The moon phases for september invite us to slow down and reclaim our connection to the natural world. They also provide a potent source of spiritual energy that can help us connect to our innermost selves.
Each phase has a distinct meaning and is associated with a unique time for ritual. Take advantage of each phase by creating practices that harness the energy of that specific stage.
Full Moon
The September Full Moon, also known as the Harvest Moon, will rise in the East shortly after sunset on Friday and Saturday (September 9 and 10). This is the closest full Moon to the autumn equinox, which occurs on 23 September.
The close proximity of a full Moon to an equinox makes it a special time to observe the moonlight. As Lawrence points out, “the nearest full Moons to an equinox have the property that their fuller phases rise from one night to the next, with minimal difference in time.”
It’s also an opportunity to check out Jupiter and Saturn, which will be near this moon on the nights before and after. In addition, Venus will be in her waxing crescent phase, and Mars will be in her first quarter.
You may find that some relationships are highlighting areas about yourself that need attention, so be ready to make changes and to take your relationships to the next level! Pluto is also involved in this full Moon, and his involvement could lead to a breakthrough, an epiphany or a desire to move forward in a new way.
You’ll be able to see the Full Moon in your neighborhood on the night of September 10, 2022, when it rises just after sunset. It’ll look completely round and bright, like a ring of fire around the horizon. This is a time to take stock of your life, to consider the lessons that you’ve learned so far and to let go of old patterns that no longer serve you.
New Moon
Each month, the moon moves between Earth and the sun to become a new moon. Because the moon’s near side isn’t illuminated by the sun, the new moon phase can look almost invisible from our vantage point.
A new moon is a time for beginnings and change, as the lunar cycle resets itself each month. Think new ideas, new perspectives, and new relationships.
The new moon in Libra on September 25 is a special time to set your intentions for the next two weeks and months. Specifically, it’s an ideal time to make a list of how you want to improve your relationships and balance your finances.
It’s also a great time to think about how you give and receive in your relationships. With Jupiter in opposition, this new moon asks you to take a hard look at how you approach your one-on-one connections.
You might be more prone to pouring a lot of your energy into building your relationships now, especially with Mars, the planet of action, in Gemini forming a harmonious trine to Saturn, the planet of boundaries and hard work, in humanitarian Aquarius.
Whether you’re planning a romantic date or just hanging out with your besties, this new moon is reinforcing the importance of balance and harmony in your social life. If you’re not able to find the right balance between work and play, this moon is reminding you that it’s time to make a change in your schedule.
Waxing Crescent
The Waxing Crescent phase of the Moon occurs after the New Moon, when the Sun and Earth are on opposite sides of the moon. This means that the illuminated part of the moon is growing, as it moves toward the full Moon phase.
The waxing crescent is a good time to observe the sky with a pair of binoculars or a telescope. It is also a great time to take a photo of the Moon.
At the start of this phase, a small portion of the Moon is directly illuminated by the Sun, but the rest is dimly illuminated by indirect sunlight reflected from Earth. This is known as earthshine, and can be a beautiful sight in early spring or late fall.
When the Moon is in this phase, it usually rises before noon and sets shortly after midnight. It is visible throughout the day, and it is a good time to see it if you live in an area where it gets dark enough for stars to be seen at night.
The waxing crescent is a good Moon phase to watch for because it is the first of the main four principal phases, which occur every month at approximately the same time and in the same location. The other three are the new moon, the first quarter, and the full moon. The waxing crescent phase is easy to spot as it looks like a thin sliver of a moon, with the illuminated part growing in illumination.
Waning Crescent
During the Waning Crescent Moon phase, the night side of the moon is facing Earth with a decreasingly thin crescent being illuminated. This is one of the best times to view the moon and the moon’s surface features such as craters and mountains.
As the Moon is on a cyclical path around the Earth, it has eight phases that correlate to distinct positions of the Moon, Sun and Earth. These moon phases show the exact shape of the moon’s disc created by sunlight reflecting off of its surface and whether the Moon is in the process of increasing (waxing) or decreasing (waning).
The curved sickle-shaped crescent of the Moon has points, or horns, aimed upward from the horizon during evening twilight. This form is most visible from the northern hemisphere, but it also occurs year-round from the tropics.
In a waning crescent, the light-up portion of the Moon decreases from 49.9% to 0.1%, which is a significant change in contrast from the Full Moon’s 50% illumination. The waning crescent phase lasts until the following New Moon, when it will begin its next cycle.
This waning crescent phase is usually seen in the morning sky, but it can sometimes be seen during the day as well. The curved line dividing the illuminated and dark part of the moon’s crescent is known as its terminator. It can appear on the right, left or top of the moon’s crescent. This is because the orientation of the moon in the night sky depends on many factors such as your location and the time.
First Quarter
The first quarter phase of the moon occurs halfway between new moon and full moon. This half-illuminated moon can be seen high in the sky during daytime. It rises around midday and sets about six hours later.
It is also known as the Harvest Moon. This is a time to celebrate harvests and other agricultural celebrations.
On this date, the Sun and Moon are not aligned, but meet at a large angle, so their combined tidal force is weak. This tidal force can cause Earth’s oceans to have a neap tide, which is lower than normal.
In addition to this, the first quarter phase of the moon is called a waxing moon because the illuminated portion of the Moon’s surface as seen from Earth is increasing. This waxing process can last for one-quarter of a synodic month, or 7.38 days on average.
The phases of the Moon are an important part of astronomy, as they tell us something about the appearance of the Moon and the way that it orbits Earth. There are many different appearances, from the d-shaped quarter moon to the nearly complete gibbous Moon.
Last Quarter
As the Moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way, from new to full and back again. It also changes how much of its disk we can see.
The four primary phases of the Moon rise and set at a specific time, while the intermediate phases occur over a longer period of time. The time between the two is referred to as a synodic month, which lasts 29.5 days (not including any gaps between full and new moon or vice versa).
In this calendar, you can see how much of the Moon’s disk is illuminated from each phase, called percent illumination. The percentage of the disk illuminated during each phase increases, as seen from a northern latitude, from new to first quarter and decreases, as seen from a southern latitude, from first quarter to last quarter.
It’s important to note that the varying amount of illumination that occurs throughout a cycle of moon phases is due to the fact that the Moon is tilted by about 5 degrees relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The lunar libration that causes some of the Moon’s back side to be visible during some nights is due to a phenomenon called the tidal bulge, which is a small effect that only occurs during a specific lunar orbit.
If you want to learn more about the moon’s phases, there are many online and mobile stargazing apps that will provide you with a complete lunar calendar for any date. They will show you the next full moon, first quarter and last quarter phases for any date, as well as how cloudy the sky is expected to be on that day. You can even view the moon cycle for any date, and get notifications when the moon reaches a particular phase!