The moon carries pretty significant and specific meanings for different types of people around the world. A variety of cultures and religions used to worship the moon, and even used the different phases of the lunar cycle as a calendar. Many major religions still celebrate their holidays in accordance to the moon.
For example, Easter Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. The Chinese New Year occurs on the second full moon after the Winter Solstice.
The Eight Lunar Phases and What They Mean for You:
The moon has always played a significant role in human culture, religion, and spirituality. Many believe that it still has a profound effect on us to this day. The different phases of the moon carry important meaning in your life, and being aware of them is extremely significant.
New Moon:
The new moon is the first phase of the lunar cycle. It can generally be defined as a time of new beginnings and fresh starts.
It represents a clean slate or a blank page.
This particular time is meant for collecting your thoughts and planning out your mission for the lunar cycle, as well as getting ready to announce it during the next lunar phase.
Your mission can be anything from spiritual to physical to mental.
Whether your mission is to lose weight or learn how to play a new instrument, this is the time to plan out how you are going to achieve it.
Waxing Crescent:
The crescent moon is a time to announce your intent and hopes for the lunar cycle.
This “announcement” can be a social one, by telling your close friends or family or it can be a more personal one.
Writing down your plans in a journal or just listing them on a piece of paper is a good way to make sure that you will stick to them.
First Quarter:
The first quarter moon is the first phase of action in the lunar cycle. This is the time to carry out that mission that you planned for the lunar cycle.
It also encouraged you to meet the challenges that come along with it, regardless if you feel you are prepared or not.
You may need to make quick, on the spot decisions in order for you to progress in your mission, and even if it does not go as planned, it is all part of the process.
Waxing Gibbous:
The gibbous moon is the time to adjust and refine your action plan. Learn from the mistakes you made during the first quarter moon and grow from them. Reflect on your original mission plan; maybe you realized that you were working towards something you didn’t really want, or maybe your mission just requires a slight adjustment. Whatever the issue is, this is the time to reflect on it.
Full Moon:
The full moon phase is the time for you to be confident in your mission and go through with it. There is no going back after this phase. This phase signifies that you only have two more weeks to come through on your goal, and you must prove that your intention to complete it is strong.
Waning Gibbous:
This phase of the lunar cycle is a time to be grateful and to share your progress with supportive people around you.
At this point you should have proven to yourself that your intention to complete your mission was true, whether or not you have completed it yet.
Last Quarter:
This is the lunar phase where you have to let go and to forgive anything or anyone that you feel may have hurt or damaged you along the way.
This is the first stage of preparing yourself for a new beginning.
Waning Crescent:
This phase of the lunar cycle is meant for rest, relaxation and recuperation. No planning or carrying out goals, you are simply meant to recover from the previous lunar cycle so you can properly and effectively prepare for the next one.
For more information of the eight different phases of the lunar cycle, watch the video below.