The Cold Moon
A lunar cycle for the edge-walkers
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, we enter into a new moon. During this time, the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun making it invisible to the naked eye. The new moon signifies a new lunar month and is the perfect time to pause for self-reflection.
Moon Magic
Each new moon presents an opportunity for new beginnings. It is a time for setting intentions and planting seeds. We are looking forward to what is to come instead of looking back at what has transpired.
Once our intentions are set, Grandmother Moon supports us as she waxes toward fullness helping our seeds of intention sprout and take root. The full moon is a time of peak power which is an ideal time to take stock of what has transpired so far and what is still to be manifested. It is also a wonderful time to practice ceremony, ritual and healing energy work. As she wanes, the invitation is to determine what needs to be brought to conclusion and what can be let go of. It is also a time for rest until we begin again with the next lunar cycle.
I find the moon fascinating to work with. The more I work with Grandmother Moon, the more I can tap into her wisdom. One of the ways I work with her is through a particular journaling practice designed to connect with three different energies at play during the lunar cycle. I am always delighted by how the different phases of the moon complement and support one another in the depth of their meaning.
Recently, I shared this journaling practice in a Wild Weaving for the Center for Wild Spirituality. I was given permission to share the video of the practice with you, my dear Substack readers. You can check it out below.
It was an honor to be part of the Wild Weavings offering. I highly recommend these 30-minute wild spirituality practices. Each experiential session is offered on a Tuesday at 1pm eastern on zoom. They are free to anyone who wants to join in the session as it’s happening. You can also subscribe to have access to all the recorded sessions for a small monthly or annual subscription. It is a wonderful way to bring a little enchantment to your life with eco-spiritual practices.
Working with The Cold Moon
We are entering the last full lunar cycle of 2025 known as the Cold Moon. This is a moon for edge-walkers, those who feel the call into a new story. If you feel like the current systems are no longer working, you are not alone. There is a growing movement of people who are feeling major resistance to the way we’ve always done things. They are looking for a new way of being in the world, one that honors the whole person and rejects traditional markers of success in favor of having enough and being enough. This moon invites you to those edges in your own life. It is time to trust your intuition and step into the person you were meant to be. No pressure! ;-)
New Moon in Scorpio
This particular new moon in Scorpio is a doozy. Simply put, she calls you out on your shit in order for deeper healing to take place. This may bring you into a place of discomfort as she asks you to dive into the shadows, to the places where you mask or avoid being vulnerable. This is an invitation to send compassion, self-love and kindness to those parts for healing.
This moon is asking us to examine the layers of our societal conditioning telling us how to be in the world. This is your invitation to shed those layers like a snake sheds her skin.
Prompts to work with as you reflect on this new moon. Choose one or try them all out. If nothing resonates, write your own.
Are there any parts of your life that feel like they no longer fit?
Do you gloss over any areas of your life to avoid discomfort?
Where might you benefit from a deeper layer of healing?
What are some growth edges you would like to deepen into?
Full Moon in Gemini
This full moon in Gemini is asking us to embrace our vulnerability. It is a call for courage as we are invited to step into our calling. Your dreams were put in your heart for a reason. This is your invitation to be courageous and create a life you love even as this means once again dancing in discomfort.
Prompts to work with for full moon reflection. Again, take what you like and leave the rest.
Is there something new you are curious to explore?
Have you dismissed any of your dreams as silly or unrealistic, yet they keep coming back to tap you on the shoulder?
Where might you need a little extra courage in your life right now?
Have you fully embraced your calling? If not, what is holding you back?
The Cold Moon
This lunar cycle in general calls us into coziness as we prepare for winter, much needed with all the deep inner work Grandmother Moon is asking of us at this moment. Think of a bear preparing to hibernate for the winter. This is an invitation to slow your pace and find moments of stillness and introspection during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Be intentional about this. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary to quiet your nervous system especially during this time of heightened stimulation and overwhelm.
I offer this one simple prompt as you reflect on this lunar cycle.
Where can you find moments of quiet reflection and rest in the coming weeks?
Living in Alignment with the Moon
I invite you to spend some time working with these energies at play. How might all three of them work together to support you over the coming weeks as we wind down 2025? Is there one intention you would like to set as a guidepost for this lunar cycle?
Check in with Grandmother Moon throughout the month. Moon bathe in her beauty. Ask her for guidance when needed. Just be with her to listen quietly and see what comes up. When the full moon approaches pull out your journal and review your intentions. Have they come to fruition? What might need to be completed? Is there anything you can let go of as the moon wanes? Offer your gratitude in ceremony and ritual.
As you work with the Cold Moon lunar cycle, I wish you courage to embrace vulnerability and stay in the discomfort for greater levels of healing. Rest up, dear ones. Much will be asked of us edge-walkers as we build a new way of being in the world. Be well and frolic on!
In addition to writing, Barbara Doane is a soul-aligned career coach and entrepreneurial doula. She works with individuals one-on-one to help them find clarity of purpose and birth their ideas out into the world. Work with Barbara to create a life that regenerates instead of depletes your soul. Our time here is limited. Stop waiting for “someday.” It’s time to Find Your Frolic today
After working with this practice, I hope you are thinking, "wow, I should do this every month!" If that's you, I have good news. Join me on December 17th at 3pm eastern for a 45-min practice to deepen into the Wolf Moon lunar cycle. It's one thing to read about it. It's another thing entirely to actually do it. Join me and let's make some magic happen. Register here: https://calendly.com/findyourfrolic/wolf-moon
Ah, I love a quiet Saturday morning for introspection. While I taught this journaling practice last week, I didn't have the spaciousness to put it into practice until this morning. Now with six pages of journaling and a completed venn-diagram, I have a clear intention for this month as well as a way to measure my progress on the full moon. Excited!