Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! <a href="https://outsideapp.onelink.me/wOhi/6wh1kbvw" class="o-content-cta-link" data-analytics-event="click" data-analytics-data="{"name":"Element Clicked","props":{"destination_url":"https://outsideapp.onelink.me/wOhi/6wh1kbvw","domain":"<>","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}”>Download the app.
The new Moon is the beginning of the lunar cycle. It’s when the Sun and Moon align perfectly in the sky, merging both dark and light to create a new beginning and a new energy. The lunar cycle has a natural rhythm and flow, which gives us energy to work with throughout its eight phases.
The new Moon begins the cycle each month in a different astrological sign. She meets the Sun, then moves on, making her way around the Earth. The first half of the lunar cycle is a time of building and an outward flow of energy. The second half, after the full Moon, is when energy flows inward, and the Moon begins to lose her light. Once full darkness takes over, the light begins to emerge again, continuing the cycle of the Moon.
The intentions set on the new Moon act as a guiding frequency for the rest of the lunar cycle. They usher in a new lifestyle for ourselves and give us something to refer back to when we lose our way or life begins to feel challenging. In many ways, our intentions become our mission statement for the lunar cycle. We can refer back to them when faced with decisions and feel which choice ultimately resonates most with our intentions. These intentions also give us something to aspire toward.
They are not goals, per se, but rather a way we want to feel, an energy we wish to cultivate, and a life we want to live. They remind us that our intent is what attracts our reality, and when we remain aligned with our intentions, the Universe brings us what we need to manifest them every day.
Each new Moon brings us the opportunity to create intentions around the astrological theme of that new Moon, or around something else we want to call into our lives. If you need help picking an area to focus your intentions around, look to the house that the Moon is transiting for you. Look up the house governed by Gemini in your natal chart. You’ll see an outer wheel with zodiac signs and a corresponding inner circle with the house number. We all have a house governed by Gemini. Houses represent areas of your life and give you guidance on where to focus these new Moon intentions.

What the New Moon in Gemini Means for You
The new Moon in Gemini on June 18 is a time to survey your life and ask yourself what you want to change. The new Moon asks you to honor your process of transformation by staying grounded in your body and open to new insights. There is a lightness and humor to this new Moon. There is also an encouragement to remain flexible. If you find yourself with last-minute changes or cancellations, ask how you can create the best-case scenario from the surprise.
The Moon in air signs always stirs up our intellect and mental realm. You may notice your mind racing this day, or you may even notice your worries amplified. Before indulging any of these many thoughts, connect with your breath and body to steady your energy. Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground before writing your intentions. Take deep breaths when needed, and remember that your thoughts do not define you. Acknowledge them and let them pass.
The fast-moving energy of this new Moon does serve a purpose, though. It helps you go through the details and pieces of your life to find what is working and what needs some shifting. As you work with this new Moon, review parts of your life, including your career, relationships, inner work, activities, etc. Ask yourself what pieces are adding to the larger picture of what you want your life to be and what pieces are distracting you from it.
Your life is a collaboration of energy. Ideally, each piece feeds one another and even raises the vibration of other areas. They all work together to create a larger vision of your life. As you write intentions, create this larger vision, then work your way down to the pieces. See and feel the life you want to live, then ask yourself which areas are helping form this vision and which ones need transformation.
Many of the shifts available on this new Moon center around your inner narratives. You go through your life with different stories playing in your head. These stories are about your self-worth, doubts, limitations, abilities, ego attachments, identity, who you are, and who you want to be. These narratives can help or hinder you. They can open you up, or they can box you into a corner. They can make you feel expansive and capable or small and ineffective.
If you find a part of your life that isn’t adding the energy you desire to your bigger picture, ask yourself what your inner narrative is within that part. For instance, if your relationships don’t support the larger vision of your life, ask what stories you tell yourself about them. Do you tell yourself you have to people-please to be loved or that you are unworthy of respect? Perhaps you tell yourself that you’re bad at commitments or that you prefer freedom over security. No story is bad, but it’s important to notice how they shape our reality and perspective.
Stories can form the foundation of your mindset and determine your expectations in any area of your life. If your story tells you to believe something about yourself or others, you listen. This often takes place unconsciously.
The great news about narratives is that we are the author and can choose to rewrite them at any time. We can change the way we view our past, our emotions, even our interactions with the rest of the world. Like most things, the key is to become aware of your stories, then let go of the ones not serving you and edit the ones that need it.
When you shift your stories, you change your energetic vibration, including the frequency you emit. You change your life. Also, when we become aware of our stories, we can choose not to allow them to direct our experience. Instead of listening to a story, we can release all narratives and simply drop into the present without influence from our past, our ego, or something we were taught. We can be open to the reality unfolding in front of our eyes instead of the one told to us from our mind. Feel the power of this new Moon helping you step into a new narrative and begin a new story—one aligned with higher vibrations and infinite possibilities.

Other Astrological Influences on the New Moon in Gemini
We have a few aspects to work with on this new Moon.
Saturn stations retrograde in Pisces until November 2023. Saturn governs the energy of rules, regulations, government, commitments, responsibilities, and karma. Saturn reminds us that we are free to do whatever we want, but there are always consequences.
Retrogrades spin the energy of a planet inward. They encourage us to refocus, reevaluate, and reprocess. With Saturn, the retrograde energy asks us to look at our responsibilities and recommit to the ones we want to continue to nourish. It’s a time to feel how we dedicate our energy and decide what is really worth our precious time. Saturn retrograde in Pisces asks us to look at how we limit ourselves through our commitments or fear of commitments.
With the energy of the new Moon, it’s a great time ask yourself about the stories you tell yourself about commitments and how these stories frame your responsibilities. For instance, are you placing any negative energy around your responsibilities that cause you to resent them or not enjoy them? How can you reframe the way you experience your commitments? This transit is a time to expand your energy around your responsibilities. How can you see them differently? How can you become excited about them? And how can you shift them so they support the bigger picture of your life?
We also have the new Moon squaring Neptune in Pisces. Squares can bring up some friction or tension in our lives. This square asks us to look at the stories we tell ourselves about our dreams. It asks you to become aware of what expectations are formed when you write your intentions and if those expectations are helping the manifestation of your visions or hindering them. This square also challenges us to own our responsibility to materialize our visions. We may need to do some work internally or make some changes in order to live our potential. We need to be ready to commit to these changes instead of waiting for them to happen on their own.
Your Invitation
There is always a bit of magic and serendipity when manifesting our dreams, but this new Moon asks what you want to take ownership of in your life. Decide what you are ready to commit to, then ask yourself what mindset to you need to frame these commitments as positive changes poised to catapult you to the next level of existence.
Learn more about the new Moon in Gemini, including additional astrological insights and journaling prompts, in the Gemini Season + New Moon Workbook, from which the above is excerpted. You can also learn more about your personal natal chart.
About Our Contributor
Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the Universe. She also writes workbooks on each full Moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.
RELATED: Journaling Prompts for the New Moon