Moon Mondays: Why setting intentions leaves you stuck

For years, I was the queen of new moon intention-setting. Ceremony after ceremony, moon after moon, relentlessly without fail, I’d gather under the stars or at my altar, surrounded by crystals, candles, and the cleansing scent of sage. I’d write my longed-for intentions on beautiful paper, anoint them with sacred oils, and tuck each one into my special carved sandalwood box — convinced I was manifesting my dreams.

Month after month, nothing changed. I’m embarrassed to confess, I often couldn’t even remember what I’d written the cycle before. It became a kind of cosmic “set it and forget it” game, but I wasn’t manifesting squat.

Here’s the truth no one on spiritual Instagram reels will tell you: Just setting intentions with the new moon isn’t enough. Wishing on a moonbeam, double crossing your fingers, sprinkling essential oils on your altar isn’t going to cut it. The cosmos doesn’t work like that.

Eventually (more moons than I’d like to admit) I realized: The universe doesn’t deliver our dreams just because we wish hard enough. We have to show up and co-create with it. We must do the work. That was my turning point — when I stopped outsourcing my dreams to the moon and started taking aligned, real-world action.

Manifesting isn’t passive — it’s participatory. We’ve got to meet the universe halfway (at least) doing the gritty, courageous, dirty work that creates real change. That’s where true transformation happens.

Scorpio’s new moon invites you to do just that

This week’s Scorpio moon and sun meetup (exact late Wednesday night) isn’t about perfect words on fancy paper. It’s about facing what’s been buried, reclaiming your power, and making something move.

Scorpio is the emotional spelunker of the zodiac — the archetype that gets off on diving deep into the shadow, the pain, and the truth we usually avoid. This isn’t a soft, fluffy, gentle moon; it’s a cosmic summons to excavate.

Adding intensity, Mercury is cazimi at this new moon — meaning our messenger planet is aligned with the heart of the sun — bringing clarity, illumination, and direct insight from source, increasing our inner awareness and consciousness.

At the same time, both Venus and Mars are disappearing behind the Sun, beginning their own underworld journeys. The ancients saw this moment, when the horizon seemingly swallowed up a planet, as sacred purification and alchemical transformation. Venus and Mars hiding within the sun’s rays, illustrates this is a time when our inner feminine and masculine energies can recalibrate, inviting us into deeper, more intentional unity and wholeness.

When you notice the sun this week, feel the moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars — all aligned with the source of life on our planet. Take a moment to connect with this exceptional communion and sense what it offers you. Over the coming weeks, Venus and Mars will draw closer to both the sun and each other, traveling together behind its radiant light.

This is your moment to act.

Ask yourself: What’s one thing in my life that feels stuck, exhausting, or just plain done? Where am I finally ready to break free and move forward? Keep it concrete and doable — something you can realistically shift between now and February, when Venus rises again, into the evening western sky, after the sun sets.

That’s the real magic of working with the astrology: aligning intention with consistent, conscious action. 

Awareness plus movement equals transformation.

This week under the Scorpio new moon, take one simple, brave step toward change. Journal, meditate, or name the pattern that’s been holding you hostage. Then take one teeny, tiny action to move the energy — set a boundary for yourself, deal with your addictive scrolling, finally clear off the dining room table clutter or simply sit with any discomfort you’ve been avoiding.

That’s how we honor Scorpio’s power: bringing light to the darkness, awareness to the unconscious, and motion to what’s been stuck.

Next week, both Mercury and Saturn station direct, and life will start speeding up again. Right on time for the Thanksgiving slam. Use this quieter moment to get crystal clear on what truly matters, so when the momentum returns, you’re ready to move with it.

When we stop just setting intentions — and start living them — that’s where the real magic begins.

Sheridan Semple helps women break free from burnout and second-guessing to reclaim clarity, confidence, and control. A bold feminist astrologer and certified astrology life coach, she’s the founder of Moon Sisters Circle. Discover more at sheridansemple.com.