New Moon, New Energy: Embracing Renewal with Essential Oils

With January coming to a close this week, it might be met with a “thank goodness for that” or perhaps a “let’s keep this thing moving!” mentality. Today is the 29th of January, a day in which I finally found the time (and bravery) to write, develop, and ultimately sign up for Substack. It also happens to be the Aquarius New Moon. What does this mean? With the new moon entering Aquarius, this brings an opportunity for new beginnings, innovation, individuality, renewal, moving forward with true inner desires and visions and not being held back by fear or the past. And to that—I say YES!

Welcoming February

January has brought its challenges for me as a small business owner. It is a constant learning process, and one I am embracing. With the usual messages of self-care, new year, new me, or creating new routines, my ‘expertise’ fits with this trend perfectly but the hurdles I’ve faced meant I couldn’t deliver. With moments of frustration and annoyance, there was also acceptance and perspective. With that said, I welcome February! For its fresh spirit. I am looking to the Aquarius New Moon – not exactly for answers – but as a signal, or opportunity, to welcome fresh energy, to welcome renewal. I say YES.

Essential Oils for the New Moon

With that, I look to my essential oils and how they resonate with the message of the new moon: renewal, transformation, positivity, releasing, breaking free from stagnation. We are also entering the Year of the Snake with the Chinese New Year—a time of rebirth, renewal, and transformation. A landscape of change and shedding the skin.

For this new phase, I’ve designed a personal essential oil blend to resemble this entrance into a new year:

• Cypress: Restorative, for emotional transformation, renewal & letting go.

• Frankincense: Cleansing, regulatory, expansive for the breath.

• Pine: Cleansing, regulates feelings of lethargy, reinvigorates.

• Bergamot: Gentle uplift, positivity, balance, calming.

First and foremost, I enjoy the scent of all of these oils. I won’t be going into a new lunar phase forcing a scent when my body just says no - I want it to be enjoyable. This is important if you’re considering essential oils for rituals or your environment. An oil can have all the therapeutic characteristics in the world, but if you (your brain or your nose) are not physically interested, it’s more likely it won’t provide a positive emotional effect.

I’ve blended this selection of oils in a carrier base oil for self-massage, using it around my neck, shoulders, and chest. It could also be used as a beautiful diffuser blend to transform a space. Blended together, these oils are green, fresh, resinous, invigorating, and powerful with openness. The majority of them also work with the lungs—opening the chest, helping to expel the old and breathe in the new. With the glimmer of lighter evenings this week, it feels appropriate in its gentle, airy freshness while staying close to the forest depth of greens and resins.

I look to the history of essential oils and plants to really add value to the blend for their true purpose and intention. Frankincense and Cypress are rich with history for their cleansing properties but also for their association with ceremony, grieving, and emotionally moving forward.

Moving Forward with Intention

I am moving forward into February with the intention of a renewed sense of self and accountability. I’d love to bring this more into my work too—accountability for putting desires and dreams into action. With the acknowledgment of the new moon and using aromatherapy alongside it as a helping hand, I’m putting a few simple steps into action to help me feel aligned.

Starting steps for me today include:

• Creating a general sense of organisation

• Writing down both my ambitious visions and my ‘safe’ ones.

• Ritual: asking myself questions, aromatherapy self-massage, a tarot card pull for consideration, a Rose face mask for nourishment and an evening ahead with LOTR as a blanket for the soul.

• Looking ahead at my diary—for myself! Emphasis on myself.

One thing I say to myself every single January is that I would love to look ahead at my year and think—"Ok, well done. You created the time for yourself to create and opportunities for you to truly go for it, rather than blending into the world of others to the detriment of yourself."

With the beauty of friendship, relationships, work, and commitments - there is inevitably a lot of yeses! These are all the wonderful things in life, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. However, it’s also important to protect the wonderful for yourself—to feed into yourself. Especially when working in an environment where you rely on people booking in or the need to create as much business as possible, your outward ‘availability’ can become diluted into whatever you can offer. So, organisation is on the cards!

It’s Never Too Late for Ritual

If you’re reading this after the 29th of January, try not to think—"It’s too late! That time for ritual has gone!" Don’t worry—do it anyway. The rituals we create for ourselves don’t always need to be attached to a specific date or time. It’s about how they support you and your well-being—showing up for yourself. If you’re also thinking, “I don’t have the ritual bits for this—I don’t have the oils, and there’s not a tarot card in sight!”—the good thing is, you don’t necessarily need them.

You don’t even really have to align with planetary activity, patterns, or beliefs. If you simply feel within yourself the need for transformation, renewal, personal desires, and fulfilment, perhaps the physicality of using something therapeutic can help.

I like the physicality of applying oils or having their scent in my environment to help with my mood and rebalancing. I also turn to writing. Thoughts can leave my brain so quickly, and sometimes there is a golden jewel of clarity—so whether it’s in a paper diary, notes on my phone, scribbled on a bit of paper, or even on my hand, I get it down. Sometimes, you don’t know where that moment of clarity will come from. So take it where you can get it—and remember to acknowledge it. So this is where I am now. Hello, Substack! Putting my words into action by simply sharing them. Embracing the first new moon of 2025 and welcoming renewed energy and spirit.

Essential Oil Safety

If you’re looking at creating an essential oil blend or using oils at home, please do so safely:

• If applying essential oils to the skin, always dilute them in a carrier base oil or cream first.

• Consider a safe dilution ratio based on your health status.

• When using oils in a diffuser, take breaks and ensure ventilation by opening a window.

• Essential oils should never be ingested.

• If you’re pregnant or taking medications, take particular care and consult guidance before use.

If you have any questions about how best to use oils in your day-to-day life, I’d love to hear from you and share some guidance!

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