Pisces encourages us to be sensitive and perceptive, but this can also mean you're feeling a bit more insecure and prone to fantasy. Pisces’ romantic nature makes this full moon exciting but it also means you might be reading too much into things and should work through your expectations. Enjoy the beauty of things as they are- don’t build them up in your head. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to dream a little. There will be more Virgo and Capricorn moons in the future to boost your motivation to get things done but for now imagine the possibilities! You can’t get much accomplished if you don’t let your creativity spark first. 

Sensory Guide

Scents: Pisces asks us to indulge in a bit of romanticism, so try scents that are a bit mysterious and sensual, like absinthe, amber, spiced rum, tuberose, and musk.

Colors and textiles: Flood your senses with dreamy colors and soft fabrics. Surround yourself with soft pastels like seafoam, lavender, and robin’s egg blue. Indulge in luxurious gauze, chiffons, and organzas. Play dress up and be your own muse this new moon.

Food: Whether you have a partner or partners, or are single, you can enjoy splurging on a lush dinner by candlelight. Challenge yourself to make something that you consider a fancy restaurant food at home. Maybe you love scallops, sushi, a well cooked steak or truffle fries. Maybe there’s a dish out there with hard to find ingredients but you could eat it every day. Have fun trying to make it yourself but don't stress too much about the outcome. Use your creativity to make it work. Not fussed about so-called fancy meals? Play around with your favorite foods by plating them up like you're at a five star restaurant. Explore #platingart to get inspired and even post your own.

Crystals: This new moon may have you wanting to open your heart and your mind. Choose stones that have an array of benefits in both areas. Citrine is great for all sorts of luck; it creates abundance and supports personal power. Lapis lazuli is great for self expression, opening your mind and psychic abilities. Sunstone is wonderful for inspiration, joy, nurturing the heart and encouraging creativity- all ideal for this Pisces new moon!

Ritual

Pisces is always associated with being intuitive but what is intuition really? How do we know if something is truly intuition and how do we strengthen it? This week’s ritual focuses on understanding and deepening your intuition through a simple thought exercise- but first things first. What is it?

Intuition is a natural, instinctive understanding. It doesn’t require conscious reasoning, analyzing possible benefits, problems, etc. Many people have intuition about other people, like they’re going to be best friends with someone they just met, but intuition can be about anything. Some people are even intuitive in the skills they have, like playing a musical instrument. Intuition is not superior or inferior to observation and reasoning, or other ways of knowing. It can, however, be a very powerful form of knowledge that will help you throughout your life. The problem is distinguishing between intuition and other emotional responses, particularly if you suffer from anxiety. Many people associate intuition with ‘trusting your gut’ for a good reason. The gut and brain are connected both physically and biochemically in a number of ways. Look up the gut-brain axis for more information. When you suffer from anxiety or other psychological distress, your gut may start reacting based on that and not on your intuition. Your gut reaction may just be fear, for instance. 

This is just one example but there are many reasons we might not be sure if what we’re feeling is intuition or not. Try this exercise to help you figure out and/or strengthen intuition:

Find a quiet space. Use frankincense, sandalwood, or another deep woodsy oil scent to anoint your forehead (with a carrier oil!) while asking the universe (or whoever you like) to open up your intuition. Then simply sit in a comfortable position and allow a thought to float into your mind. This can be a purposeful thought, about something that is currently happening in your life, or it can be completely random. As the thought comes into your head, follow up by asking a few questions and write down your answers:

Is this a true thought?
Is this a useful thought?
Does this thought reflect on my past? 
How does this thought make me feel?
Is this thought trying to tell me something or is it a ‘junk’ thought?

Allow yourself to do this for as long as you like with however many thoughts come in and out. Then put the thoughts away for the time being.

After a significant amount of time- we recommend a couple of weeks at least- go back to what you’ve written about your thoughts. Ask yourself some follow up questions:

Were any of these thoughts related to the future?
Is this thought recurring?
Was I wrong about whether or not the thought was true, useful, or telling me something?
Has the way I feel about this thought changed?
Can I link this thought to anything else? (Could be family, other people, an observation, a desire, a fear, etc.)

What we are doing in this ritual is picking apart our thoughts and feelings, however trivial they are, to recognize which ones might be intuitive or not, and why. This way we can recognize an intuitive thought when it comes up. 

Spread

This spread is all about balancing fantasy with reality. Pick a topic you would like to read on first, whether it’s a job, relationship, spiritual path, etc.

1. What aspect of this (topic) am I not being realistic about?
2. What is a more realistic goal or understanding?
3. How can I create tangible steps to moving forward with this (topic)?
4. In what ways can/should I continue to ‘dream big’?
5. How can I help these dreams manifest?