The moon is one of the most divine and mysterious energy sources available to us. Not only does it provide a truly captivating view in the night sky, but it also has the natural ability of connecting directly with our subconscious and helping us to heal in a number of ways. While the new moon and the full moon are most known for their empowering energies, the other phases of the moon are just as powerful and offer their own healing vibrations in many other ways. And today, we’re going to talk all about them.
In this article, we’re going to cover the meaning behind the eight phases of the moon. We’re going to talk about what each moon phase means, the unique energy they give off, and how you can work more closely with them to perform self-care practices to heal, grow, and align more intentionally in your life than ever before. Let’s get started.
Key energies: Intention setting, new beginnings, and manifestations
Affirmation for the new moon: “I let go of the old and embrace new beginnings.”
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Starting with the new moon, this moon phase is all about starting a new energy cycle. It is a time for embarking on new beginnings and is a great time to reconnect with yourself and your current goals. As a result, self-care practices involving all things new are a great idea.
For this, one of our favorite things to do is to journal. Since the new moon is considered to be the blank slate of the moon cycle, this is an excellent time to dive deep into yourself and reflect on your life, where it was, where it is now, and where you want it to be. You can write down your goals for the next moon cycle and what steps you’re going to take to reach them, as well as recite a few inspiring affirmations in line with your goals. We also recommend revisiting these goals periodically throughout all cycles of the moon and rereading them each day to help you focus on keeping them flowing. If it helps, you can also create a vision board to help gather your thoughts in a creative and soul-rejuvenating way and can allow for more personal expression.
More than anything, the new moon is a great time to inspire yourself, visualize, and align more with your personal manifestations as you nurture your soul towards reaching all of your dreams.
Key energies: Taking action, expansion, and forward movement
Affirmation for waxing crescent: “I deserve all the good coming to me.”
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Next, the waxing crescent is all about manifestation and taking action. Now is the time that we begin to gain momentum on our intentions set at the new moon and get an energetic boost towards bringing them to life. For that reason, this is a powerful time all about perseverance, confidence, and readjustment. However, it is also a time of maintaining balance.
As a result, you might consider taking some time to focus on reading and writing inspiring affirmations this moon. For this, we often recommend taking 5 minutes to gaze into the mirror in the morning and the night and say words of encouragement and kindness about yourself. Tell yourself you can accomplish anything, and remind yourself of all your successes in the past. More than anything, this is a great way to help keep you motivated and inspired towards all the things you're striving to accomplish and also remind yourself of how amazing you are every step of the way.
Key energies: Overcoming, growth, and determination
Affirmation for the first quarter: “I am capable of overcoming any obstacle in my way with courage and determination.”
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Next, the first quarter of the moon is all about keeping your momentum and overcoming any obstacles. This is a time of finding and maintaining balance in your life, calming worries, and pushing forward despite any doubts you may have. As a result, this is an excellent time to do more of what inspires and empowers you. Whether you prefer to get creative with art or music, pick up a new physical hobby and get your body moving, or delve into some inspired yoga or meditative practices, taking dedicated time to devote your mental and emotional well-being is essential right now. Not only can it help to encourage you to remain confident and inspired, but it can also help you keep your soul energy rejuvenated through all your hard work.
For that reason, make sure you make plenty of time amidst your movement and determination to maintain a good balance in your life and find your serenity. Key energies: Grounding, celebration, and adjusting
Affirmation for the waxing gibbous: “I am in alignment with the Universe and my highest good.”
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Next, the waxing gibbous is full of the rich energies of happiness, maintaining your commitment to your goals, readjusting, and celebrating. This is a powerful time of praise, reflection, and adjustment, as we continue to strive and push towards our goals harder than ever. As a result, you might consider taking part in practices that are able to quiet your mind, ground your energy, and can help you gain insight into your inner truth. Now is a good time to look back at all the success you’ve accomplished over the course of the moon cycle and celebrate how far you’ve come. Not to mention, grounding is also a key theme of this moon.
For that reason, many often welcome this phase by indulging in some form of celebration and grounding themselves in the company of those around them. Whether you choose to hang out with friends, treat yourself to a nice meal, or up your self-pampering to the max, this is a great time to show yourself a little extra love and nurturing as you praise yourself for how far you’ve come, and recharge your batteries to keep that momentum going as we approach the full moon.
Key energies: Release, letting go, and cleansing
Affirmation for the full moon: “I release all that is no longer serving me.”
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Next, the full moon is a time of cleansing and letting go. It is a time when the moon cycle reaches its peak, and you undergo a lot of personal change and reflection. For that reason, one self-care practice we love to do for the full moon is a cleansing bath. A cleansing bath can allow you the time to cleanse and release any lingering energies, as well as ground and rejuvenate your energy. Not to mention, it’s the perfect way to recharge your energy and relax after all the changes you’ve been undergoing in the moon cycle. You can add herbs, salts, oils, candles, and whatever you’d like to your bath to set the mood and help you relax. Not to mention, you can even take this a step further and visualize the water of the bath washing away any old lingering energies stuck to you to cleanse yourself once and for all.
Whatever you do, we are at the peak of the cycle now, so remember to treat yourself and show yourself a little extra love and pampering. Now is the time when all comes to completion, so celebrate your triumphs, look at how far you’ve come since the last full moon, and let go of anything that may be holding you back.
Key energies: Gratitude, release, and balance
Affirmation for the waning gibbous: “I make way for all things new and welcome all necessary adjustments into my life.”
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During the waning phases of the moon, all the energy is focused on letting go and releasing. This is a slower period after the full moon as we continue to release energy in our life that is no longer serving our highest good. As a result, now is a good time to turn inward and focus on decompressing and rejuvenating our energy as we make our way closer to the new moon.
In terms of self-care, we recommend focusing on some calming creative projects and spiritual practices. This phase, much like a full moon, is a great time for some more extra pampering, so you might consider getting a massage or even treating yourself to your favorite food. Whatever you do, the waning phases of the moon are all about self-love and channeling more of it for yourself as you begin to grow into a new you. For that reason, it’s also a good idea to sit down with a journal, reflect on all that you've accomplished since this last moon cycle, and write down positive affirmations for yourself for all that you’ve accomplished. You might also consider delving more into creative hobbies at this time and work to create something artistic through them.
More than anything now is the time to show yourself some extra love and kindness and focus more on the things that feed your soul, so don’t be afraid to put yourself first right now.
Key energies: Grounding, gratitude, and reflection
Affirmation for the last quarter: “I am growing wiser and more confident with each passing day.”
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Next, the last quarter moon is rich in the energies of gratitude and release. This is a time of deep energy reflection as we begin to look back on all the good and the bad since the start of the moon cycle. Now, we celebrate our wins, learn from our losses, and begin to work through how to readjust our goals as we move forward. For that reason, this is a powerful time of purging and detoxing energy as we begin to welcome new realizations into our space.
With that said, you might consider doing a cleansing of yourself and your home space, as now is the perfect time to get rid of any old stagnant energy lingering with you. For this, we recommend lighting candles and doing a gentle energy cleansing of your home with cleansing spray or incense. You might also consider going through your closet and getting rid of any clutter that may be filling up your space. Whatever you do, now is a great time to refresh your energy and the energy of your environment and clear away any old stagnant energy lingering with you to make way for all things new.
Key energies: Rest, recharging, and inner review
Affirmation for the waning crescent: “I am at peace with myself and have everything I need to achieve happiness.”
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And finally, as the last moon phase before the cycle repeats, the waning crescent is rich in the energy of soul recharging and rejuvenation. Now is a great time to take it easy, slow down, and prepare yourself to set intentions in the next moon phase. During the waning crescent, a lot of inspired thought often takes place and often brings forth many new energies of enlightenment into our space. For that reason, this would be a good time for you to focus on rejuvenating your own energy and taking part in restful activities that do so.
With that said, you might consider making some herbal tea, sitting quietly with your thoughts, and jotting down whatever comes to mind. Whether it’s about your goals, dreams, or lessons you learned, sitting quietly with yourself and allowing your soul voice to come through is an excellent idea. At this time, it is also a great time to get outside and ground yourself with the earthly energies all around you, as they may be able to help you not only rejuvenate your energy but also inspire clarity in your thoughts for the future intentions. You might even consider meditating with the setting sun or doing a little sunrise yoga to rejuvenate your energy.
Above all else, this is a beautiful moon phase to spend with yourself as you reconnect with your thoughts and all that you have learned over the course of the moon cycle and work to apply it to your future intentions. You can also check out our special Phases of the Moon Body Oil Collection to help you connect deeper with each of the unique phases in a variety of ways.
Overall, aligning with the different phases of the moon is a great way to help make self-care a priority in your daily life and keep in line with your goals. Not to mention, it can also help you to build a beautiful relationship with mother nature in a truly empowering way. Above all else, we hope this article has helped you to understand how working with the different energies of the cycles of the moon can help you to power your goals, align your energy, and teach you the importance of truly loving yourself through each one of your phases.
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Alisa
January 09, 2024
I love all the articles on Spirit Nest. This one in particular really spoke to me since I love aligning my energy and intentions with the phases of the moon. I am keeping this article handy as a guide to help inspire me throughout the phases.