I've always been fascinated by the planets and stars, and how they can influence our lives. As a little girl, I would pore over astrology books, enchanted by the mysterious symbols representing different signs of the zodiac, and stare up at the night sky in awe and wonder. And staring back at me every night, listening to my prayers and secret wishes, there she was – the Moon.

There is something undeniably magical about the Moon. In astrology, she represents our inner world and emotions. It was a revelation to me when, as a teenager, I finally had a proper astrology chart done and discovered how much more there was to learn about than just my sun sign. But what I didn't know until a couple of years ago is how powerful it is to make wishes and set intentions in tune with the Moon’s cycles.

I had become aware of a growing trend within the mind, body, spirit community for people to come together, in person or online, and mark the key lunations with special ceremonies. I loved this idea, but I wanted to know more about the astrology behind it, so I thought who better to consult than our fantastic astrologer and author, Yasmin Boland?

Yasmin Boland with her fellow Hay House authors (l-r) Mel Wells, Rebecca Campbell & Lisa Lister

Yasmin shared with me her own passion for working with the Moon, and how it had transformed her life. She loved the Moon so much that she had even called her popular website moonology.com! Yasmin explained that what many deliberate manifestors don’t realize is that the energies around at the time of the New Moon mean that starting the manifesting process at this time dramatically boosts our chances of achieving our dreams. Conversely, the high point of the Lunar Cycle – the Full Moon – is a powerful time for shifting blocks and practising forgiveness. Working with this natural cycle can bring a sense of flow and ease to everything we do, allowing us to reach our full potential for joy and success.

But there is so much more to working with the Moon than this! Yasmin shared how we can go even deeper and make the most of each New and Full Moon depending on which sign of the zodiac they are in, deduce the part of your own personal horoscope chart that each New and Full Moon is affecting, and even use this information to predict what you can expect in the weeks afterwards.

We decided that Hay House readers needed this information, and the result is Yasmin's beautiful new book, Moonology.