The new moon, or Noumenia, is the beginning of the lunar month and a time for renewal of the self, of vows and of bonds. It is also a good time to make plans for the coming months. As many Pagans worship according to the lunar calendar, many of Hellenic tradition worship at the New Moon and I am one of these. For each New Moon I honor my household Gods as well as Selene and I hold a special feast for different God or Goddess each month.
My Noumenia is a three-stage event involving three separate rituals. First, there is a ritual of cleansing and letting go, then Hecate's Supper, then a ritual of gratitude and intention-setting.
On the day before the new moon, when the waning moon is just a sliver (Less than 1% waning on my "Daff Moon" app or the day before the night it hits 0%) I clean all of my altars, give my kitchen a good scrubbing and take my donation box to a the resale shop. (The box sits in my laundry room all month collecting outgrown clothes, toys that are no longer being played with and other items that no longer serve my family but might serve someone else.) Then, after all that hard work, I have a good long soak in the bathtub with a salt scrub and face food, cleansing and refreshing myself as well.
After the sun has set on the night of the dark moon (As close to 0% as possible) is Hecate's Supper. This is the day of purification. All of the detritus from the cleaning and sweeping I place at the crossroads made by the meeting of the three paths that lead from our driveway to the public road, to the back yard and to our front door, along with a food offering; usually something from the garden, a fresh egg, some garlic, a glass of water and a biscuit or a slice of fresh bread spread with good butter and honey.
The next day, I bring in fresh flowers and spread a clean tablecloth on my table and bake a fresh loaf of bread and cook a fabulous dinner with a special dessert. A portion is placed on the family altar. Over dinner, we take some time to review the blessings and troubles of the past month and make plans for the coming month. That evening, I'll spend some time journaling; listing my goals for the coming months, congratulating myself for the goals I completed from the previous month and counting my blessings.
