Understanding the Lunar Phases: Your Emotional Birth Promise

Astrology is an ancient practice that’s becoming more popular every year. It’s no longer uncommon to meet someone and learn that they not only know their Sun sign, but their Moon and Rising signs as well. But while astrology continues to grow, there are still many facets of the study that are less explored. If you know your Moon sign, for example, the next step to deepen your understanding is to discover your natal Moon phase. 

The Moon moves in cycles, just like our emotions. It’s an extremely powerful luminary to understand, both in the night sky and in your own natal chart. It represents how we feel nourished in life, and the people, places, and things that help us to feel safe.

The Moon changes zodiac signs every 2.5 days, and changes phases every 3.6 days, so it’s a very personal aspect of the birth chart. There are eight total phases and, of course, twelve total Moon signs. To find out what lunar phase you were born under, pull up your chart on astro-charts.com. After you input your birth information, scroll down to the section that says “Special Features” and you will see your lunar phase listed.

Once you know the phase of the Moon you were born under, a pandora's box of information is available to you that will help contextualize your life, and specifically your emotional rhythms.

If you’d like to become more familiar with your chart without the help of software, it’s easy to understand which phase you were born under based on the distance between the Sun and the Moon. Because the luminaries are conjunct each other at a New Moon, and opposite each other at a Full Moon, we can tell the phase the Moon was in at birth based on the degrees the luminaries fall from each other in our chart.

• New Moon: 0-44 degrees from your Sun
• Waxing Crescent:  45-89 degrees from your Sun
• First Quarter: 90-134 degrees from your Sun
• Waxing Gibbous: 135-179 degrees from your Sun
• Full Moon: 180-224 degrees from your Sun
• Waning Gibbous: 225-269 degrees from your Sun
• Last/Third Quarter: 270-314 degrees from your Sun
• Waning Crescent: 315-359 degrees from your Sun

Now that you know which phase the Moon was in on your birthday, it’s time to uncover what that means for you. It’s also special to note that when the Moon in the current sky is in the same phase as your natal lunar phase, you’ll feel an extra boost of energy and the emotional landscape surrounding you should feel familiar.

New Moon: Natural Leader

If you were born under a New Moon phase, you’re ready to break new emotional ground in this lifetime. Like the sky being completely dark during this phase, it might not seem like you have a lot going on around you at any given time…but that is purely an illusion. While all the other phases have some light of the Sun shining on them, you’re just as busy, but behind the scenes. You’re less focused on the public accolades and more concerned with ensuring all the pieces are being put in the right place- giving you the makings of a great leader. You have a powerful vision for your future, and people are attracted to your ability to see the possibilities ahead. It’s important for you to initiate things in your life and not be afraid to set out on the road less taken. You have immense energy for beginnings and will likely be confronted with building things from the ground up throughout your life.

Waxing Crescent: Driven to Accomplish

If you were born under a Waxing Crescent Moon phase, you’re busy with a mission this lifetime that’s likely well underway. Because the earliest seeds of growth are planted at the New Moon, this phase is still charged with that energy of potential…but now it’s time to start doing something about it. There is so much possibility and promise ahead, and these are the days when small actions begin to take shape to start aligning with your biggest dreams. There may be some frustration at this stage because inevitably reality can look different than what we had imagined. Despite any seeming setbacks, though, people born under the Waxing Crescent have an inherent drive to succeed and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. It’s important for you to trust your intuition and keep following the path you believe you were born to walk.

First Quarter: Transforms Energy

If you were born under a First Quarter Moon phase, you’re at a transformational crossroads in this lifetime. Because the Moon is halfway illuminated at this phase, you might feel like you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, but this perspective can be a gift. Rather than trying to play both sides, you know how to alchemize the energy of the before with the after to create an entirely new vision. You’re able to deeply understand what worked in the past, and let go of what didn’t, and it’s at this phase that you can make crucial decisions for moving ahead. You will likely be confronted with big choices throughout your life, and it’s important to trust the power of your intuition to make the right call. People admire your ability to be decisive, so when it’s time for a big decision, know that you have everything you need.

Waxing Gibbous: Gives Support

If you were born under a Waxing Crescent Moon phase, you’re polishing up your emotional landscape in this lifetime. You’ve been through a lot and are well aware that you’re close to a new precipice. But with that knowledge comes the desire to make everything neat and tidy before reaching the finish line. People understand this supportive side of you and appreciate your uncanny ability to clean things up before a big shift. There are lots of moving pieces in this phase, and you inherently know how to manage them all and put them in their place. This energy might have you helping others with ease and understanding the importance of flexibility when it comes to achieving set goals. 

Full Moon: Understands Reality

If you were born under a Full Moon phase, your emotions are meant to be witnessed unapologetically in this lifetime. You might feel like you’ve done a lot of the hard work already, and now you’re meant to enjoy the fruits of your labor. That’s not to say that your life won’t have any rough patches, as Full Moons are known to bring their own amount of drama…but it does mean that you have a certain level of experience under your belt. People see you as a confident and energetic person and someone who isn’t afraid to highlight their vulnerabilities. What might appear as a weakness to some, you know to be your greatest strength. Showing up authentically and yes, likely emotionally, is your superpower. Lean into all the big feelings that you’re faced with and people will gravitate to you as their greatest mirror.

Waning Gibbous: Seeks Purpose

If you were born under a Waning Gibbous Moon phase, you’ve reached many emotional peaks in past lifetimes and are now ready to integrate those lessons. It’s like the millionaire who suddenly decides to sell all of their possessions and travel around the world in a van- you’re ready to find deeper meaning in your life and believe there’s more out there than meets the eye. Rather than being driven to acquire more things like most, you might be a person who more readily releases. This ability to go against the grain and seek meaning in your life will draw the attention of others who are looking for something similar. You could find yourself inspiring others without necessarily intending to, by simply living your life in a way that feels aligned with your emotions. Sharing with others openly and honestly will always be a supportive act for you.

Last Quarter: Allows Closure 

If you were born under a Last Quarter Moon, you’re approaching the end of a long journey in this lifetime. Rather than being power-hungry or chasing after meaningless goals, you’re in pursuit of a relaxed state of mind that has transmuted many lessons. You would make a great teacher or mentor as you’ve accumulated lots of wisdom along the way and, perhaps most importantly, learned the valuable lesson of forgiveness. There’s something in you that intuitively understands that life isn’t just about reaching for new things, but that when you surrender control, magical new beginnings will fill in the void. Closure is an important word for you and will be great medicine throughout your life. When one door closes, another door opens, is a mantra that you identify with more than most.

Waning Crescent: Crosses Worlds

If you were born under a Waning Crescent Moon, your emotional landscape this lifetime is one of rest and rejuvenation. You might have an eerie sense that you’ve been here before and rather than starting something new…you’re finishing out a chapter. You might even be a bit of a minimalist and be frustrated by people who cling to old things too tightly. You inherently understand the power of moving on and the excitement of a fresh beginning just around the corner. When people you love are confronting endings, they feel comfortable in your presence because you know all too well what it feels like to release one story and move on to the next. Allow yourself to fully relax into the knowing that a new beginning is always just around the corner. The Fool card in Tarot will be a supportive and familiar energy to work with throughout your life.

The Next New Moon: Scorpio