Every autumn there is a moment when the year seems to take a breath. The summer is over, the diary fills up again, and somewhere between the school run and the first dark evenings a quiet thought arrives: I would like to begin something. Not in January, with everyone else. Now.
If that thought has been following you around, you are right on time. On Saturday 10 October 2026 the moon is new, and this time it falls on the tenth day of the tenth month. This letter tells you what a new moon has always meant, what the 10/10 adds to it, and how to set your own intention for it.
When is the new moon in October 2026?
The new moon falls on Saturday 10 October 2026. It is the quietest point of the moon's month, the moment the sky is dark and the next cycle begins. In numbers it is also the 10/10: a one for beginnings and a zero for everything still possible, twice over. A clean page, with your name on it.
Older than any of us
People have met the new moon with small gestures for as long as there are records of it. In Britain and Ireland the old custom was to greet the first sliver of a new moon with a bow or a curtsy, and to turn over the coins in your pocket so that they would grow with the waxing moon; some sat on a gate or a stile and made a wish to dream of the one they would love. In the Jewish calendar every month begins with the new moon, Rosh Chodesh, a day long cherished by women as their own. And in many calendars, from the Islamic to the Chinese, a new month still begins with the new moon or the first crescent after it.
I love how practical all of them are. Nobody waited for a sign. They turned a coin, spoke a wish, and began the month on purpose. The new moon was simply the agreed moment to start again, and everyone knew it.
At my table on the new moon
Every new moon I sit down with the intentions entrusted to me for that moon. On Saturday 10 October yours goes on paper in your own words, with your name, among what belongs to a new moon: a few seeds, a white candle, green aventurine for growth. I speak your intention aloud in the present tense, as already true, and I hold it until it feels planted. What stirs in the flame then is part of what I write to you, and your report is in your inbox the day after.
This is my New Moon Intention Ritual. You can order it until Friday 9 October; anything that arrives later joins the next new moon, and I tell you so by e-mail. It comes with a few small gestures to carry with you in the days that follow, a check-in from me afterwards, and my guide After Your Reading. If you have questions of your own for the month ahead, a Questions Reading beside it is half price.
See it, feel it, draw it in
Here is what I believe, and what I work with every day: what you hold in your mind with feeling, you draw towards you, the way a magnet does. That is the law of attraction, and every new moon custom knew it long before it had a name. The coin turned in the pocket was a picture of plenty. The wish on the stile was a picture of love. A picture alone is a wish; the feeling is what gives it pull.
So on the evening of the new moon, or on any evening before it, light a candle and pour a glass of water. Write one intention on a slip of paper, as if it is already true: "I am in the work that fits me", "My home is calm and full of light", "I am at peace with what happened". One is stronger than three. Close your eyes and step inside it until you can feel it in your body. Then say it aloud once, drink the water, and turn over a coin in your pocket, the way people have for centuries.
The next day, do one small thing that the person in your intention would do. That is where the new month really begins.
What came back to my table
"It's just what I expected and more. She provides a very thorough and thoughtful explanation of her process and what can be expected. She's very attentive and warm, it was a very wonderful experience."
Tamara, September 2026
"I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders thank you!! Will come back soon"
Donna, July 2026
I read every one of these twice, and I am grateful for each. Letters like these are why every new moon still feels new to me.
Questions people ask me about the new moon
When is the new moon in October 2026?
On Saturday 10 October 2026. It is also the 10/10, the tenth day of the tenth month, which makes it a lovely date for a fresh start.
What is the 10/10 portal?
The 10/10 is a date many people treat as a doorway for new beginnings: the 1 stands for beginnings and the 0 for wholeness and everything still possible. In 2026 it falls on the new moon, so both point the same way. I wrote more about the number in my letter on angel number 1010, and everything about the day itself is on my 10/10 portal page.
What should I write as a new moon intention?
One intention, in your own words, as if it is already true. "I am in the job that fits me" works better than "I hope to find a job". One is stronger than three.
Until when can I order the New Moon Intention Ritual?
Until Friday 9 October 2026. Your intention is held on Saturday 10 October and your report is in your inbox the day after, on Sunday 11 October. Anything that arrives later joins the next new moon, on Monday 9 November, and I tell you so by e-mail. Every moon date until the end of 2027 is on my moon rituals page.
What can I expect?
A ritual held with care on the day of the new moon, a report written for you alone, and afterwards I check in with you. I promise no outcome: this is spiritual guidance, offered for entertainment purposes, alongside good advice and never instead of it. Your own choices remain the strongest force.
The moon begins again every month, and so can you. Begin this one on purpose.
Ivy
