The balsamic phase is the three days before the new moon resets her cycle and she hides treasure in its treacle. For those willing to cultivate space and time for themselves - sans imperatives and distractions, anaesthetics and avoidance - the dark moon delivers in spades and sets the tone for the next lunar cycle. Anything you don't drop into its cauldron space will continue to travel with you.

Today the Sun newly in Toro and Saturn newly in Aquaria square off, adding an austere grind to the dark moon's regular mood noir. This heavy cross may lowlight where we feel the greatest limitation and restriction, or where we are bumping hardest up against ourselves. We tend to trip over the same stones on repeat until we learn how to kick them out of our way. Today may well stub your toe hard but it will also too show you what might be ready to get gone.

The dark moon rewards decluttering of home, heart and head, removing the detritus of the past month and clearing the space for the next. No matter what is going on in my world, I have long found comfort and wisdom in the constancy and care walking with the moon offers. And this dark phase, built for shadow dancing and crafting uncommon sense, is undeniably my favourite moonchild.

Tomorrow my dark mooner on Zoom will include more on the hidden gifts of this phase and lunar practice, some gorgeous breathwork to release all that stuck in our craw this past month and a storytelling journey to explore hidden places within. I hope you will join me to drink deeply of the balm of the dark moon. Link in bio, darklings.

Art by my fairytale favourite Kay Neilsen, 1914.