New Moon Wishes and Burying St. Joseph

As the owner of a house that's for sale in "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression" (to quote the Wall Street Journal), I've been focused on the things we could do to make our property more marketable (read that: BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE). You know...things like fresh mulch on all the flowerbeds (check), fresh paint in neutral color (check), fix all known issues like leaks and broken tiles (check check), and update light fixtures in bathrooms and dining room (double-check). We even added new porcelain tile to the hall bath, using the extra tile from the kitchen project. Woo-hoo! Our Realtor assures us that the feedback has been positive for the most part...that our house "shows well" and is "priced right."

OK...add fresh flowers and freshly baked cookies and you'd think we'd be done with our "enhancements." You'd be wrong. There are still things to be done, like making my New Moon wish to sell the house...oh, and burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard.

I noticed on the calendar that today (January 26th) is the New Moon. That got me to thinking about making a New Moon Wish as another step in selling our house. What's a New Moon Wish, you ask? More on that in a sec, but first some background.

I once worked with a young lady who had more than a passing acquaintance with astrology. I mean, she used the language of astrology...and it didn't necessarily sound bogus when she said things like "the new moon is in Aquarius." Me? I know that I'm a Cancer, that the Moon rules Cancer, and that the sign Cancer "rules intuition, feelings, emotions, moods, Moon, mothering, roots, home and family," according to the New Moon Journal blog. I can relate, but I remain a skeptic...and therefore a bit amused when I read or hear stuff like that.

Still, this co-worker introduced me to the idea of New Moon Wishing, which she took to great lengths. I've forgotten all the specifics that she told me about the process, but through the wonder of the Internet I was able to click through to the basics, which I found on the Red Lotus Letter ezine (I see that astrology and Feng Sui have mind-melded here):

"Astrologers have long known that endeavors begun on a new moon have a greater chance of success than at other cycles of the moon. They have also known that it is a good time for making your wishes known as the growing energy of the new moon will help bring your wishes to fruition. But for the greatest success, you should follow the technique below.

How to Make Your Wishes for the New Moon

1. Write your wishes down. You must write them down on paper. Use red ink, or write on red paper, or put your wishes in a red envelope.

2. Write no more than 10 wishes. No more than 10 wishes and be specific. Instead of writing “I want more money,” write “I wish for a $10,000 raise this year.” See the difference?

3. Make wishes correspond with the moon’s energy. Each new moon is in a different astrological sign, such as Leo, Scorpio, etc. To make the most of the energy of each one, be sure to make wishes that have something to do with that sign, such as money or business when the moon is in Capricorn, real estate or social relationships when the moon is in Taurus, or the health concerns, such as back problems if the moon is in Capricorn.

4. Put wishes in your bed pillow for 30 days or place them outside where the new moon can cast its energy on your wishes. Sleeping with your wishes will keep you mindful and goal-oriented of what it is you want achieve. After the 30 days, put your
wishes into a “wish box” next to your bed. Don't like to sleep on them? Then put them next to where you sleep or in a special silver "wish box." *

5. Write your wishes at the right time. Timing is everything. So make sure you time your wish list correctly! If the new moon is at 3:00 a.m. or while you are sleeping, simply make your wishes before you go to bed. Try to make your new moon wishes as close to the new moon as possible and don't wait longer than 2-3 AFTER the new moon.

[NOTE: the article didn't say "2-3" what...hours? days? weeks? Bummer. --p.a.]

6. Is your birthday on the date of the new moon? New moon birthdays are extra potent! So, if your birthday falls on this day, consider yourself doubly lucky – and by all means, make extra certain to make a wish this day!
7. Sign and date your wishes. Always sign your name and put a date on your "wish list."

*(As I recall, my co-worker advised that your list be burned rather than slept upon, but I suppose there are different schools of thought on the issue.)

Anyway, lest there be any doubt...I wish for a full-price, no add-ons contract on our house in MO within the next 10 days. I also wish for a closing date of February 28 or earlier. I further wish that we get the house we want in NC without any problems.

(Hey, if I'm wishing about real estate, I thought I'd better be aggressive and throw in both houses...:)

Now, that only leaves St. Joseph. If I remember correctly, I first heard about this one when we lived in Ohio. A neighbor advised me to bury a statue of St. Joseph in the backyard (she specified "head down") in order to facilitate a sale on our house there. Hunh? Was she kidding me? Apparently not. If you Google "burying St. Joseph to sell your house," you'll get over 25 million hits. Amazing.

Here's a link to an article that does a good job of explaining this one (note that it is from a business-oriented site, Bank Rate.com):

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20040831a1.asp



I guess I'd better get out the shovel! Actually, since we are supposed to get 7 or more inches of snow tonight in MO...and since I'm still in KY awaiting better traveling weather conditions...I'll have to hold off on my spade work.