Embrace the Energy of the November New Moon: November 19, 2025

As we enter this new moon cycle, it’s evident we’ve moved into the dark half of the Wheel of the Year. The sun sets much earlier now, and the hours of darkness outnumber those of light. Days are noticeably shorter than just a few weeks ago.

Trees continue shedding their leaves, soon to be bare. Temperatures drop, ushering in scarf and sweater season. Many animals begin their winter hibernation, having gathered resources and found cozy spots for the coming months. The Wheel is clearly turning toward Winter.

How does the seasonal energy of the November new moon influence you?

This month centers on darkness, shadows, and letting go.

Last month, we began focusing our energy inward, transitioning from summer’s outward focus to a season of inner reflection.

This month, we delve even deeper into ourselves.

Physically, we’re shifting inward—spending more time indoors as days grow darker and colder. Mentally, we’ve made a significant inward shift. Now is when we truly begin exploring our inner worlds and discovering what we’re ready to release.

Summer was a time of expansive growth energy. Nature stretched and grew, and whether visible or not, you too have grown and evolved in various ways. As we move deeper into autumn, we start recognizing what we’ve outgrown.

Our lives contain elements—ways of being, stories we tell ourselves, long-held limiting beliefs—that no longer serve us. Now is the time to examine these aspects. What old narratives do we cling to? What have we outgrown?

What is it time to let go of? What needs to die in your life?

To find these answers, we must bravely look deep within ourselves. This month’s inward-focused energy and the season’s growing darkness support us in this endeavor.

When you spend time in darkness, your eyes adjust. Things previously obscured come into focus.

This is the shadow work we’re supported in during this time of year.

The seasonal energy encourages you to peer inside, to examine your inner darkness and shadows. At this dark time of year, you can see into your shadows—glimpsing hidden aspects—in ways impossible during brighter seasons.

Your shadows conceal what embarrasses or shames you—things you’d rather others not know. They hold the deep truths you’re reluctant to admit to yourself.

Within these shadows lie our deeper motivations—the roots of our actions, subconscious reasons for clinging to old habits and stories, and all the ways we hold ourselves back.

This shadow work helps you understand what you’re ready to release.

When you grasp your motivations from this deep, underlying perspective, you can create lasting, fundamental change in your life.

This is the work this month’s energy supports.

The seasonal energy urges you to look deep within, to examine your shadows and discover the roots of what you need to release. Then, like autumn trees, you can let it all go.

You can allow those old aspects to die.

This month, we begin to confront death as a crucial component of life and growth—a process to honor rather than fear.

We’ll explore death as part of the growth process more deeply next month. Even when a “death” benefits us or aids our growth, we still experience stages of grief and mourning. We held onto these things for a reason, and it’s natural to feel sad as we let go.

Despite being vital to life, there’s still a mourning process when things die. To truly release old patterns from our lives, we must go through this process of mourning.

We’ll continue this work over the next couple of months, until the Winter Solstice. Then, we’ll plant our hopes and dreams for the coming year in the space we’ve worked so hard to clear.

Where to focus for the November New Moon:

• Spend time in inner reflection. Examine what you’ve outgrown. What’s time to let go of? Which old stories, habits, or patterns should you release? What’s holding you back?
• Explore your shadows. Reflect on the darker aspects of your life. You can see them more clearly now. Where are you struggling? What are you afraid to confront? What do you feel ashamed to admit? Examining these areas will help you discover what you’re truly ready to release and why you’ve held on for so long. This is where real, permanent change becomes possible.
• Let go. The seasonal energy supports you in this challenging personal growth work. Deeply explore what you need to release. What have you outgrown? Commit to the work of truly letting these things die in your life during the remaining weeks of autumn.
• Nurture yourself. Letting go of parts of yourself and your life is difficult, often painful work. We hold onto things for a reason—they provide comfort and identity. Releasing them can be challenging and painful, but it’s also brave. Your task this season (and next) is to nurture yourself and your spirit. Be kind to yourself. Honor your feelings. Allow yourself to feel the sadness and pain. Let these emotions wash over you so you can release them. Be gentle with yourself as you move through this season of transformation and regeneration.