A Guide to Moon Journaling for Sacred Self Care
journaling, manifestation, self care, spirituality
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I love looking at the moon; it’s one of those things that never fails to amaze me each and every time I look up at it.
Not only because it’s beautiful, but because I am in constant awe at its powerful effects over us here on earth. Yet it’s something that so many people are disconnected with, despite how influential it is in our lives.
Which is why I love moon journaling so much – it’s an act of sacred self care that helps us to restore this connection to the moon and its influence on us in a simple way.
Did you know that the moon influences our bodies and emotions, much in the same way that it affects the rise and fall of the tides?
Maybe you’ve noticed this influence firsthand. Or maybe you’re intrigued about exploring this influence and how this knowledge can help you to heal, grow and manifest to a greater extent.
But one thing’s for sure, this is precisely why we should all be paying more attention to power of the moon!
One of the ways in which we can connect more to the moon is by moon journaling. This is a ritual that has been part of my personal practice for over 4 years now.
This is a super easy activity that comes with powerful benefits, and I believe it’s one of the simplest (and budget friendly!) ways that we can all deepen our connection to the Universe and our spiritual nature.
I’ve created this post as a simple guide to get you started with moon journaling, so that you can experience its benefits firsthand.
So if you’re curious about exploring a moon journaling practice then keep reading to find out everything you need to get started.
This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure.
WHAT IS MOON JOURNALING?
To put it simply, moon journaling is the practice of writing or creating journal entries based around the moon cycle and the moon phases.
In my eyes, it takes all the benefits and practices of a regular solid journaling practice (including self reflection, gratitude, intention setting and affirmations) and combines it with the powerful influence of the moon phases.
So, in other words, it’s like a supercharged journaling practice. It has the potential to bring even more benefits to journaling simply by aligning to the current energy of the Universe.
My Virgo New Moon journal entry from 2021. All moon journal spreads featured in this post are my own!
THE BENEFITS OF MOON JOURNALING
For me personally, there have been so many benefits to moon journaling that I’ve experienced firsthand. One of the biggest has been my success with manifestation.
And when I’ve shared this practice with others they’ve been blown away too.
Some of my favourite and most notable benefits of moon journaling are:
- Feeling a deeper connection with the universe: following the cycles of the moon helps you feel more connected to something much bigger than yourself!
- Tracking patterns in your mind, body and spirit: moon journaling allows you to observe how your thoughts and emotions change with the moon phases and can help you understand yourself better!
- Aligning your menstrual cycle with the moon: did you know that most women bleed with either the new moon or the full moon? Moon journaling can help you to sync your body up with the moon for healthier menstruation!
- Supercharging the powers of manifestation and the Law of Attraction: particular phases of the moon serve as opportunities to increase your strength of your intentions! We’ll get into this more later…
HOW TO START A MOON JOURNAL
So with that being said, how can you start your own moon journaling practice?
Starting a moon journal is actually very easy if you follow the guidance in this post.
There are only a few essential tools you need and things to learn before you can be well on your way to exploring moon journaling for yourself.
WHAT YOU NEED TO START A MOON JOURNAL
Thankfully, moon journaling doesn’t have to be an expensive practice. It’s accessibility is one of the reasons why I can so confidently recommend it to so many people.
In fact, this practice can be as simple or as complex as you make it, likewise as cheap or as extravagant as you desire.
With that being said, there are a few tools and items that I would recommend to help you get started with moon journaling. For example…
1. A lunar calendar
The first step to moon journaling is getting in touch with the phases of the moon. Therefore some kind of lunar calendar is a must.
In fact, you’ll find that even this step alone can help increase your connectivity to the moon and make you feel more aligned.
The moon phases differ slightly depending on your geographical location and you can either use an app or a physical calendar to track this.
I recommend a physical calendar because it’s a nice excuse to get some beautiful home decor up. And I personally find it more easily accessible.
My own printable lunar calendar has been an Etsy bestseller for three years running (and I’m banking on a fourth!)
So naturally I had to bring it back to you for 2023 – you can shop the latest version here, worldwide.
It can be blown up and used as a poster or added to the front of your moon journal as an easy reference.
Plus it also includes the astrological signs that the full and new moons fall in so you can practise more targeted manifestation and growth rituals.
2. A moon journal
Next, you’ll want to purchase a moon journal.
Ideally, this journal should be used exclusively for moon journaling and any other journals should be kept separate. This helps to ensure that your moon journal remains focused and intentional!
You can use any plain journal if you like, and even decorate it yourself. Or you can buy a journal that is specifically designed for moon journaling. That’s up to you!
Here are some great options of moon journals to help you get started…
This moon journal by Sandy Sitron is beautifully illustrated and set out for daily moon journaling! It is perfect for beginners because of the guidance it offers in the form of affirmations, rituals and journal exercises!
This beautiful journal contains lined paper with space to write the date and the moon phase when journaling. It also features affirmations and the paper is safe for burning, which is perfect for full moon letting go rituals!
This is more of a simplistic moon journal, which is well suited for those who want to be more creative with their own designs. There is the option of plain pages, ruled, graphed or dotted giving you full control over the look of your journal! Another feature that I love is the option to personalise the first page of the journal with your name and favourite quote for that signature touch.
If you want a blank journal to add your own creative spin to then this is the journal for you. It comes in a ton of different colours with a durable hardcover and blank pages waiting to be filled however you like.
3. A pen
With your journal in hand, you’re going to want some tools to write with.
I would personally always advise on using a pen rather than a pencil to journal as I believe the permanence is a factor which increases the connection you will feel.
Any pen can be used, but if you want to keep the theme going here are some adorable moon inspired pens!
Optional extras
Here are a few other moon journaling items that I think are helpful when starting your practice…
This moonology book is one of my favourites for moon journaling, which is why I feature it in the best spiritual books of all time. The book describes each moon phase in detail and rituals, affirmations and visualisations you can do to connect with each phase! It’s perfect to have alongside your moon journal to give you a helping hand when you don’t know what to write about.
These moon phase affirmation cards are a great addition to moon journaling because they feature reflective affirmations for each phase of the lunar cycle. They’re perfect for placing in your journal to take on the go when you need extra prompting.
My mini botanical moon phase stickers are perfect for adding to your moon journal when you want a simple way to track the moon phase tied to your journal entries. I love using these when I just want to write a journal entry rather than get super creative with my designs.
My New Moon Tarot Spreads and Full Moon Tarot Spreads can help you use the primary moon phases for further self discovery and guidance from the Universe.
THE FOCUS OF EACH MOON PHASE
Now that you’ve got the basics you need to get started with moon journaling, it’s time to get into the juice. What do you actually write about in your moon journal?
Well, each moon phase comes with its own energies.
The best way to connect to these energies is to tailor the focus of your journal entry to the phase that is occurring.
In this section I’ve summarised all of the phases of the moon cycle for you, complete with a couple of moon phase journal prompts and affirmations you can use to help you write your journal entries.
The New Moon
The new moon is associated with new beginnings.
If you’re working with the law of attraction, this is the perfect time to set new intentions for the month ahead. It is also a good time for inspiration and new ideas.
Questions: Where am I stuck? What is something that I would like to manifest?
Affirmation: Tonight, my soul will make room for all that is to come
The Waxing Crescent
The Waxing Crescent is a time to narrow down your visions and get a clear picture of what you need to do going forward.
This is a good time to collect new information about your intentions and get in touch with your confidence and ability to manifest.
Questions: What can I do to work towards my intention? Where are my intentions being blocked?
Affirmation: I remove the things I do not need to make room for the new
The First Quarter
This is the time to take action!
The first quarter is all about actively taking the steps towards your intention.
This is a good time to meditate on your intention and step out of your comfort zone to overcome challenges.
Questions: How have I been taking action towards my goals? What can I do to improve this?
Affirmation: I am completely committed to my intention
The Waxing Gibbous
The waxing gibbous encourages you to place your faith in the universe and trust in its ability to provide you with what you need!
Practice feeling your desires coming true and continue taking any actions you need to manifest them.
Questions: How does it feel to have my dreams come into reality? What is working well for me?
Affirmation: I am in perfect alignment with the universe
The Full Moon
This phase is when the moon is at its fullest with the strongest of energies!
This is the time to release all that is no longer serving you and open yourself up to receiving everything you have been working towards.
This is the perfect time to practice gratitude and to engage in full moon rituals!
Questions: What can I let go of at this time? What am I grateful for?
Affirmation: I release all that does not serve me
Related post: How to Create Your Own Unique Full Moon Ritual
The Waning Gibbous
The waning gibbous is a time to reflect.
You’ve been working hard to move towards your intentions and now is the time to take a step back and turn inward.
Use this time to meditate and think about how you can move forward with ease.
Questions: What have I enjoyed about this moon cycle? How can I take care of myself better?
Affirmation: I love and accept myself unconditionally
The Third Quarter / The Last Quarter
This is a good time for letting go of the previous moon cycle.
Use your reflections to think about what knowledge you can use going forward and what can be left behind.
During this time you should not start any new projects or commitments.
Questions: What have I learned during this moon cycle? What habits can I change going forward?
Affirmation: Each day I am growing and getting wiser
The Waning Crescent
This is the last phase of the moon cycle and signifies things coming to an end.
This is a time to clear your energy and focus on bringing more positivity into your life to enter the new cycle.
Tie up any loose ends that are likely to hold you back and practice self care to recharge.
Questions: What can I do to raise my vibration? How do I feel about the previous moon cycle?
Affirmation: I rest in the knowledge that all is well
CUSTOMISE YOUR MOON JOURNAL PRACTICE
One of my favourite things about my moon journal practice is that it’s a chance for me to get creative and have my own little ritual.
Some of my favourite things to include to customise my moon journal entries are:
- Astrological insights: information about the moon’s energy based on the zodiac sign it’s in, as well as how the moon phase is interacting with my individual natal chart
- Personal intentions: what I’m working on and striving to manifest (usually based on the astrological insights!)
- Tarot spreads: summaries of the cards I’ve pulled and what they mean
- Affirmations: words that help me align to what I’m personally working on
- Gratitude: reflecting on what I am feeling blessed for during that cycle
- My own creative touch: I also love adding little doodles and stickers from my shop to make my journal spreads look pretty!
From this post you should now have a good starting point of what to write for each moon phase, with a couple of journal prompts and an affirmation to work with for each phase.
I hope that these tips will provide you with some ideas to get started with moon journaling.
Remember, there are no rules when it comes to moon journaling. So I’d really encourage you to get creative and have fun creating your journal entries.
And if you’ve used this guide to get started then I’d love to see your journal entries! Just send me an email at esther@throughthephases.com!
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