Moon Phases in the Zodiac Signs

Eight phases. Twelve signs. Ninety-six ways the heart keeps time.

The Moon changes sign every two and a half days and moves through its eight phases roughly every month, so the sky is never in the same emotional weather twice. Each combination below has its own page, with what it reflects and the real dates it next happens, calculated with the Swiss Ephemeris.

New Moon

The Moon sits between the Earth and the Sun, so its lit face is turned away from us and it is invisible from Earth.

Waxing Crescent Moon

A thin lit sliver grows on the right-hand side, visible low in the west just after sunset.

First Quarter Moon

The Moon stands a quarter of the way around its orbit, 90° from the Sun, with exactly half its disc lit.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

More than half the disc is lit and still growing, rising in the afternoon and setting after midnight.

Full Moon

The Moon stands opposite the Sun, fully lit from our point of view, rising as the Sun sets.

Waning Gibbous Moon

The lit face is shrinking from the right, rising after sunset and staying up into the morning.

Last Quarter Moon

The Moon is three quarters around its orbit, 90° from the Sun on the other side, with half its disc lit.

Waning Crescent Moon

A shrinking sliver on the left-hand side, visible low in the east just before sunrise.