A new moon is the perfect time to celebrate new beginnings. Join me as I share the details of a dinner I hosted for friends on the first new moon of the year, a powerful time to set intentions for the year ahead. Using this as inspiration, you can host a dinner party for any new moon throughout the year as an opportunity to gather with loved ones and embrace the start of a new chapter.
Embrace the magic of new beginnings with a new moon dinner party.
Why host a new moon dinner?
A new moon marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle, making it the perfect time to set intentions and embrace new beginnings in your life. I hosted this dinner on the first new moon of the year, which is a powerful time to set intentions for the year – some astrologers would argue better than the new year itself! However, you can create a similar ritual during any new moon of the year. If you love hosting friends for dinner, why not do it on a new moon? It's a great way to create more connection with your guests.
Setting the Table
As always, I lean toward a simple table set-up. Here I've started with a tablecloth, our ruffled gingham tablecloth that I currently have on heavy rotation. For me this tablecloth feels special without being too formal, and I love the rich wine color. I've paired it with the matching reversible floral napkins.
For the flowers, I picked up two simple bouquets at my local grocery store and then broke them up and arranged them into glass jars.
Candles are a must. I placed a stunning white quartz candleholder I received as a wedding gift in the center of my table along with two wine-colored taper candles. Use your own favorite candles, whether it be simple white pillars or colorful tapers. You can add crystals to your table as well if you feel inspired.
The Power in Table Linens
My love for tablecloths runs deep. I find that the simple act of laying down a beautiful piece of cloth on my table helps set the tone and intention behind a special meal.
If you don't have a tablecloth, you can get creative with any piece of fabric you may have at home, like a favorite quilt or even a curtain or sarong.
And cloth napkins are always a must for dinner parties or elevated gatherings.
Planning Your Menu
There are no rules when it comes to what you'd like to serve. I always start with what's in season. For our new moon dinner party, the season was winter and in the colder months I always like to serve a soup. I tend to prepare vegetarian meals for moon rituals as they feel more in connection to nature. I love to prepare soup as it's simple and something that is prepared in layers, so I can focus on adding each ingredient with love and intention.
THE MENU
African Peanut Soup with Kale and Chickpeas
Dark Chocolate with Clementines and Grapes
I chose African Peanut Soup as it's a hearty, nourishing soup filled with lots of vegetables and colors. I like to serve vegetarian meals for moon dinners as it helps me feel more connected to nature. Get the recipe here.
Along with the soup, I served a delicious salted honey-butter cornbread, symbolizing abundance and sweetness. I use a mix of local cornmeal and sprouted spelt flour along with buttermilk in my cornbread. Pouring a mixture of warm honey-butter over the cornbread when it comes out of the over makes it extra-moist and delicious. Get the recipe here.
For dessert, I opted to serve dark chocolate (simply take your favorite high-quality bars and break them into pieces; I love Raaka chocolate and have a monthly subscription) alongside fresh, in-season fruit – red grapes and clementines. It's the ultimate girl dessert.
For drinks, I served wine and sparkling water.
The New Moon Ritual
For each guest, I've offered a small card with a pen, palo santo, and a crystal tied together. On this card you can write down your intentions or, in our case, word of the year. The palo santo and crystal are tokens for your guests to take home.
If you like to create place cards for your guests, you can write their names on the cards.
At the end of the evening, we each pulled a card for the year from one of my favorite tarot decks, You can pull a card for any new moon, as each moon cycle opens a period that will end on the corresponding full moon. As this was a new moon in Capricorn, that would correlate to the full moon in Capricorn falling in June or July (this year there are two).
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