Why the Moon is worth following

Of everything in the sky, the Moon is the easiest to feel. It changes shape from one night to the next, it moves through all twelve signs in about four weeks, and it completes one full cycle from dark to bright and back in roughly 29 and a half days. In astrology the Moon stands for your feelings, your moods and what you need to feel safe. Following its cycle is like having a gentle monthly rhythm for your inner life: a time to start, a time to build, a time to see results and a time to rest.

You don’t need a birth chart to use this page. If you’d like to know which sign the Moon was in when you were born, and why it matters, start with the big three.

New Moon and Full Moon, simply

The New Moon: beginnings

At the New Moon, the Moon sits between the Earth and the Sun, so its sunlit side faces away from us and the night sky goes dark. Astrologically, the Sun and Moon meet in the same sign. It is the seed moment of the month. Many people use it to set intentions: one clear wish, written down, for the weeks ahead. It doesn’t have to be grand. “Answer emails within a day.” “Call my sister every Sunday.” “Start the sketchbook.” The New Moon favors quiet beginnings over big announcements, so plant the seed and let it root.

The Full Moon: completion and release

About two weeks later, the Earth sits between the Sun and the Moon, and the whole face of the Moon is lit. The Sun and Moon now stand in opposite signs, pulling in two directions. This is the harvest point. What you began around the New Moon often shows its first results, and feelings that were simmering tend to come to the surface. Full Moons are traditionally used for finishing, celebrating and letting go: clearing a drawer, ending a habit that no longer serves you, saying the thank-you you’ve been meaning to say. If emotions run a little higher than usual, that’s the Full Moon doing its job of bringing things to light.

The eight phases of the Moon

Between those two peaks, the Moon passes through eight phases. Each one has its own mood:

1. New Moon. Dark sky, fresh start. Rest, dream, set an intention.
2. Waxing crescent. A thin silver curve appears. Take the first small step.
3. First quarter. Half the Moon is lit. The first obstacle shows up; decide and push through.
4. Waxing gibbous. Almost full. Refine, adjust and keep going.
5. Full Moon. Fully lit. See the results, feel everything, celebrate or release.
6. Waning gibbous. The light begins to shrink. Share what you’ve learned and say thank you.
7. Last quarter. Half lit again, from the other side. Clear out what you don’t need.
8. Waning crescent. The last sliver before dark. Slow down, rest and get ready to begin again.

“Waxing” means growing and “waning” means shrinking. A simple way to use the cycle: build and start things while the Moon waxes, finish and simplify while it wanes.

How the sign shapes each Moon

Every New Moon falls in the same sign as the Sun, and every Full Moon falls in the sign opposite the Sun. The sign gives each lunation (the astrologer’s word for a New or Full Moon) its theme. A New Moon in Cancer is a lovely time to start something at home; a Full Moon in Capricorn may show you how far a long work effort has come. The short themes in the tables below give you a starting point. To go deeper, read about the sign itself on the zodiac signs pages, or look at its element on the elements page.

It feels more personal when a New or Full Moon lands in your own Sun, Moon or Rising sign. Those are the dates to circle.

New and Full Moons in 2026 (November–December)

The year closes with a private Scorpio New Moon and a homey Cancer Full Moon on December 24: a good pair for clearing out the old and gathering the people you love.

New and Full Moons in 2027

Notice April and May: for two months in a row the Full Moon falls in Scorpio, first at the sign’s opening degree on April 20, then at its very last degree on May 20. Think of it as two chances to work through the same deep theme.

New and Full Moons in 2028

A strong Cancer thread runs through 2028. Two Full Moons fall in Cancer, on January 12 and December 31, and both are eclipses. Two New Moons fall there as well: on June 22, right at the start of the sign, and on July 22 at its very last degree, with a total solar eclipse. Measured in UTC, December also holds two Full Moons, on the 2nd and the 31st. A second Full Moon in one calendar month is what many people call a blue moon, though in time zones far east of UTC the second one falls on January 1, 2029.

Which New and Full Moons are eclipses?

An eclipse is a New or Full Moon that happens near one of the two points where the Moon’s path crosses the Sun’s path, which astrologers call the lunar nodes. A solar eclipse can only happen at a New Moon, and a lunar eclipse only at a Full Moon. Astrologers treat these as supercharged lunations, turning points whose effects play out over months rather than weeks. In 2027 there are five:

• Feb 6, 2027: New Moon in Aquarius, an annular solar eclipse.
• Feb 20, 2027: Full Moon in Virgo, a penumbral lunar eclipse.
• Jul 18, 2027: Full Moon in Capricorn, a penumbral lunar eclipse.
• Aug 2, 2027: New Moon in Leo, a total solar eclipse.
• Aug 17, 2027: Full Moon in Aquarius, a penumbral lunar eclipse.

In 2028 there are five more, and three of them fall in Cancer, as the eclipses move into a new pair of signs:

• Jan 12, 2028: Full Moon in Cancer, a partial lunar eclipse.
• Jan 26, 2028: New Moon in Aquarius, an annular solar eclipse.
• Jul 6, 2028: Full Moon in Capricorn, a partial lunar eclipse.
• Jul 22, 2028: New Moon in Cancer, a total solar eclipse.
• Dec 31, 2028: Full Moon in Cancer, a total lunar eclipse.

The times in the tables above are for the exact New or Full Moon. The peak of an eclipse can come a few minutes earlier or later. Exact eclipse times, degrees and what each one may highlight are on the eclipses page. For everything else happening in the sky, from season changes to retrogrades, see the full astrology calendar.

A simple Moon ritual

You don’t need candles or crystals, though you’re welcome to them. Try this for one cycle:

• At the New Moon, write one sentence about what you want to begin. Keep it small enough to act on this week.
• At the first quarter, about a week later, check in. What got in the way? Adjust.
• At the Full Moon, read your sentence again. Note what grew, and write down one thing you’re ready to let go of.
• In the last days before the next New Moon, rest. Clear your desk and your calendar a little. Then start again.

After a few months, most people notice a pattern: some phases feel easy, others feel heavy. That pattern is personal, and it’s worth knowing.

Questions about the Moon calendar