©Frédérique te Dorsthorst - de Muij
The Moon does not only go through its cycle in the sky.
She also moves in you in different phases. Both in men and women.
The exercise below invites you to get acquainted with your inner Moon. That part of you that feels when it is time to grow, to wait, to become visible or to disappear from the full light for a while.
Do I need to know something about the Inner Moon first?
No, you don’t have to know anything about archetypal work nor about your inner Moon. This exercise isn’t about doing something right or wrong. Just listen to your own inner wisdom and trust it.
But if you are curious? Read my blogs on this archetype
In the reflective exercise below you will go through the four phases of the moon step by step: from the silence of the new moon, through the first movement of growth, to the tension field of the crescent moon and the bright light of the full moon. Each phase asks you different questions and lets a different aspect of you speak.
Take your time. Write down what presents itself. It can help to focus on one particular theme, for example ‘your work’, but it doesn’t have to be.
There are no right or wrong answers. Sometimes you may not understand your answers (yet). Then write them down anyway and try to silence your own judgment about them.
What do you get out of this exercise?
The exercise helps you to:
- Gain brightness during a period that may feel a little dark or unsettled
- Listen to your intuition, without wanting to explain it immediately
- discover what wants to grow in you and what still needs protection
- experience what it is like to stand (carefully) in the full light
You can do this exercise separately, or in preparation for the Fantastic Friday Session on the Moon archetype. What you discover, you take with you. In words, images or a silent inner movement.
Give yourself this moment. The Moon does not reject anything. She only shows what is already there.
Instead of a visualization, you can also make floor anchors of the different phases of the moon and then stand on them.
Exercise: Meeting your Moon
Step 1 – New Moon | What is still dark?
5 minutes
Set your timer for 3 minutes. Close your eyes.
Imagine a night without moonlight. Everything is dark. You can’t see a hand in front of your eyes. That which is present around you in your work, in your relationship, etc., is invisible. Feel the darkness around you. Register what is happening in your body, but don’t do anything with it. Don’t analyze.
When the timer rings, open your eyes and, without thinking further, write down the answers to the following questions:
- Where do I feel uncertainty, doubt or not-knowing?
- What in me is still unformed or vulnerable?
- What theme in my life feels like “not ready (or maybe scared) to be seen”?
Conclude with this sentence:
“In the dark is now hidden…”
Write the sentence exactly as it wants to arise.
Step 2 – Waxing Moon | What wants to grow cautiously?
5 minutes
Imagine that a thin crescent moon appears. Still little light, but enough to see contours.
Reply writing:
- What in me wants to grow slowly?
- What am I curious about, without knowing where it’s going?
- What small movement does there want to be or come?
Make it concrete:
“If I don’t force anything, this will grow inside me…”
Let it stay small. This is not about goals, but about direction.
Step 3 – Half Moon | What requires choice and balance?
5 minutes
The moon is half in the light, half in the shadow. Both sides are true at the same time.
Write:
- In what way do I experience a field of tension?
- What do I want to show, and what do I prefer to keep with me?
- What attracts me and what repels me?
End with:
“To stay true to myself, I can now…”
Write without explanation, without accountability.
Step 4 – Full Moon | What is allowed in full light?
5 minutes
Now imagine a bright full moon. Everything is visible. Nothing needs to be hidden.
Write intuitively:
- If everything can be seen, what do I show?
- What happens to me when I am fully in the light?
- What do I feel in my body with this idea?
Conclude with this sentence:
“When I’m in my full light, then…”
Let the sentence end where it wants.
Closing – Listening to Your Inner Moon
2–3 minutes
Read everything you have written calmly. Do nothing. Don’t analyze anything.
Then answer one last question:
“What is my inner Moon trying to tell me?”
Write the answer in one or two sentences.
Finish with:
“I’ll take this with me for inspiration for the rest of the month … ”
Invitation
Inspired by this exercise and want to continue with it? Then sign up for the Fantastic Friday Session on January 29, 2027 at 16:00. In an hour and a half we dive deeper into the archetype Moon. You will learn her archetypal meaning and how to recognize this in your own life, or in that of others.
Put your notes from this exercise away until the Fantastic Friday Session on January 30th. You don’t have to reread or share them unless you want to.
The Moon also works if you leave it alone for a while.