Happy 2011!  May this year bring you whatever you need at just the right time.

New Year resolutions don’t work well for me, a year is a long time wherein my will power for certain things slowly ebbs and flows. In the past, whenever I have attempted New Year resolutions, I have inevitably floundered within a few weeks, causing me disappointment and eventual failure to meet those well meant intentions.  I know that I am not alone in this character trait and last year was so pleased to read about a different way to meet personal targets.  Robin Rose Bennett writes about New Moon intentions in her beautiful book, I find the method very natural to work with and it has already helped me to make some positive changes.  Here’s how the idea goes….

• On the eve of a New Moon I privately write out what I intend to work on during that moon cycle (about 29 days).  It could be something like eating less chocolate, or trying to use more fresh herbs in cooking.  When writing out the intention I try to make it a positive, achievable, present tense affirmation, such as: “I eat fresh herbs three times a week” or “I eat one chunk of chocolate a day.”
• I keep the paper somewhere private but where I can easily reach it each evening. Each evening I take a look at it and perhaps light a candle for a short time to heighten my awareness of the intention, reminding myself of why I want to work on this particular intention.  It also helps to use that time to imagine/daydream/visualise how it feels to have achieved the intention.  I do this each night until the subsequent Full Moon, that’s about two weeks after the New Moon.
• I then burn the piece of paper, perhaps with the candle I have used to heighten my awareness and let my affirmations free, allowing them to manifest in whatever way is most appropriate at that time.
• For the rest of that moon cycle I try to keep to my intentions but I don’t focus on it as much as previously.  I just let it happen.
• When the next New Moon arrives I think about how successful or otherwise I have been in meeting that target and adjust my affirmation for the next moon cycle accordingly.  So perhaps my next affirmation will be: “I eat one chunk of chocolate every week” or “I eat fresh herbs four times a week.”

In this way I find it possible to move steadily towards my goals, to adjust my expectations when needed and to feel positive about steps forward, even when they are not as great as I had initially hoped for.

The next New Moon will be Tuesday 4th January, the subsequent Full Moon will be Wednesday 19th January followed by a New Moon on Thursday 3rd February.