Discover Your Moon Phase

What does it reveal about your personality and purpose?

Woman in dark landscape with setting sun and moon — Orlena Chernenko/Getty Images

By

Updated on 03/07/19

Are you a Full, Half-Moon or New Moon kinda person? Do you have a waxing or waning nature? Your moon phase is the sun-moon relationship at the time of your birth. It's the point you were born in the never-ending waxing and waning cycle.

The Sun is traditionally seen as yang, radiating, external engagement with life. The moon, is yin, the reflected light, the instinctual. The solar-lunar relationship shows how you take in and reflect back light (the energies in your environment). In his book, the Lunation Cycle, astrologer Dane Rudhyar wrote of the lunar phases as an accurate indicator of life purpose and basic personality.

What's Your Moon Phase?

The lunar phases come from the four crossroads points (Full, New and Half Moons), and four further divisions within those. There are a total of eight moon phases and calculating your natal moon phase can be enlightening. You can input your birth year and month at StarDate.org to see the moon phases and find your day.

New Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: First days after Dark Moon up to 3 ½ days
Degree: 0 to 45 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: birth; creativity surges; acting on impulses;

Crescent Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: 3 ½ to 7 days after the New Moon
Degree: 45 to 90 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: green shoots; being in motion; emerging

First Quarter Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: 7 to 10 1/2 days after the New Moon
Degree: 90 to 135 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: to provoke change, seize the day; risks to stretch into new; growing pains and rewards

Gibbous Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: 7 to 10 1/2 days after the New Moon
Degree: 90 to 135 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: consolidating gains and expanding; testing for durability; growth

Full Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: 15 to 18 ½ days after the New Moon
Degree: 180 to 225 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: culmination; shining outward; achievement; presentation

Disseminating Gibbous Moon Phase

On the Lunar Calendar: 3 ½ to 7 days after the Full Moon
Degree: 225 to 270 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: scattering seeds; to spread the message; teach

Third Quarter Moon

On the Lunar Calendar: 7 to 10 ½ days after the Full Moon
Degree: 270-315 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: reality check; tough decisions to clear old; a crossroads to let go

Balsamic/Dark Moon

On the Lunar Calendar: 10 ½ days after the Full Moon, up to the New Moon
Degree: 315-360 degrees ahead of the Sun
Inner Directive: going inward, preparation for new