This new moon feels more of a new year to me than the beginning of the calendar year. I think March has always been the “new year” for me rather than January first.

I’ve always felt the need to hibernate during the winter months. For years I always beat myself up for being lazy and unmotivated. I used to joke that I was part bear for wanting to hibernate. It has taken many trips around the sun to realize that I’m not either of those things. In fact, I am very in tune with Mother Earth.

During the winter months, the land is barren and asleep. Our crops have been harvested and it is time to give the land rest. We are meant to do the same during the dark, cold winter months. We were not meant to go-go-go all year long. We need those dark months to turn inward. That is the time to focus on yourself. Your spirit. Your connection to the Divine. It’s a time to rest and reset.

Crocuses in bloom.

March has finally arrived though and our days are getting longer. Mother Earth is starting to wake up from her winter slumber. My crocuses have started to bloom! My tulips and daffodils have peaked up a few inches in their beds. My own energy is returning. I too, am waking up.

I’ve been spring cleaning like crazy. Out the with old! It’s time to make room for the new! It’s time to purge that which no longer serves me, and purging I have been doing. The “Stuff” that has accumulated over the years has gotten a bit out of hand. I’ve been donating and tossing things to make room in my home. This purging has made a lot of room for a lot of fresh, new energy inside these old walls.

New broom I made above my ancestral altar.

This new moon is a time to set intentions for the coming seasons. I have been a solitary Witch for the last 15 years or so. When I lived in New Orleans, I practiced regularly with a very tight knit group. That group is where I trained and learned my Craft. After relocating, I never connected with any group. I’m not sure why exactly, but I took a long break and just practiced alone. In the last few years though, I have felt the pull to step back into the Pagan Community as an active participant. But I never actually did it. I kept thinking, but not doing. Well, it’s time to do!

I have not found a specific group yet. But over the last few months, that pull has become much more insistent. Demanding! It’s literally a scream in my head insisting that I use my voice. That I once again become an active member of the Pagan community. It’s time to embrace my magic, meet other like minded souls where I live now.

I have started looking for those beautiful souls. Our world is a mess. The Witches need to come together, band together to be a force for good. I would love to build a community of Witches (and Witch friendly) to practice with, but also a community that strives for a peaceful harmony with the earth. We don’t all have to believe the same thing from a religious or spiritual perspective; I believe it’s more important that we all come together with an openness to believe all of our paths are valid. Can such a group exist? In a world with so much discord, honestly, I’m not sure. But I’d like to try.

Is that a tall order for this year, or what?! I have smaller intentions too. I am continuing to do a massive spring cleaning. I am making my plans for the garden too. My husband found a set of plans to build a larger tiered herb garden. I want to grow and dry our extra herbs this summer. I have several herbs that I want to grow for teas. We live in an urban setting, so we have container garden beds.

A part of that intention setting is to write more too. In my journal and here. I’ll be writing a lot on this journey to finding my voice, my new tribe, and my place in all of it. I don’t know where this is going to lead me, but I trust The Goddess to show me the path.