The phases of the moon are the different shapes the moon appears to take as seen from Earth. The moon goes through eight phases that repeat every 29.5 days:
Moon Phases
New Moon
The moon is not visible because the illuminated side is facing away from Earth. A new moon is a lunar phase when the moon is between the Earth and the sun, so the side of the moon facing Earth is dark and the back side is lit up.
During a new moon, the moon is not visible to the naked eye because it rises and sets with the sun and crosses the sky during the day. The moon's shadow side faces Earth, and the only time a new moon is visible is during a solar eclipse.
Waxing Crescent
A thin crescent of light appears on the right side of the moon in the Northern Hemisphere. The illuminated portion of the moon is growing. A waxing moon is a phase of the moon when it appears to get larger each night, occurring between the new moon and the full moon. The moon's phases are caused by the changing positions of the Earth, moon, and sun relative to each other.
First Quarter
Half of the moon's surface is illuminated, forming a half-circle. The first quarter moon phase occurs when the moon is a quarter of the way through its cycle and appears half-illuminated from Earth:
The moon looks like a half-illuminated circle, with one side illuminated and the other shadowed. The side that is illuminated depends on your location on Earth. For example, in the northern hemisphere, the right half of the moon is illuminated, while in the southern hemisphere, the left half is illuminated.
The first quarter moon phase occurs halfway between the new moon and the full moon. It generally lasts around three nights. The first quarter moon rises around noon and sets around midnight, appearing highest in the sky at sunset.
The first quarter moon is an excellent time for viewing the moon because it appears high in the sky in the evening. The first quarter moon is also known as the first half moon of the month.
Waxing Gibbous
More than half of the moon's surface is illuminated, and it's getting larger. The waxing gibbous moon phase occurs when more than half of the moon's surface is illuminated, but not yet fully: The waxing gibbous phase happens between the first quarter and full moon phases. The moon appears more than half-lit, but less than full. You can often see a waxing gibbous moon in the afternoon, shortly after moonrise. It's also easy to see during the day because a large portion of the moon's dayside faces Earth. The waxing gibbous moon is a time for reflection and looking back on life lessons. It can be a time to adjust your goals and life path. It's also a time to celebrate achievements, embrace gratitude, and engage in self-reflection.
Full Moon
The entire moon's surface is illuminated because the moon and sun are on opposite sides of Earth. A full moon is a lunar phase when the Moon appears as a fully illuminated circle in the sky, as seen from Earth. This occurs when the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, so the side of the Moon that faces Earth is completely lit up by the Sun. The full moon can cause a surge of emotions, which can lead to heightened sensitivity, impulsive reactions, or unexpected insights. The full moon can represent a time of completion, fertility, abundance, and transformation. The full moon can be a time to look honestly at what is or is not working for you. The full moon can be a time to manifest your deepest intentions and aspirations. The full moon can be a time to harvest intentions set, celebrate achievement, and reap reward. The full moon can represent a period of closure and coming full circle. The full moon can affect sleep, which may then impact people's energy levels in the daytime. The full moon can be a time to charge your crystals by placing them somewhere they will be exposed to the moonlight. The full moon is thought to be the most powerful of all the moon phases. It can be a very personal time that can vary from person to person and from month to month.
Waning Gibbous
More than half of the moon's surface is illuminated, but it's getting smaller. The waning gibbous phase is a phase of the moon that occurs between the full moon and the last quarter moon. The moon appears less than full, but more than half-lit. The lit-up part of the moon looks like a hump-back. The moon rises after sunset, transits the meridian after midnight, and sets after sunrise. The waning gibbous phase lasts about 7.38 days before moving into the third quarter phase. The waning gibbous phase repeats every 29.531 days, which is one synodic month. The waning gibbous moon is best viewed late at night through early morning. When it's near the horizon, the moon can glow red like a misshapen full moon. The term "waning" means decreasing, and "gibbous" means "humped-back". The moon's phases are caused by the relative positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. The moon doesn't emit its own light, but instead reflects sunlight
Third Quarter
Half of the moon's surface is illuminated, but on the opposite side of the moon as during the first quarter. The third quarter phase, also known as the last quarter moon, is when the moon appears half illuminated from Earth's perspective. It occurs once a month, roughly three weeks into the lunar cycle, and is the seventh phase of the moon. The moon appears half-lit by the sun and half-immersed in its own shadow. It rises around midnight, is highest in the sky around dawn, and sets around noon. The moon is called the third quarter because it has traveled three quarters of the way around Earth in its orbit. However, from Earth, we only see a quarter of the moon that is illuminated by the sun. The rest of the lit portion is on the far side of the moon, which is not visible from Earth.
Waning Crescent
A thin crescent of light appears on the left side of the moon in the Northern Hemisphere. The illuminated portion of the moon is shrinking. A waning crescent moon is a phase of the moon that occurs between the last quarter and new moon phases. During this phase, the moon's illuminated area is crescent-shaped and the amount of sunlight reflecting off it decreases. The term "waning" means decreasing, which is why this phase is called a waning crescent. When the moon rises in a dark sky, it appears red due to atmospheric scattering. The illuminated side of a waning crescent moon always points eastward, or in the direction of sunrise. You can see a waning crescent moon in the east before dawn.
The moon's phases are caused by the moon's constant movement relative to the Earth and the sun. The moon orbits the Earth, and the Earth orbits the sun, so the moon needs to travel a little more than 360° to get back to the same phase.
You should take time to reflect at every points of the lunar cycle, journaling your thoughts, emotions, successes and failures.
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