The reason I schedule my Kabbalah Meditations at or close to the First Quarter Moon is because of the growth energy that is inherently accessible at that time. The First Quarter Moon asks “Are we there yet? How do we get there? Where is there?’ It has, at its core, an excited anticipation that can carry us forward towards our goals.

The challenge with excited anticipation is that it has the same chemical reaction in the body as fear. Every stimulus in our lives, every sensory input, every thought, creates a chemical reaction in the body. The emotion comes from the physical sensation of that chemical reaction; it is a judgment or opinion, a label. So excited anticipation feels the same in the body as fear or anxiety. We may interpret in a dis-empowering way.

But we can use that energy as a power source to fuel our forward progress, and to blow through blocks. So choosing to go into meditation and ritual at this time can help us take our power back and transcend the potential for fear and resistance. Since my Kabbalah classes are geared towards personal growth on all levels, the First Quarter Moon is the one of the best times to consciously work on forward propulsion.

If you want to create a pattern for yourself, using the cycles of the moon to increase your effectiveness, set your intention at the New Moon. This is the time for planting seeds, deciding to go after new goals, or start a new phase of going after an old goal, and creating new plans. At the First Quarter Moon, evaluate where you are, how far you have gotten. Depending on the size of the goal, you may not have gotten far, it has only been a week. Checking in and reassessing is still indicated at this time. Take it into meditation for insight on next indicated action(s) and guidance from Spirit. At the Full Moon, celebrate and successes you have had, no matter how small, and look at how the thing you’re working on will be expressed outward. Between Full and Third Quarter moon, tie up any loose ends that are dangling so you’re not always running back to fix things you have already worked on. Recharge your batteries between Third Quarter and the New Moon, so you can launch yourself forward again with renewed effort. Everything in the Universe has an ebb and a flow, a waxing and waning, an inhale and an exhale. Using the moon to work with and honor that will make you more effective, and comfortable as well!