New Year, New Moon: How to Perform an Energetic Reset
- Jovie Hawthorn Browne
- Dec 26, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Are you exhausted by the pressure to constantly be in your "Full phase"?
In a world that demands we push, push, push—where productivity is king and burnout is an expectation—we forget that we are not machines. We are expected to constantly be in a state of maximum growth, shining our light brightly for all to see, all the time.
But nothing else in nature operates this way (and certainly not in the dead of Winter). Not the trees, not the bees, not the tides, and certainly not the Moon.
Twelve to thirteen times a year, the Moon offers us a radical concept: rest as rebellion.
This is the New Moon: the alignment between the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon that creates a completely dark night. She has waned down from her brilliant fullness into this brief, beautiful pause before the cycle of growth begins again.
For the Moon, this flow from planning to growth to completion to rest is perpetual. She does not get stuck or burnt out.
And in the dark, still, quiet time of the New Moon, she models exactly what we need. She turns away from reflecting light onto the world—away from inviting attention, energy, and action—and turns inward to rest, reset, and plan for the next phase.
This is your permission slip. Each month (and especially at the New Year), we can claim this opportunity to take a breath away from the spotlight, see the potential for our next growth phase, and perform a deep energetic reset.
The New Year
Similar to the New Moon phase each month, the New Solar Year is an opportunity to double down on this resetting energy. We see this same cycle of planning, growth, completion, and rest throughout the seasons of the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn.
The Winter Solstice, on December 20th-21st each year, marks the darkest day of the year. This energy correlates strongly with that of the New Moon as a time of introspection, rest, and potential...
"The powers of light and warmth seem the weakest at this time,
and we are immersed in the dark.
But in the ancient Goddess traditions, darkness was not something fearful...
Black, the color of fertile soil, was connected to the darkness of the womb, to gestation, fertility, possibility, and Mystery.
Which of the myriad potentials will come to light? What kind of year will it be? What child will be born from that womb?
That part depends on us.
We are the midwives.
We must use our human hands to shape history, our human minds to choose what qualities we need and want to bring to birth, our human will to make the choice.
What will you choose?"
- Starhawk
Putting it into Practice: A New Moon/New Year Ritual:
This 4-step practice can be performed any time, but is especially powerful during New Moon phases, or any time around the New Year.
1.Take a Dark Moon Bath:
Brew a cup of herbal tea to sip on. Rosemary and Ginger are very fitting for this work.
Bring any dried flowers, adornments, or candles you prefer to place on the edges.
Anoint yourself with oil infused with rosemary and/or ginger, and/or add the infused oil or herbs (fresh or dried) to your bath water.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply, place one hand on your heart & one on your stomach.
Ask yourself which area of your life feels stuck & needs new intentions set. (If it's in your practice you may opt to use your pendulum or tarot cards for this)
2.Cleanse Your Space:
Find a space that brings you peace— either in your home or in nature.
Cleanse that space using smoke, plant-infused mists, a simmer pot, incense, or sound.
3.Set your new intentions:
Take a deep breath, close your eyes, & journal what it is you wish to manifest this month.
What new habits, traditions, & intentions are you inviting to support your own wellbeing so that you can continue to support the wellbeing of your loved ones & your community?
What goals will you set and how will you achieve them?
How will you hold yourself accountable?
4.Make Moon Water:
Write one of these intentions on a piece of paper each day from the new moon, through the waxing phase, until the full moon.
Place a glass of water in the window each night, and slip the piece of paper under the glass of water.
Each morning, you can use that moon water infused with your intention for cleaning, watering your plants, rinsing your hair, soaking your feet, simmer pots, etc.
This is especially powerful right after the Winter Solstice, but can be done during any month’s New Moon.
Further Learning
If you are ready to move past superficial practice and align your inner work with the cycles of the Earth, we offer two paths to meet the promise of the coming Spring:
➡️ Path 1: Join the Seasonal Herbal Coven
I'll send you each season's essential tools for incorporating seasonal cycles into your inner work. You'll have access to your own Seasonal Grimoire that's full of folklore, traditions, crafts, recipes, and rituals for each month, along with seasonal herbal products made from plants grown right here on the Oregon farmstead—
➡️ Path 2: Become a Seasonal Herbalist
If you want to move beyond surface-level guides and truly understand how and when to call upon nature's cycles to deepen your herbal practice and make your own herbal preparations for each season— The Seasonal Herbal Intensive provides the knowledge you need.
The waitlist for the 2026 cohort is open!—
PS- Don't forget to sign up for my free weekly newsletter to bypass the social media algorithms and have content like this sent directly to your inbox:
Thank you for taking care of yourself so that we can take care of each other <3
-Jovie
