The Why: Lunar New Year & the Power of the New Moon
In lunar wisdom traditions, New Moons represent beginnings. They are the moment of stillness before creation, the fertile darkness where seeds are planted. Full Moons, by contrast, represent the harvest, illumination, and continued growth of what was previously sown.
Lunar New Year is the first New Moon of the year, making it the most potent energetic moment to consciously plant intentions.
During this threshold, we welcome:
- Good fortune
- A fresh start
- Good luck
- Abundance and prosperity
Not just in one area of life, but across all of it:
health, family, home, career, business, money, wealth, faith, and love.
Intentions are seeds.
This ceremony is the soil.
Belief, action, and divine timing do the rest.
Honoring Chinese & Lunar New Year Traditions
Attire & Decor: The Sacred Power of Red
We dress in red, an auspicious color in Chinese culture symbolizing vitality, happiness, prosperity, and protection. Red is believed to ward off negative or evil spirits and to attract good fortune for the coming year. This is why it appears everywhere during Lunar New Year, from clothing and lanterns to lucky money envelopes.
Traditionally, white and black are avoided, as they are associated with mourning, death, and funerals. Gray is also generally discouraged. These colors are intentionally set aside during Lunar New Year in favor of bright, vibrant hues, especially red and gold, which signal joy, renewal, and abundance.
Red Envelopes (Hongbao / Lai See)
The exchange of red envelopes, known as hongbao in Mandarin and lai see in Cantonese, is a centuries-old Lunar New Year tradition symbolizing the transfer of luck, prosperity, happiness, and blessings from one person to another.
Key customs include:
- Using crisp, new bills (encouraged but not required as some banks will not have them)
- Giving even-numbered amounts
- Avoiding the number 4, as its pronunciation sounds like the word for death
- Favoring numbers that include 8, which symbolizes wealth and prosperity
Common amounts include $2, $6, $8, $10, or $20, depending on what feels aligned and within your means.
Red envelopes are:
- Given and received with both hands
- Accompanied by well wishes of abundance and good fortune
- Never opened in front of the giver
(These are provided at the event)
While you may spend the money immediately, it is traditionally recommended to wait until at least the second or third day of the Lunar New Year, with some choosing to wait until after the 7th or 15th day, to avoid symbolically rushing the luck away.
The Feast: Abundance Made Visible
The Lunar New Year feast symbolizes unity, community, wealth, and prosperity. The table itself becomes an altar of abundance, with each dish intentionally chosen for its meaning.
Traditional Chinese New Year dishes often include:
- Eternity (Longevity) Noodles
- A variety of vegetables and fruits
- House Fried Rice
- An array of animal protein dishes—chicken, pork, beef, duck—representing wealth
- A whole fish, symbolizing surplus and continuity
Key Traditional Dishes & Their Symbolism
- Whole Steamed Fish – Represents surplus and abundance, as the word yú (fish) sounds like “surplus”
- Dumplings (Jiaozi) – Shaped like ancient gold ingots, symbolizing wealth and prosperity
- Niangao (Sticky Rice Cake) – Symbolizes higher income or elevation year over year
- Spring Rolls – Fried until golden to resemble gold bars and wealth
- Longevity Noodles – Eaten uncut to signify long life and good health
- Tangyuan (Sweet Rice Balls) – Represents family unity and togetherness
- Eight Treasure Rice (Babao Fan) – A dessert symbolizing luck and fortune
- Citrus Fruits (Oranges & Tangerines) – Represent good fortune due to their golden color
We make a small plate for our ancestors and the ancestors of the land we are occupying and place it under a tree before we serve ourselves.We feast generously.
We share stories, laughter, and presence.
Abundance is not just spoken, it is experienced.
The Intention Setting Ceremony
After the feast, we transition from nourishment and prepare for the work we came to do this evening.
Creating the Sacred Container
The ceremony begins with a smoke cleanse and blessing, after which we take our seats in a circle. Circles are ancient. They hold equality, protection, and shared power. The container we create is held in love and trust.
We are guided through a grounding meditation to center our energy and open our hearts. Vulnerability is welcomed, not from weakness, but from courage. We enter with the knowing that we are all in this together. If one woman wins, we all win. We delight in one another’s triumphs and conquests.
Speaking Intentions Into Being
Each woman brings her Lunar New Year Notebook (red journal of your choice), prepared in advance with written intentions. One by one, we go around the circle. Each woman reads her top intentions aloud, typically five or more, depending on the size of the group.
As a collective, we empower her intentions by repeating them back, spoken as if they have already happened or are actively happening.
Each intention is sealed with the words:
“And so it is. And so it shall be. So mote it be.”
This is not passive wishing.
This is active, embodied belief reinforced by collective energy.
Closing the Ceremony
The ceremony concludes with a moment of silence and stillness, allowing the energy to integrate. This is followed by expressions of appreciation and shared reflections from anyone who feels called to speak.
We then disburse, hugging one another, exchanging red envelopes, and carrying the energy of the ceremony back into our lives.
Why This Works
Women return to this ceremony year after year because intentions manifest.
When participants look back at previous years, they often find that more than one intention has come to fruition. And more often than not, it’s the “big ticket” intentions, the ones that once felt far away, that manifest most clearly.
It’s important to understand this truth:
Only that which you are ready to receive will manifest.
Ask, and you shall receive. But your work is not to wait.
Your work is to:
- Live joyfully
- Meet your responsibilities with a light heart
- Stay grateful for the life you already have
Trust that God / Source / Universe is already aligning people, places, and opportunities to meet you where you are and align you with what you desire, want and wish to have.
You do your part.
The rest takes care of itself.
Believe.
