How Lunar Cycles Can Transform the Way You Work, Rest, and Align
Learning to Live by the Moon
Have you ever noticed how your energy and productivity levels, your capacity for becoming overwhelmed, and maybe even your tolerance for bullshit fluctuate from week to week, even when you’re sticking to the same schedule, same routine, same daily rituals?
A couple of years ago, a friend of mine, knowing that I’m a sucker for reflection and journaling, gifted me a daily self-reflection journal. Inside were trackers for everything having to do with body, mind, and spirit: daily intentions, meals, movement, and how I felt physically and emotionally each day.
I’m the type of person who can easily get lost in the data, and after almost a full year of tracking all the different aspects of my life, I had a moment of realization one morning when I found myself, not for the first or the last time, completely overwhelmed by everything on my plate. So much so that I couldn’t even glance at my to-do list without wanting to throw my computer straight through the window of my Zen den (I know, not very Zen of me).
Then it hit me.
I had been working with the phases of the moon, and the rhythms of my own cycle, to hack my creative flow for quite some time. I understood how different phases could affect my emotions, moods, and productivity. So I decided to dig a little deeper. I went back through my daily reflection journal and marked every page where I had written that I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
What I found was a pattern I hadn’t seen before. Every single time I felt that wave of exhaustion or frustration, it lined up with a certain phase of the moon—a phase of being, not doing. I was trying to push through when I should have been resting. I was piling on strategy-heavy tasks when I should have been focusing on grounding, creative, or intuitive tasks that required less force and more flow.
When I realized this, it felt like a massive exhale. I wasn’t unproductive. I wasn’t failing. I wasn’t suddenly incapable of managing the same things I’d been juggling the week before.
That’s when it clicked for me:
True alignment isn’t just about balance, it’s about rhythm and timing.
UNDERSTANDING THE MOON’S RHYTHM
Every month, the moon moves through her natural cycle, waxing and waning between darkness and light. She doesn’t rush her becoming; she simply moves in rhythm. And when we learn to align with her pace, life starts to feel a little more fluid too.
Each phase carries its own energetic lesson: when to begin, when to build, when to bloom, and when to breathe.
Free Resource:
To help you experiment with your own lunar rhythm, you can download the Phases of the Moon infographic here, or by simply clicking on the image above.
Use it alongside your planner or journal to track your energy, ideas, and reflections through each phase.
Reflection Prompt:
What phase of the moon are you in when you feel most creative? When do you naturally crave rest or solitude?
BEING VS. DOING PHASES: A LESSON IN ALIGNMENT
For months, I had been hitting the same wall. Every time I felt like I was finally building momentum, I’d burn out. Coming from a masculine-energy-driven industry, I was used to the mentality that you just keep pushing forward. Rest was for when the work was done (and the work was never done).
But for the first time in my life, I realized there was another way. I didn’t have to keep hitting that wall. There was a door I hadn’t seen before, and it was wide open.
Once I recognized that pattern of productivity followed by overwhelm, I started to plan with my rhythm instead of against it. I began structuring my months according to the moon, giving myself permission to rest, reflect, and recalibrate.
I noticed, for example, that the week before the Full Moon was when I felt the most creative and focused, the perfect time to batch content or bring big ideas to life. But when the Full Moon arrived, my energy shifted. It became more reflective and emotional, and that became my cue to slow down, celebrate what I’d accomplished, and release what was no longer aligned.
Likewise, the New Moon became my reset, my sacred pause before the next cycle of creation. And the week following, when energy begins to build again, became my window for launching new offerings and setting things in motion.
One book that deepened my understanding of this process is Lunar Abundance by Ezzie Spencer. It’s a gentle guide to living and creating in sync with the moon’s phases, a practice that beautifully complements everything I’m sharing here.
Truth I’ve learned:
Productivity and rest aren’t opposites, they’re two sides of the same rhythm.
WORKING WITH THE MOON FOR ALIGNMENT & PRODUCTIVITY
Here’s how you can begin aligning your intentions and actions with the moon’s rhythm:
🌑 New Moon: Set your intentions. What do you want to experience, create, or embody this cycle?
🌓 First Quarter: Take inspired, tangible steps toward that vision.
🌕 Full Moon: Reflect on what’s unfolding. Celebrate what’s working, release what’s not.
🌗 Last Quarter: Integrate your lessons, refine your process, and rest.
I had followed New Moon and Full Moon rituals for years, but when I began to truly live by these phases—honoring the natural rise and fall of my energy with presence and intention—everything shifted. My creative energy flowed more freely. My productivity became sustainable. And perhaps most importantly, I began to trust myself enough to rest without guilt.
Questions for Reflection:
What’s one intention you could set with the next New Moon?
Where could you shift from forcing to aligning?
FULL MOON RITUAL FOR ALIGNMENT & RELEASE
The Full Moon is the mirror phase—it reveals what’s been illuminated and what’s ready to be released.
With the Full Moon approaching, here’s one of my favorite rituals for alignment and renewal:
Ritual Steps
Ground — Find a quiet space. Take three deep breaths and center yourself.
Reflect — Ask: What is illuminated for me right now? What am I ready to release?
Write — Create two lists: one of gratitude, one of release.
Release — Burn or tear your release list safely, visualizing those energies dissolving into the night.
Reclaim — Speak your affirmation aloud:
“I honor my cycles.”
“I release what no longer serves and welcome what’s meant for me.”
Optional Anchor and Additional Practices:
Take a moonlit walk, practice slow breathwork, or place a crystal over your heart as you journal. Let your body integrate what your mind has released.
If you’ve never worked with the energy of the Full Moon before, this is a beautiful place to begin. It’s also an ideal time to cleanse your crystals, make moon water, recharge spiritual tools, or simply sit in gratitude under her light.
CLOSING REFLECTION + INVITATION
Since aligning my life with the moon, I’ve found peace in the pauses. I no longer measure success by how much I do, but by how aligned I feel. The moon taught me to trust the rhythm of my becoming—and to let the rest unfold in divine timing.
Reader Reflection:
What part of your rhythm have you been resisting?
Which phase do you tend to skip—and what might change if you honored it?
Free Connection Call:
If you’re ready to bring this kind of alignment into your own life, I’d love to hold space for you.
Book a Free Connection Call and let’s explore how to create your personal rhythm of being and doing.
Free Printable:
Start today by downloading your Phases of the Moon Printable and tracking your next lunar cycle.
Affiliate Mention:
And if you want a beautiful companion for this practice, Lunar Abundance by Ezzie Spencer is a must-read. You can find it here.
Life of Oasis occasionally includes affiliate links to resources I genuinely love. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work and this community.
