When I decided to start a new blog, the first decision I had to make was what to call it.

I brainstormed a range of names from “As Above, So Below” (totally unoriginal) to “Suze’s Musings” (definitely one of a kind), but nothing was landing. I am a novelist and storyteller as well as an astrologer, so I grew keen on the “Tales of ….” prefix. I wanted my blog to ultimately read like a journey through the mind and soul of a transformational, psychological astrologer, so I considered “Tales of the Sky & Stars” and “Tales from Across the Cosmic Bridge”, but again, nothing felt quite right.

Then one evening, while I was watching a Melanie Reinhart webinar on the Dark of the Moon, the perfect name suddenly crystallised for me.

And Tales of the Dark Moon was born.

What is the Dark Moon?

The dark Moon, or the dark of the Moon, as it’s known in astrology, is that portion of every month when the Moon cannot be seen in the night sky. Quite literally it is when the night is “dark of the Moon”.

The dark of the Moon runs from approximately two and a half days before the new Moon to two and a half days after the New Moon every month. It takes in parts of both the balsamic Moon phase and the new Moon phase, making it a particularly potent time to be working with lunar energies.

But more on that later.

Why I Chose it For My Blog

Quite simply the dark of the Moon is a time of deep mystery and heightened psychic sensitivity where we enter a liminal state, or a transitional phase. On a psychological level, this marks a time of going within and releasing thoughts, patterns and behaviours in anticipation of the influx of fresh energy arriving with the new Moon. On a spiritual level it is when the veil between the worlds thins, allowing us to more easily receive messages from the Otherworld of spirit.

By aligning my blog with the energy of the dark Moon I hope to capture the essence of the profound spiritual and psychological insights available to us all at this most sacred time of each month.

As I begin writing this article, it is late afternoon on Monday 17 November 2025 on the east coast of Australia. The Moon currently sits at 22 degrees Libra. The coming New Moon is on Thursday 20 November 2025 at 5:47 pm AEDT at 28 degrees Scorpio. That’s almost exactly three days away. Between now and then I will complete the first draft of this article, then edit, rewrite, and publish it. Yes, that means I will be doing the majority of the work on this article, and publishing it, during the dark of the Moon.

I didn’t plan this. It just happened. When we let go of our manufactured schedules and let cosmic energy work through us, this is what happens.

You and the Dark Moon

You can harness the potent energy of this five days per month to your own benefit in your everyday life. Let’s look at how.

Firstly, mark you calendar with all 13 new Moons each year. Then go back two and a half days and draw a line from that day, through the day of the new Moon, and continue for another two and a half days after the new Moon. This should give you a roughly five-day period each month in which to work with the energies of the dark Moon.

If you are like me, and you rely on your electronic calendar, this is easier still. Locate the new Moon and create an event that runs two and a half days either side of that moment. Every time you open your calendar, you’ll see that coloured bar running across five days and you’ll know when it’s time to get to work.

A Brief Look at the Phases of the Moon

For abundant clarity, the dark of the Moon isn’t a Moon phase. The Moon phases are as follows:

Each of the phases of the Moon carry specific evolutionary and psychological energies. As the Moon waxes (grows larger in the sky) from the beginning of the new Moon to the full Moon, you will feel energies increase (physical, mental and emotional), momentum gathering, emotions intensifying and a greater desire for connection and communication. As the Moon wanes from the full Moon to the end of the balsamic phase, your energy decreases, you become more introverted, you desire solitude and rest, and ultimately you enter the transitional phase when the Moon disappears altogether from the sky.

And that’s where the work with the dark Moon begins.

The Two Phases That Hold the Dark Moon

When working with the dark of the Moon, it’s best to be aware of the two phases this period spans: the balsamic Moon and the new Moon. The balsamic Moon phase is a time of rest, release and completion while the new Moon is a time of new beginnings, fresh starts and setting new intentions.

Regardless of the phase, the entire five-day span of the dark of the Moon is where we are in that liminal state – we have literally moved away from the old, but we haven’t entirely stepped into the new. Use the time wisely – in fact, entrain yourself to live in sync with the Moon phases overall – and watch your energy shift.

If you are familiar with your chart, take note of the house or houses where the dark on the Moon occurs each month. This gives you the specific areas of life where you can release energy and where to set new intentions.

The Releasing Balsamic Phase

The balsamic phase is the ideal time to rest, relax and let go. Clear your schedule as much as you can, and try to avoid extra busyness at work and at home. Your energy will be naturally low at this time, so don’t push yourself to exhaustion. Instead, set aside time to meditate, journal, or simply take yourself outside and sit in silence. We all live such busy lives and the constant noise, both internal and external, is like radio static to the etheric energies. If you want to tune in to the voice of spirit, you need to cultivate silence both within and without. Get to know yourself well enough to land on a method of allowing silence that works for you. For example, I am not one to sit on a mat and meditate. My best forms of meditation are walking my dog and journalling. I also like to sit outside where I can hear birds, or the wind in the trees, and feel the sun on my face. Being in nature calms me like little else. Find what calms you and make time to do that during the balsamic Moon phase.

It’s also a good idea to keep a dream journal throughout this time. I suggest you actually use pen and paper for this, particularly if you’re noting dreams down throughout the night. It’s not wise to turn on your phone, or sit down at a screen when you want to be going back to sleep. That is way too much activity for the brain.

This time is also ideal for replenishing your energy reserves – physical, mental and spiritual. As you calm yourself, your nervous system will refresh, your energy reserves will replenish, your mind will settle and your spirit will bloom. This sets you up beautifully for the influx of new energy flowing your way with the new Moon.

Do you have a friend or family member who can become your dark of the Moon buddy? If so, schedule times to meet, take walks, talk about how you’re feeling and what you’re releasing. Sit in silence with them then discuss what comes up for each of you. Having a buddy is great for accountability and to keep you both on track.

The Intention Setting New Moon Phase

Once the Moon meets the Sun, and the new Moon phase begins, you’ve entered the perfect time for brainstorming, setting intentions, and making fresh starts. There is an old saying that “nature abhors a vacuum” and if you’ve done the work of releasing, there will be space within your heart and mind for new endeavours. Make sure you fill that space intentionally. If you don’t, anything and everything will rush in to fill the void.

What do you want to begin? What intention do you want to set? Remember, from an energetic perspective we are still in that liminal state, or transitional phase. Now is not the time to throw the party. It’s the time to set intentions around the party theme, draft up a guest list and brainstorm a venue. Your energies will begin to gather momentum as the Moon waxes, and you don’t want to peak too soon. This new Moon time during the dark of the Moon holds the greatest potential of the entire lunar cycle. Decide what you want to create, commit to, or invest in, then set your intentions and take the first steps.

I also suggest you keep the dream journal going during the new Moon phase, and compare your dreams to those during the balsamic phase. You may find the themes of your dreams change with the phases of the Moon, with the sense of letting go permeating your dreams in the balsamic phase, and images of fresh starts and greater energy flooding your dreamscape during the new Moon phase.

Rinse and Repeat

Working with the Moon is one of the most natural forms of energy alignment available to us. The Moon governs our tides, the planting cycles in agriculture, and it can even be used to make your hair grow faster!

As I mentioned before, I strongly encourage you to entrain yourself to live in sync with the lunar cycle. The easiest way to begin doing this is to note both the new and full Moons each month and locate where they fall in your chart. At the very least this shows you where fresh energy is available each month (new Moon), and where matters will likely peak or culminate (full Moon).

If you pick up and practice any of the tips mentioned in this article, please drop me a line and let me know how they’re impacting your life. I have found working with the dark Moon to be of profound assistance with energy management in particular, as well as training myself to be a clearer channel for the etheric energies.

I hope you see similar positive results.