Art Journal with the Moon: Themes and Prompts for April 28-May 4, 2025

In this post, I share a summary of the moon for the week of April 28-May 4, 2025 as it moves through the zodiac and interacts with the planets. I also talk about working with the waxing moon in your art journal.

Working with the Waxing Moon in Your Art Journal

This week in our art journals, we’re stepping into the growing, waxing moon energy and it’s such a beautiful time to really sink into what it means to grow something slowly, lovingly, and with intention.

We’re still working with the tender energy of the new moon. We just finished planting our seeds under the new moon in Taurus, and now we’re moving into those first quiet days after the new moon, where everything still feels fresh, slow, and delicate. It’s a fresh start, but because the new moon was in the sign of Taurus, it’s not a rushed start.

We’re being asked to move forward the way Taurus energy knows best which is leisurely, with enjoyment, without hurrying or pushing. There’s a kind of sacred slowness to the lunar energy this week. It feels like the earth after a warm spring rain. It’s soft, full of promise, but not ready to burst forth yet. We’re just soaking it all in before things really get going.

The waxing moon phases are a time of building.

After the new moon plants the seed, the waxing moon is when that seed begins to gather strength. It’s a time of movement, of setting energy in motion, of shaping and nurturing what you want to see bloom. Spiritually and emotionally, the waxing moon is a time for trust. It’s the tender, hopeful part of the cycle where you are called to believe in things you cannot yet see.

As with any new lunar cycle, the energy set into motion at the new moon carries all the way through to the next new moon, even into the full moon and beyond.

The seed planted at the new moon is not forgotten as the moon waxes because it’s the quiet heartbeat underneath everything.

So even as the moon shifts through different signs and has relationships with other planets and reflects a bunch of different energy to us day to day, it still carries the tone, mood, and sacred instruction of the new moon. This month, that means we are still carrying the Taurus themes: stability, worth, pleasure, nourishment, and the desire to grow something that lasts.

The Moon Dances In and Out of it All

When you hold the whole cycle in your heart, you start to see that every day, every phase, is both its own unique moment and part of a larger unfolding. Of course, the waxing phases feel different from the waning phases. Waxing is about growing, stretching, healing, reaching, risking a little more, putting energy out into the world. Waning is about sharing wisdom learned, gratitude, offerings, releasing, clearing, pruning, coming back inward. They are both necessary.

They dance together like the in-breath and the out-breath.

In my art journal, working with the waxing moon phases after a new moon like this Taurus one means focusing on what I want to nurture and grow in my business, but doing it in a way that feels aligned with my soul’s pace, not with the hurried pressure of the outside world. It’s about planting my roots deeper into self-worth, deepening my sense of stability, and choosing growth that is slow, real, and deeply nourishing. I might journal about how I am worthy of being cared for and supported or explore why my inner child is worthy of having her dreams realized or how I want to build offerings that feel sustainable or how I want to create spaces where both my spirit and my clients’ spirits feel cared for.

This way of manifesting with the moon is softer, deeper, and far more relational. I see each moon cycle as a mirror, a microcosm within the macrocosm.

The moon reflects not just what we want but who we are becoming.

Each cycle shows me where my soul is growing, where my inner children or my ancestral wounds might still need tending, where my deepest dreams are longing for attention and care. My art journal becomes the cauldron that holds all of it – my dreams, my wounds, my prayers, my healing and my magic.

So this week, if you’re taking 20 minutes a day to art journal with the moon with me every day, keep in mind that we are in that tender, growing time. We are saying yes to our desires, but we’re doing it slowly, like the earth warming in spring. We are not demanding instant results. We are tending. We are showing up a little more bravely each day. We are remembering that the moon is still carrying the Taurus seed of worth, of stability, of beauty and so are we.

When the moon moves into the waning phases after the full moon, the energy will shift once again. Then, it’s less about building and more about clearing and releasing. It’s about looking at what grew and asking:

What do I need to release?

What no longer feels true?

What worked and what didn’t?

What did I learn?

How do I want to give back?

Who or what do I want to thank?

What do I want to let go of so I can start fresh in a new cycle?

In the waning phases, my art journaling becomes more about grief, surrender, wisdom, and space-making. In the waxing phases, like this week, it’s about hope, steady action, allowing inner parts to surface then tend to them, soul-centered dreaming, and trusting the slow, sacred work of becoming.

Every day with the moon is an invitation.

Some days you move forward. Some days you soften back. But always, you are in rhythm with something greater than yourself and always, you are honoring the magic that lives inside you.

What The Moon Is Drawing Down to You

There are also a couple of important astrological shifts this week that I want you to keep in mind as well because, along with the energy of the waxing phases, the moon will be having relationships with some different planets and drawing down to us the energy that those planets are holding.

The first of these interactions is the energy being created by Venus and Neptune.

Venus moves into Aries and comes into close relationship with Neptune, who has just recently moved into Aries too.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been talking about that sacred space between the last degrees of Pisces and the first degrees of Aries which is a place on the zodiac wheel that holds special symbolism. 

In those last degrees of Pisces, we reach the end of a long, spiritual cycle. It’s where we dissolve, surrender, and release everything that no longer belongs. And as we step into Aries, we don’t just begin again. We are reborn.

Aries is the first breath after the letting go. It’s pure, innocent, unfiltered life energy rising up again. So when planets cross over this space, it’s like standing on the edge of water and stepping onto new land.

Something is ending.

Something brand new is beginning.

Venus is crossing this sacred threshold this week, and as she does, she meets Neptune, who is still carrying the shimmering, spiritual energy of Pisces but beginning to awaken into Aries’ fiery independence.

Venus and Neptune will share their energy from Wednesday, April 30 through Sunday, May 4, but the most powerful moment is on Friday, May 2. 

This is an energy of dreaming, longing, and deep spiritual connection. It’s a craving for something divine, something bigger than ourselves.

It’s like standing at the edge of a dream and reaching out your hand for whatever goodness the Divine has to offer you.

You might find yourself caught between what is and what could be. You might feel the ache of dreams not yet born, or the sweetness of a new dream starting to take shape in your imagination.

Venus and Neptune together are incredibly receptive. They open you up to the magic of possibility. But because Venus is in Aries which is a fire sign that brings themes of philosophy and independence and heat and passion, you might find yourself falling in love with an idea. Falling in love with a place. Falling in love with a vision of yourself that feels stronger, braver, freer than before.

What To Do with this Venus and Neptune Energy

It’s a good time to express your dreams actively, to create something, to move your body, to dance with your imagination without any pressure for it to be practical or make sense. This is a time to play without needing results. To explore without demanding answers. To let yourself be surprised by what lights you up, even if it’s not what you expected.

In your art journal this week, let yourself play the way Neptune and Venus are asking you to play.

Ask yourself:

What is my spirit longing for now?

What dreams are waking up inside me?

What would it feel like to move toward my dreams without fear, just curiosity?

It’s about planting wild, beautiful seeds in your heart and letting yourself believe in them even if you don’t know what they will grow into yet. Trust that the soil is rich. Trust that the dream is real, even if you can’t see the whole picture yet. Your only job right now is to say YES…for now…it doesn’t even have to be forever. You can always review and re-evaluate later.

You’ll see that the moon is drawing down this energy from Venus and Neptune a few times this week so connect to it and work with it in your art journal whenever you feel inspired to.

What to Expect in May

Overall, May feels like a get-back-on-track kind of month. After everything we’ve moved through in April, with all the endings and emotional deep-diving, May feels lighter, easier, and more forward moving. It’s the kind of energy where you can finally start to see some steady progress again.

Venus is in Aries all month and Mars is in Leo all month, and that brings a beautiful fire energy that can help you take action, make brave choices, and move forward with more confidence. Mercury, the planet of communication, commerce, and technology, is also back on track and moving full speed ahead now, which gives your thinking, conversations, logistics, and decision-making a really nice boost. You might feel like you can actually organize your thoughts and make decisions without second-guessing everything which can feel like such a relief if you’ve been in a fog or if you’ve been experiencing a lot of self-doubt or just felt low energy and low motivation in the last few weeks.

Of course, May is not without its deeper emotional moments. The full moon in Scorpio and Pluto stationing retrograde in Aquarius will still ask us to do some deep emotional excavating. But overall, the heaviness and slowness that has been hanging around is lifting. You can start thinking again about where you want to go next. You can start feeling the fire and the momentum build inside you. And you don’t have to have it all figured out yet. You just have to be willing to step forward, even in small ways, even if you are still tending to old parts of yourself that sometimes want to hold back.

If you’re a highly sensitive entrepreneur like me, this is a beautiful month to check in with yourself and ask:

Where do I want to expand in my business?

What new dream or idea feels ready for some steady attention?

Where am I ready to take a brave next step, even if it’s a small one?

Venus in Aries and Mars in Leo bring courage, fire, and boldness, but they also remind you that bravery doesn’t have to look like huge leaps. It can be as simple as speaking your truth more clearly. Sharing your work more openly. Asking for the support you need. Naming what you want without shrinking.

You might not create exactly what you want this month and that’s okay. Even just taking the time to consider it, to name it, to hold it close to your heart with intention, will help you move forward with more mindfulness and clarity.

This is a month to work with the fire energy, not against it. To let yourself dream a little bigger, even if you’re still moving at a sensitive, sustainable pace. You don’t have to rush. You just have to trust the direction you’re facing and trust that the small steps you take now are lighting the path ahead.

Let This Energy Guide Your Business

If you want to work with the moon in your art journal for 20 minutes a day to grow your business, I want to introduce you to something I’ve poured my heart into.

The Creative Witch’s Monthly Guide to Growing Your Business with the Moon and Stars

Each month, this guide gives you a place to check in and not just with your business, but with yourself. You slow down. You take a breath. You notice how you’re really feeling, what you actually have the capacity for, and what your business is asking for next.

You let the moon and the stars help you SUCCEED. You remember that you’re allowed to grow slowly, intuitively, in partnership with nature and your own energy. You make space for what matters most. And over time, something shifts and it shifts not because you pushed harder or hustled more, but because you started working with your energy instead of against it.

I hand-illustrated it because I wanted it to feel beautiful. I wanted it to feel like a little altar you can hold in your hands. I want it to remind you that your business can be a spell, a prayer, a creative act of devotion. A reflection of your soul.

If you’re longing for a way to grow your business that honors your sensitivity… that makes space for your body, your emotions, your spiritual path… that gives you support without pressure… I made this for YOU.

And I would be so honored for you to check it out and see if you feel drawn to it too (excuse the pun). 

Check it out Here

The Moon This Week

Now let’s look at a more detailed summary of the moon’s energy this week, giving you an overview of what to expect as the moon moves through different signs and phases. If you want to watch my videos and reels where I talk about how to work with the moon in your art journal every day and share with you the journal pages I create in my own art journal, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok. You can also sign up here, to get reminders in your inbox of the moon’s energy for the upcoming week and how you can work with it in your art journal to practice folk magic, do your deep inner work or, if you’re a highly sensitive entrepreneur like me, grow and expand your business. 

Monday

The week kicks off with the moon still being in the new moon phase and still in the sign of Taurus on Monday like it was yesterday when we set our new moon intentions.

This means we’re still moving very gently with that fresh-start energy, but the moon is now in a close relationship with Uranus, which adds a little spark of surprise or awakening to the day. It’s like the steady, grounded Taurus moon suddenly catches a glimmer of something new. Imagine something new and unexpected but exciting that can help you grow in a way you might not have imagined. Alongside that, the moon is also having happy, supportive relationships with Venus and Saturn, who are sitting together in those late, sacred degrees of Pisces. This brings a feeling of being lovingly supported as you move toward the future, but it also asks you to stay rooted in your values and the dreams that really matter to you.

This is the kind of moon that reminds you that you can honor both stability and change at the same time. You can stay grounded in what matters most to you while also being open to new ideas, new ways of thinking about your worth, your work, or your business. You might have a sudden insight today about how you want to structure something differently, or a new way to support yourself that feels exciting and true. Trust that even if it comes as a surprise, it’s here to help you move forward.

In your art journal today, I invite you to create a page around the prompt: What new possibilities am I ready to open my heart to, while still staying rooted in what truly matters to me? Let yourself dream a little differently today. Play with color or texture that feels both steady and electric. Imagine you are planting seeds that not only grow into strong trees, but trees that bloom with unexpected, magical fruit you could not have planned for. That is the kind of magic the moon is drawing down for you today.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents the possibilities your heart is opening up to.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, the moon moves into the sign of Gemini and has a lot of supportive relationships with other planets. It’s a busy moon drawing down and reflecting back to us a lot of different energies.

It’s the kind of day where things might feel active, full of movement and ideas, but underneath all the mental stimulation, there’s something deeper going on too. The part that stands out to me most is that the moon is in a happy relationship with both Pluto and Mars. It’s trine Pluto and sextile Mars, even as Pluto and Mars themselves are standing across from each other in opposition. So the moon is like a bridge today, holding and balancing the energy between these two powerful planets and offering it to us in a way that feels more accessible and helpful.

Pluto and Mars interacting can sometimes feel intense. There’s a lot of drive, a lot of emotional force, and sometimes a lot of pressure to transform or take action. But because the moon is helping soften and translate this energy, it’s easier to work with it today. You might notice a push inside you to make a change or to take a bold step, especially in an area where you usually hesitate. You might feel a surge of emotional strength or a clearer sense of where you’re ready to take your power back. Gemini brings flexibility and curiosity to all of this, so you don’t have to force anything. You can move lightly, explore your options, and still make meaningful shifts.

In your art journal today, you might want to work with the prompt: Where in my life or business am I ready to choose empowerment over fear? Let yourself explore this without pressure. You can create two sides to your page. Use one side to represent the part of you that hesitates or holds back, and one side representing the part of you that is ready to act, to speak, to move forward. Let the moon help you see both sides with love, and then feel into where your energy most wants to flow next.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents where in your life or business you are ready to choose empowerment over fear.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, the waxing crescent moon is in a close relationship with Jupiter, sitting right next to each other in the sign of Gemini.

When the moon and Jupiter come together like this, it creates an energy that feels expansive, optimistic, and open. It’s a mood that invites you to think bigger, to believe in new possibilities, and to let yourself feel a little more hopeful about where you’re going. Gemini adds a lightness and curiosity to the day, making it easier to explore new ideas without feeling weighed down by needing to have everything figured out. It’s a beautiful time to dream, to imagine, and to open up to a bigger version of what’s possible for you and your business.

This kind of moon reminds you that sometimes it’s okay to let yourself be lifted by the bigger picture. You don’t have to see every detail right now. You just have to be willing to say yes to the feeling of expansion, even if it feels a little bit scary or unfamiliar. The energy today is about trusting that there is more available to you than you may have believed before and letting yourself wonder what might happen if you say yes to it.

In your art journal today, you can work with the prompt: If I fully believed in the possibility of my dreams coming true, what new doors might open for me? Let yourself create from a place of hope and curiosity. Maybe collage images of places you want to go, dreams you want to grow, or simply let colors and words spill onto the page that make you feel bright, open, and expansive. Let this moon and Jupiter remind you that there is room for you, your dreams, and your magic in this world.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents doors of opportunity opening for you.

Thursday

On Thursday, the waxing crescent moon is in the sign of Cancer, and it’s having a bit of a tense relationship with Venus and Neptune, who are joined together in the sign of Aries.

Venus and Neptune’s energies are influencing each other and the moon is picking up that blended energy and reflecting it back to us in a tense way that stirs something inside us. 

Venus and Neptune together create this dreamy, longing, heart-wide-open kind of feeling. It’s deeply romantic, spiritual and imaginative energy but with the moon in Cancer squaring that, it’s a good day to consider where you feel pulled between wanting to dream big and wanting to stay safe and protected.

The moon is reflecting back to you the tension between your natural Cancerian needs for comfort, security, and belonging, and the Venus–Neptune longing for something magical, idealistic, and even a little risky. It might bring up old wounds around trust, worthiness, or whether you are “too much” or “not enough” for your dreams or your desires. It is not a bad energy. It’s just tender. It’s asking you to hold space for both the parts of you that long for magic and the parts of you that need to feel safe first. It’s such an important consideration to keep in mind when you’re a highly sensitive person with big, wild dreams. 

In your art journal today, you might want to work with the prompt: How can I hold space for both my dreams and my need for safety? Think about your dreams and your emotional needs and let yourself honor both. Maybe even draw a bridge between them. Let the moon help you see that you don’t have to choose between dreaming and feeling safe. You can find ways to weave them together.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents following your dreams while honoring your need for safety.

Friday

On Friday, the waxing crescent moon is still in the sign of Cancer and it’s having a tense relationship with Mercury, who is in Aries.

When the moon and Mercury are in a relationship with each other like this, it can stir up some tension between how you feel and how you think.

The moon in Cancer is soft, emotional, and nurturing. It wants to slow down, feel everything, and protect what matters most. But Mercury (your mind and thoughts) in Aries is fast, sharp, and impatient. It wants to say what it needs to say, make quick decisions, and move forward without sitting too long in the feelings. So today might feel a little like your heart and your mind are pulling you in different directions.

This kind of energy can make it hard to know whether to act or to pause. You might find yourself wanting to blurt something out or make a sudden decision, but your feelings might not be fully caught up yet or you might feel sensitive about how others are communicating with you. It’s not a day for forcing clarity. It’s a day for noticing where you feel rushed or pressured and letting yourself take a breath before you act or respond.

It’s okay to move at the speed your heart needs, even if your mind is racing ahead.

In your art journal today, you might want to work with the prompt: Where do I need to slow down and listen to my heart before I act? Create a page that feels like a soft landing place for yourself. Maybe draw a cozy, safe space, or write a letter to your heart asking it what it needs most right now. Let the moon remind you that no matter how loud or fast the world feels, you are allowed to move at your own tender, true pace.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents what your heart needs most today.

Saturday

On Saturday, the waxing crescent moon is in the sign of Leo, and it’s right beside Mars, drawing down a lot of fiery, active energy.

The moon is also in a beautiful relationship with Saturn, Venus, and Neptune while at the same time, the moon and Mars are facing off with Pluto in Aquarius. Once again, we find the moon touching that sacred space between the last degrees of Pisces and the first degrees of Aries, and if you have been feeling the emotional weight and magic of this space over the past few weeks, you are not imagining it. That tender, powerful zone between endings and beginnings has been lit up again and again, inviting you to really sit with the ways you are leaving old stories behind and stepping, even if slowly and imperfectly, into new ones.

The energy today feels bold because of Leo and Mars, but there is also something very tender underneath it all because of that continuing dance between Pisces and Aries. It is a day where you might feel a surge of courage to act, to be seen, to step into a new beginning and at the same time, you might feel old fears rise up, the fears that come when you are standing on the edge of change.

The moon is helping you hold both today: the excitement of what is possible and the deep emotions that come with letting go of what no longer fits. The opposition with Pluto brings intensity, but also the opportunity for powerful emotional breakthroughs if you stay emotionally and spiritually attuned to your experience.

Ask yourself: What part of me is ready to be seen in a bigger way, and what part of me still feels scared?

Let yourself honor both parts. Maybe draw a symbol of the brave part of you stepping into the light, and beside it, a symbol for the tender part that still needs comfort and protection. Let the moon show you that you can carry both. You can be brave and tender, bold and cautious, excited and scared, all at the same time. And you can still move forward, one gentle step at a time.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents feeling comforted and protected as you shine your light in the world.

Sunday

On Sunday, we greet the first quarter moon in the sign of Leo.

The first quarter moon is always a time of taking action. It’s that moment in the lunar cycle where we start to feel a little pressure to move, to commit, to do something that supports the intentions we set at the new moon. And because this first quarter moon is in Leo, it’s asking you to move with heart, with courage, and with a willingness to let yourself shine a little more brightly. Leo energy reminds you that your creativity, your joy, and your authentic self-expression are not just nice extras in your life or your business because they are essential. They are your magic.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents the part of you that you are ready to allow to shine more brightly.

with love,

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