The Moon undergoes regular changes, called lunar phases. These phases are a product of the Moon’s orbit around Earth, allowing different parts of its surface to be illuminated by the Sun over the course of a month.
The four main phases are new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. Several interim phases occur at halfway points between these four major phases.
New Moon
Every 29.5 days, the Moon cycles through four major shapes that repeat themselves. In between these moments are the intermediate phases, which we see on the Moon Phase Calendar as percent illumination.
The New Moon is the most fertile phase of the cycle, representing new beginnings and planting seeds for the future. This phase also encourages a time of introspection and reflection.
During the next two weeks, the Moon gradually appears to shrink, going through the last quarter, waxing crescent, and finally the full moon phases. This is a powerful time to reflect, recommit to the dreams and goals you set during the New Moon, and build on what you’ve accomplished in the past month.
First Quarter
The Moon goes through different appearance phases as it orbits Earth. This happens because the lit-up side changes shape over time.
At New Moon, no part of the Moon’s disk is illuminated; at First Quarter, half is; Full Moon is 100 percent; and Last Quarter is back to essentially 50 percent.
A Moon phase calendar can help you figure out when the next New Moon and Full Moon will be. It also includes other information such as illumination, distance from Earth, and position.
Full Moon
The Full Moon is the most dramatic phase of the moon, when 100% of its face is illuminated by the Sun. As the Moon orbits around Earth, it gets less and less illuminated.
There are a few things you can do during the full moon to help you bring your intentions to life. One is to create a manifestation ritual. Gather some inspirational objects (books, crystals, photos, etc.) and meditate on them for a few moments, visualizing yourself attracting exactly what you want to manifest in your life.
Last Quarter
The Last Quarter or Third Quarter Moon occurs around one week after a Full Moon. It’s often called a “half moon” because it appears half-lit in the sky, but only half of the illuminated side is visible from Earth.
This phase happens when the Moon has been traveling around the Earth for a quarter of its orbit. During this time, the lit area slowly gets smaller each day, until it looks like a thin crescent on the left side.
Waxing Crescent
A waxing crescent moon is one of the four main phases of the lunar cycle. The other three are new moon, first quarter and full moon.
This phase begins after a dark New Moon and lasts until half of the Moon’s visible surface is illuminated at First Quarter Moon. It also marks the time that a Moon cycle, or cycle of phases, begins again.
Waxing Gibbous
The Waxing Gibbous is an intermediate moon phase that occurs between the first quarter and full moon. It’s not listed on the calendar, but it’s one of the more visible phases of the Moon.
During this phase, only a small portion of the moon’s surface is illuminated. It’s a great time to see the Moon, especially when the Sun is low in the sky.
Waning Crescent
When the Moon is at a first quarter phase, it is between the Earth and the Sun, so only half of its surface is illuminated.
Next, the illuminated part begins to grow until it reaches a Full Moon stage where all of its surface is lit up.
This is an exciting time to see the Moon but also a time to reflect on what we’ve learned and accomplished over the last month. It’s a great time to take stock of our progress and begin the process of rebuilding our goals.
Waning Gibbous
The Moon goes through a number of phases each month. This depends on the amount of sunlight that it receives from the Sun, which causes it to appear different on each night of the month.
The first phase is a new moon, when the side of the Moon that faces Earth is not illuminated by the Sun. This is followed by a waxing phase, where the amount of illuminated surface increases.