The New Moon: Remembering, Resting and Returning to God

For a long time, the New Moon has been a natural rhythm within the work I offer at Aligned Healing.

A new month creates an invitation to pause.

To breathe.

To reflect on where we've been and make space for what is ahead.

And as my own spiritual journey has deepened, I've found myself wanting to explore this rhythm through a different lens—not abandoning the restorative work I've always offered, but bringing it into greater alignment with my relationship with God and my Creator.

This is the heart behind our New Moon Gatherings.

A Biblical Rhythm of the New Moon

The New Moon was not simply a celestial event in biblical times. It marked the beginning of a new month and was a time of gathering, remembrance, worship, offerings, rejoicing and community.

Psalm 81:3 says:

"Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon..."

Numbers 10:10 also connects the New Moon with sounding, celebration and remembrance before God.

And 1 Samuel 20 gives us a glimpse of the New Moon as a time when people gathered around a table together.

There is something beautiful about that rhythm.

A beginning.

A pause.

A remembering.

A returning.

And eventually, a gathering around the table.

Where Sound Meets Sacred Rest

As a sound practitioner, sound is one of the primary ways I help people slow down enough to notice what is happening within them.

So when I began exploring the biblical tradition of the New Moon, the connection felt surprisingly natural.

The Scriptures speak of sound announcing the New Moon.

We use sound to announce our own intentional pause.

The bowls are not the object of our worship, and the sound itself is not God.

Rather, sound becomes a doorway into stillness—a way of helping us become quiet enough to listen, reflect and receive.

One verse that has become especially meaningful to me is Psalm 81:10:

"Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it."

I love the invitation contained in those words.

Not striving.

Not performing.

Not having everything figured out.

Simply becoming receptive.

What Happens at a New Moon Gathering?

Our gatherings weave together several elements that are already central to my work:

Remembering — reflecting on the month behind us and noticing where we've experienced God's faithfulness.

Releasing — bringing our burdens, worries and unfinished things into God's presence rather than feeling that we have to solve everything ourselves.

Resting — allowing the nervous system and the body to settle through guided meditation, stillness and sound.

Receiving — creating space to listen, pray, reflect and become receptive to what God may be inviting us into.

Rejoicing — remembering that sacred gatherings aren't only about quietness and introspection. They can also include laughter, nourishment, gratitude and community.

And finally, we gather around a simple table.

Because the biblical New Moon wasn't only a private spiritual practice. It was something experienced in community.

A Place for Faith, Curiosity & Connection

I also want to be intentional about what these gatherings are—and what they aren't.

Not everything I offer at Aligned Healing will be faith-based.

There will continue to be sound baths, restorative experiences, ceremonies and other offerings that are welcoming to people from many different spiritual backgrounds.

But my own relationship with God has become an important part of my life, and I don't want to hide that part of myself either.

So I'm creating space for both.

For those who already have a relationship with Christ.

For those who simply call God their Creator.

For those who are beginning to explore their faith.

For those who are curious.

And for those who simply feel drawn to sit quietly, listen and see what unfolds.

You don't have to arrive with perfect faith.

You don't have to know all the answers.

You don't have to believe exactly what I believe.

You simply have to come with an open heart and a willingness to be present.

The New Moon is a threshold.

And perhaps the invitation isn't to become someone new overnight.

Perhaps it is simply to pause long enough to remember who you are, whose you are, and what you are carrying into the month ahead.

Remember. Rest. Receive. Rejoice.

That is the rhythm we're beginning to explore together at Aligned Healing.