A monthly blog by Wider Circles Collective

Photo credit: Claire LaPoma, Yachats, Oregon, 2025

We begin this blog in the dark of the new moon in Capricorn, in the belly of winter, and in one of the most collectively harrowing times we have ever lived through.

But in the darkness, a ripple begins. In the chaos, a creative urge stirs. If we must be in the dark, can we choose how to respond? Can we architect a renaissance instead of revenge?

Yes, we can. And we don’t have to do it alone.

As a group of therapists, healers, and creatives, we built Wider Circles Collective on the feminine principles of community and power with. It is our offering, our choice of how to respond during this dark time.

Through this monthly blog, A Ripple Begins, we will bring you voices from within our collective who will be writing about different topics that are sometimes playful, sometimes serious, and often both—always meant to stir you in the best way possible. Each month, we hope to leave you feeling that a ripple within your own being has begun. We’ll also include a section called What We’re Loving at the end of each post to share with you what’s currently lighting us up and stirring our own inner ripples!

As today marks the new moon, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite ways of working with the beginning of the lunar cycle.

The moon teaches us that , as individuals and communities, we are rippling outward and inward—expanding and contracting—all the time. As we observe the lunar cycle, the moon appears to expand into a perfect circle of fullness, and in the next moment starting to contract all the way into nothingness, only to reappear in the night sky once again to begin another cycle of expansion.

Working with the lunar cycle is one of our favorite ways to bring a bit of soulful magic into a time of darkness. Symbolizing the beginning of a cycle, the new moon is a potent time to plant seeds, write down an intention, or start a new project. As one of our favorite astrologers, Chani Nicholas, says, “New moons represent fresh starts. They invite us to set intentions, begin new projects, and plan for the future.”

Here are a few of our favorite new moon practices:

—Visualize and journal: Bring to mind something you’d like to accomplish in the next month, and write about it. This practice is all about dreaming first and then concretizing the fantasy into actionable steps. It can be big or small; it’s all up to you.
—De-clutter and organize: Pick a space in your home that you’d like to clean and refresh. It can be a window sill, a desk, or an altar space.
—Work with oracle or tarot cards: Create a question such as “What can I learn during this lunar phase?” or “What new beginning stirs for me now?” Pull a card (or two or three!) from one of your favorite decks (we love everything by Kim Krans) and then journal what comes up for you.

In a recent episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Pulling the Thread, host Elise Loehnen spoke with storyteller, author, and scholar Michael Meade, who reminded us of the importance of soulfulness during dark times. He spoke of working with the lunar cycles as a way of living soulfully. When Elise asked Michael how we can be soulful, he answered: “do what you love.” This is why we created Wider Circles Collective: because we love bringing people together to co-create playful, empowering experiences where everyone is lifted up to find their power and magic.

If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll join our mailing list so we can keep in touch and share our offerings with you. And if you’re so inclined, please share this post with your communities and help the ripple of Wider Circles Collective expand outward even further.

In Gratitude,

Claire, Sarah, and Raina

What We’re Loving
Elise Loehnen’s podcast Pulling the Thread
The work of Michael Meade
Tarot and oracle decks by Kim Krans
The astrology of Chani Nicholas