of abundance. They are life givers just like the Sun card so they are the perfect animal guide for my altar! There is a wasps nest piece which represents the hard work I’m willing to put in to manifest what I’m asking for. I really love using things I randomly find in my spells. Lastly, there is the bamboo which is specifically for the new year and good fortune. I bought this last year for New Years and thought it would be ideal for this year’s altar. I’ve included a picture of the tag!

Well all, I truly hope you've enjoyed my altar and that it inspires you to do one of your own. I love doing this for every New Moon. The New Moon is symbolic of new beginnings so it gives me a focal point of how I want to move forward and helps me to look back at how that has changed since the previous month. Setting up an altar for the new moon also helps me go into the moon cycle with a positive attitude and outlook. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to set up your altar. Use whatever you want to, but most importantly, listen to your intuition. Have a beautiful New Moon, New Year, New Decade. See you soon!