The moon doesn’t always get its fair share of attention in popular astrology! Sure, we talk about your moon sign, AKA your natal moon, but people don’t pay as much attention to the moon cycles. The moon goes through eight cycles every 29ish days. The moon’s cycles today and the cycle you were born under both exert an influence on our lives. The moon moves through a cycle of eight major lunar “moments” we call phases, each with a powerful impact on our lives.
Think of each full cycle of the moon’s phases mirroring the full cycle of plant growth from seed to flower— whatever is planted at the beginning of the cycle matures over the course of the cycle and blooms at the full moon. We’ll tell you a little about how the moon’s energy shifts during each phase of the moon cycle, and how the phase of your natal moon might play into the whole lunar dynamic!
New moon
The new moon is dark and often invisible in the night sky, and full of potential energy. Associated with new beginnings, it’s a time of potent reflection and action that will take time for you to see its impacts.
Waxing Crescent
As the moon begins to grow in the sky, so does your chance to invest in the intentions and plans you began during the new moon. The more you tend to these goals, the more you’ll see their growth.
First Quarter
Take risks! It’s time to strike out and be bold in your commitments and your dreams. This is a moment to put yourself out there and embrace every impulse to push yourself to new heights.
Waxing Gibbous
Momentum kicks in and you may be asked to trust the process and persevere. Whether with new obstacles or an overwhelming amount of work to be done, don’t be daunted by the task ahead.
Full moon
A time to pause in gratitude and appreciation for how far you’ve come, and to assess what may need to come next. Success comes with intention and reflection, not just pushing forward.
Waning Gibbous
Time to take stock! How have your plans been going so far? Now is the time for adjustment, recalibration, and refinement as the moon continues to increase its luminosity. It might be time to bring in help, too.
Third Quarter
Pare back what isn’t working for you in this moment. Your reflection and your intentions have guided you this far, and it’s important to now listen to your intuition to bring yourself through to the next cycle.
Waning Crescent
Rest and stillness are part of every cycle, and preparation is as important a step as any other. This moment allows you to pause, take stock of how far you come, and connect with your inner energy.
Working with Your Natal Moon
Like everything else in astrology, the moon cycle does not exist in a vacuum and the energy associated with each phase does not touch all of our lives in the same way. As the moon cycles through its phases, the subtle influence of the lunar shifts affects our internal, emotional experience and this impact is felt differently depending on your natal moon. When you were born, your emotional center was formed by the parameters of the sign the moon was in, the moon’s aspects, and the lunar phase.
If your moon sign is the whole landscape of your inner world, then you could think of the phase of your natal moon as the kind of climate of that landscape. Like the weather pattern of a particular region, our natal moon phase indicates the basic vibration that our feelings and beliefs tend to take. Just because it’s always sunny in LA doesn’t mean that there isn’t the occasional storm, but storms don’t change the overall sunshiney vibe.
Even if the moon is not in your sign, an area of your life is still impacted by its movement. A Sanctuary astrologer can help you get to the root of this influence.
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