The Ancient Origins of New Moon Witchcraft

New moon witchcraft is a practice that revolves around harnessing the energy of the new moon for magical purposes. The new moon is the phase of the moon where it appears completely dark in the sky, as it is positioned between the Earth and the sun. In witchcraft, the new moon is seen as a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, and the planting of seeds for future goals and intentions. It is a time when the energy is low, but building, and is perfect for setting intentions and manifesting desires. During the new moon phase, witches often perform rituals and spells to align themselves with the energy of this lunar phase. It is believed that the energy of the new moon can assist in letting go of the past, releasing negativity, and setting positive intentions for the future.

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But to be on the safe side, if you see Triethanolamine in an INCI and also something with nitra, nitro in the name of it just skip the product, that cannot hurt. preservatives like 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, 5-Bromo-5-Nitro- 1,3-Dioxane or sodium nitrate - so look out for things with nitro, nitra in the name that together with TEA can form some not nice carcinogenic stuff that is called nitrosamines.

It is believed that the energy of the new moon can assist in letting go of the past, releasing negativity, and setting positive intentions for the future. One common practice in new moon witchcraft is setting intentions. This involves writing down specific goals or desires that you wish to manifest in your life.

Lux magical orchid

Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.

It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.

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Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.

One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.

A 14 carbon length fatty acid that can be naturally found in nutmeg, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and butter fat. It's used as a foam building cleansing agent. Paula Begoun writes that it can be a bit drying to the skin.

A 12 carbon length fatty acid that can be found naturally in coconut milk, coconut oil, laurel oil, and palm kernel oil. It's also in breast milk. As a skincare ingredient, it can be used as an emulsifier or as a cleansing agent.

What's more, there is emerging research about lauric acid being a good anti-acne ingredient. A 2009 study found that the lowest concentration to prevent evil acne-causing P. acnes growth of lauric acid is over 15 times lower than that of gold standard anti-acne ingredient benzoyl peroxide.

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Though the studies are only in-vitro (made in the lab, not on real people), and it also has a high comedogenicity index, it might be worth a try if you are prone to inflamed acne (the type that's caused by P. acnes bacteria).

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

It's a very alkaline stuff that helps to set the pH of the cosmetic formula to be just right. It's similar to the more often used sodium hydroxide and pretty much the same of what we wrote there applies here too.

A fatty acid that can be found naturally in the skin. In fact, it's the most common saturated fatty acid found in animals and plants.

As for skincare, it can make the skin feel nice and smooth in moisturizers (emollient) or it can act as a foam building cleansing agent in cleansers. It's also a very popular ingredient in shaving foams.

Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. Fragrance in the US and parfum in the EU is a generic term on the ingredient list that is made up of 30 to 50 chemicals on average (but it can have as much as 200 components!).

If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what’s really in it.

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Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It’s the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. It’s definitely a smart thing to avoid with sensitive skin (and fragrance of any type - natural is just as allergic as synthetic, if not worse!).

Super common ingredient in all kinds of cleansing products: face and body washes, shampoos and foam baths.

Number one reason for its popularity has to do with bubbles. Everyone loves bubbles. And cocamidopropyl betaine is great at stabilizing them.

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The other reason is that it’s mild and works very well combined with other cleansing agents and surfactants. The art of cleansing is usually to balance between properly cleansing but not over-cleansing and cocamidopropyl betaine is helpful in pulling off this balance right.

Oh, and one more nice thing: even though it’s synthetic it’s highly biodegradable.

It’s a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of a cosmetic formulation to be just right. It’s very alkaline (you know the opposite of being very acidic): a 1% solution has a pH of around 10.

It does not have the very best safety reputation but in general, you do not have to worry about it.

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What is true is that if a product contains so-called N-nitrogenating agents (e.g.: preservatives like 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, 5-Bromo-5-Nitro- 1,3-Dioxane or sodium nitrate - so look out for things with nitro, nitra in the name) that together with TEA can form some not nice carcinogenic stuff (that is called nitrosamines). But with proper formulation that does not happen, TEA in itself is not a bad guy.

But let’s assume a bad combination of ingredients were used and the nitrosamines formed. :( Even in that case you are probably fine because as far as we know it cannot penetrate the skin.

But to be on the safe side, if you see Triethanolamine in an INCI and also something with nitra, nitro in the name of it just skip the product, that cannot hurt.

Sodium chloride is the fancy name of salt. Normal, everyday table salt.

If (similar to us) you are in the weird habit of reading the label on your shower gel while taking a shower, you might have noticed that sodium chloride is almost always on the ingredient list. The reason for this is that salt acts as a fantastic thickener in cleansing formulas created with ionic cleansing agents (aka surfactants) such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate. A couple of percents (typically 1-3%) turns a runny surfactant solution into a nice gel texture.

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If you are into chemistry (if not, we understand, just skip this paragraph), the reason is that electrolytes (you know, the Na+ and Cl- ions) screen the electrostatic repulsion between the head groups of ionic surfactants and thus support the formation of long shaped micelles (instead of spherical ones) that entangle like spaghetti, and viola, a gel is formed. However, too much of it causes the phenomenon called "salting out", and the surfactant solution goes runny again.

Other than that, salt also works as an emulsion stabilizer in water-in-oil emulsions, that is when water droplets are dispersed in the outer oil (or silicone) phase. And last but not least, when salt is right at the first spot of the ingredient list (and is not dissolved), the product is usually a body scrub where salt is the physical exfoliating agent.

A so-called diester created from two stearic acid molecules and an ethylene glycol molecule. Its main thing is being an opacifier and pearling agent in cleansing products making them white and glossy. It can also give body to creams and emulsions.

It’s pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben.

It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic.

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Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10).

It’s often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol.

A handy helper ingredient (a polymer, i.e. big molecule from repeated subunits) that is used to stabilize emulsions as well as to thicken up products. It can also stabilize foam in cleansing products.

A vegetable origin (coconut or palm kernel oil and glucose) cleansing agent with great foaming abilities. It's also mild to the skin and readily biodegradable.

Also-called: Glycerol | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

• A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
• A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
• Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
• Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
• High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin

A handy helper ingredient that helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. It does so by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.

It's the acronym for Butylated Hydroxy Toluene. It's a common synthetic antioxidant that's used as a preservative.

There is some controversy around BHT. It's not a new ingredient, it has been used both as a food and cosmetics additive since the 1970s. Plenty of studies tried to examine if it's a carcinogen or not. This Truth in Aging article details the situation and also writes that all these studies examine BHT when taken orally.

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As for cosmetics, the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) concluded that the amount of BHT used in cosmetic products is low (usually around 0.01-0.1%), it does not penetrate skin far enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream and it is safe to use in cosmetics.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

The other reason is that it’s mild and works very well combined with other cleansing agents and surfactants. The art of cleansing is usually to balance between properly cleansing but not over-cleansing and cocamidopropyl betaine is helpful in pulling off this balance right.

These intentions are often written on paper or in a journal and then placed on an altar or buried in the Earth to symbolize the planting of these desires. Another common practice is performing divination or tarot readings. The new moon is said to be a time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest, making it an ideal time for accessing intuitive insights and receiving guidance from the divine. Additionally, new moon rituals often involve various forms of magical tools and symbols, such as crystals, candles, herbs, and oils. These items are used to enhance the energy of the ritual and to focus the practitioner's intentions and desires. It is important to note that new moon witchcraft can be personalized and adapted to suit individual beliefs and preferences. Some witches may choose to perform elaborate rituals, while others may simply light a candle and quietly meditate on their intentions. In conclusion, new moon witchcraft is a practice that involves harnessing the energy of the new moon for setting intentions, manifesting desires, and connecting with intuitive insights. It is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, where witches can tap into the powerful energy of the lunar cycle to bring positive change into their lives..

Reviews for "Cleansing and Clearing with New Moon Witchcraft"

1. Jane Doe - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "New Moon Witchcraft" as I am a fan of supernatural stories, but I was greatly disappointed. The plot felt disjointed and lacked coherence, with little explanation of the magical elements introduced. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to connect with them or care about their fates. Overall, the book left me feeling unsatisfied and underwhelmed.

2. John Smith - 1 star - "New Moon Witchcraft" was a complete waste of time for me. The writing style was clunky and riddled with grammatical errors, making it a struggle to follow the story. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the abundance of unnecessary details and descriptions only added to the tedium. The supposed twists and turns in the plot were predictable and lacked originality. I regretted picking up this book and would not recommend it to anyone.

3. Emily Thompson - 2 stars - I found "New Moon Witchcraft" to be a frustrating read. The protagonist lacked agency and seemed to be constantly relying on others for help, making her come across as weak and uninteresting. The world-building was minimal and lacked depth, leaving many questions unanswered. The conflicts and resolutions felt forced and rushed, making the overall story feel unsatisfying. While the concept had potential, the execution fell flat for me.

New Moon Rituals: Honoring the Moon's Transformational Energy