A few years ago, while away on a business trip, I got a call that changed my life. From across the wires, I heard a voice say those dreaded words...

I was diagnosed with melanoma, a very scary and dangerous type of skin cancer. Luckily, it was caught early and removed, but the fear of cancer could not be excised nor extracted with the surgery.

I became depressed, lethargic and fearful of going out in the sun. Like a hermit, I retreated from the world and sought the sanctuary of home.

Months passed and I continued to hibernate, fearing to hope for too much, wanting only to be safe. As the new year approached I wondered if I could start the year as I always did…dreaming into and setting intentions for the life I wanted.

But what did I want?

I felt nothing. Numb with despair, I was empty, flat, lifeless. In desperation just to feel again, I sat in mediation, hoping for a way to call myself home. One word came to me from the silence…

Joy.

Tears rolled down my face and I realized how I missed and longed for joy. Would I ever feel joy again with the dark fear of death hanging over me? Perhaps I could have moments of happiness, even laugh and smile…but joy? That deep, internal well of happiness? It seemed so improbable, so impossible…

Reclaiming joy became my only desire for the year. Still fearful of the sun, I marked the slow passage of time by watching the moon. Night time became “my time” and one night while sitting in my garden, I noticed the tiny, white sliver of the moon winking at me. Fascinated, I sat a nightly vigil watching the moon blossom into a bright and radiant orb, only to shrink into the darkness again.

I was mesmerized, captivated. Hope had found its way to my heart again. If the changing moon blossomed into fullness, maybe I could too.

Using the Moon as a Guide

Around that time, I read that women had been using the moon as a guide for 1000’s of years…when we were more connected to ourselves and to the earth, our cycles danced in alignment with the moon, menstruating at the new moon and ovulating at the full moon.

Like the phases of the moon, women are always changing…growing into fullness and turning inwards again, guided by our own inner compass linked to the great orb that influences the tides.

However, in a world that demands that we be “on, ready and available” 24/7, we’ve stopped following this wisdom and instead judge ourselves for not “doing enough” and not “being enough”.  

The moon’s glow reminds us of who we really are…ever-changing and powerful creatures of light. We need our times of emptiness just as we need our times of fullness.

We are not built to always spend “time out” in the world. Our bodies and souls need “time in” too…sacred time to shrink back into our self, to find ourselves, so that we can bloom again.

Journaling Back to Joy

After befriending the moon, I stopped living in the past and wishing that things had turned out differently. Instead I began to honor the present, even with its darkness, as I explored what I truly valued and what I wanted my life to mean.

That first moon journal is a precious keepsake of my inner wisdom and feminine power as I faced one of the bleakest moments of my life. It’s a celebration of how, even during such a low point in my life, I was able to tend to my own inner feminine fire and light the way to find joy again.

How to Create A Moon Journal

You can easily create your own moon journal out of any journal you have. However, my favorite way is to buy a blank sketch book and fill the pages with your bi-moonly journal responses. If you are inspired to draw, paint or write between the moon phases there is plenty of room to add that too.

You can also decorate the cover with images of your dream life or the attributes you want to express in your life. I usually do this at the beginning of the year, after I set my yearly intentions and goals, but you can start at anytime.

Then, as each new and full moon occur, write out the answers to a series of questions. Make this your sacred time. Let your mind relax and feel free to dream big. You might also meditate or do a guided visualization before journaling.

Sacred Journaling

My first moon journal helped me discover both the power of journaling and connecting to my sacred self. It's my hope that it can do the same for you, whether you are facing your darkest moment or just want to get more connected to your own dreams and desires.   

• Clarify goals, dreams and desires
• Honoring the blessings in life
• Feel happier and full of gratitude
• Celebrate and have fun
• Let go of thoughts of actions that do not serve
• Make decisions and take actions
• Rest and enjoy life
• Be present to personal needs and desires
• Be more present and engaged with loved ones
• Ask and get needs met
• Record inner wisdom
• Process nocturnal dreams
• Dream BIG and go after life goals and dreams
• Imagine and embody who you want to be and how you want to feel

Sound intriguing?

If you’d like to make a Moon Journal part of your sacred practices, I invite you to subscribe to my list and each new and full moon you'll receive my newsletter with journal questions to help you focalize your intentions and celebration for the month.

You'll also receive inspiring articles and tips to help you tend your own "feminine fire" and enjoy life with more energy, pleasure and purpose.

This new moon is the perfect time to start! What new dreams and intentions are you seeding today?