The Moon orbits the Earth every 29.5 days and goes through a cycle of eight major phases. Each phase offers a different energy and opportunity.
It’s important to understand the phase you’re in and to use its energies to turbocharge your manifestation rituals. This is called moon mapping and it’s a great way to align your life with the phases of the Moon.
New Moon
The new moon is a monthly gift from the universe. It’s a time to set new intentions, start fresh projects, and kick off life-changing transitions.
During this phase, we’re still in the waxing stage of the lunar cycle and only a fraction of the illuminated moon is visible from Earth. The illuminated area of the disk gradually decreases until the entire Moon is completely dark.
It’s important to know that the Moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical, so the distance between it and Earth changes throughout the lunar month. The point closest to Earth is called perigee and the farthest is called apogee.
When the Moon is closer to perigee or farther from apogee, it takes longer to reach full moon and new moon. This can lead to a longer moon phase and, as a result, a bigger difference in the length of the lunar cycle.
First Quarter
Today’s moon phase is waning gibbous. It reveals that the illuminated fraction of the Moon’s disk is getting smaller and can be seen rising after sunset, high in the sky after midnight, and visible to the southwest after sunrise.
The waning phases are part of a 29.5-day cycle. The phases begin with new moon and then progress through first quarter, full, last quarter, and waning crescent until the next new moon.
This lunar cycle is called a synodic month, which means that Earth takes about 27 days to orbit around the Sun, and it takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to complete one orbit and return to its same position relative to the Sun and Earth.
During this lunar cycle, the area illuminated on the surface of the Moon gets smaller and smaller every day, and as it shrinks, it becomes a waning crescent. This is a very special time to see the Moon, because it is the only time in a year when both sides of the Moon are illuminated.
Full Moon
The full Moon is the most visible phase of the moon and it is the brightest. It rises around twilight and sets near sunrise.
The moon cycle begins with a new moon and then goes through several phases: waxing (growing) and waning (shrinking). It takes 29.5 days for the moon to go through this cycle once.
Throughout history, civilizations and cultures have used the moon to keep track of time. This is why calendars are based on the lunar cycles, which include both new and full moons.
For Native Americans, each recurring full Moon was given a name to help them track the season. For example, the January full moon was called the Wolf Moon because the wolves howled outside Indian villages during this time of year.
Last Quarter
The last quarter phase is when the Moon is about halfway between a new moon and a full moon. It is a great time to make sure your goals and intentions are strong.
When the Moon is first in this phase, it looks like a disk that is almost fully illuminated on one side (in the Northern Hemisphere) but only half lit on the other (in the Southern Hemisphere). The area slowly shrinks over the course of the day, until it just looks like a thin crescent on the left.
This is the beginning of the waning gibbous phase and it’s not until it reaches this stage that the Moon will actually fully darken on all sides. It can be seen rising after sunset, up high in the sky after midnight, and then visible to the south after sunrise.