The Moon goes through its cycle in about 29 and a half days, from new (invisible, beside the Sun) to full (opposite the Sun) and back. The phase on the day you were born is one of the oldest things astrology reads, older than most of the planets. Here is what each phase is said to mean.
New moon
The Moon was dark, between Earth and Sun, about to begin. People born on a new moon are said to carry a beginning in them: instinctive, fresh, a little ahead of their own understanding. They start things and trust what they cannot yet see.
Waxing crescent
A thin sliver growing in the evening sky: the phase of first steps. Builders with a long memory, carrying forward what they were given and making something new of it.
First quarter
Half lit and climbing: the phase of decision. Doers, who meet obstacles as invitations and grow by acting.
Waxing gibbous
Nearly full, swelling toward brightness: the phase of refinement. Perfecters, curious and thorough, always asking how a thing could be better.
Full moon
Sun and Moon face to face, the whole sky lit. Children of the full moon are said to live out loud, with feelings that show and a gift for relationships. Made for being seen.
Waning gibbous
Just past full, beginning to give the light back: the phase of sharing. Teachers and tellers, who make sense of what has happened and hand it on.
Last quarter
Half lit and sinking toward dawn: the phase of turning. Reformers, often a little at odds with their time, and right more often than they are thanked for.
Waning crescent
A last sliver fading before sunrise, close to the Sun, about to begin again. Old souls: wise before their years, intuitive, more interested in meaning than noise.
How to find yours
You need the date and, ideally, the time: the phase changes slowly, so the date is usually enough, except within a few hours of the exact new or full moon. The Night You Were Born calculates it exactly, draws the Moon as it looked that night (lit percentage and all) and reads the phase alongside your Moon sign. Get it on Etsy. For the coming year’s moons, see the 2027 moon calendar.