Moon Phases Explained, and Simple Ways to Reflect With Them

What actually causes the phases

The moon makes no light of its own. Half of it is always lit by the sun; what changes is how much of that lit half faces us as the moon orbits Earth. A full cycle, from new moon to new moon, takes about 29.5 days — the origin of the word "month".

The phases are not caused by Earth's shadow. That only happens during a lunar eclipse, when the sun, Earth and moon line up exactly.

The eight phases

New moon (invisible, near the sun), waxing crescent, first quarter (half lit), waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. "Waxing" means growing; "waning" means shrinking.

Why it looks flipped in South Africa

Viewed from the southern hemisphere, the moon appears upside down compared with photos from Europe or North America. A waxing crescent here is lit on the left, not the right. So the northern rhyme about a moon shaped like a "D" growing doesn't work for us — in Johannesburg or Cape Town, a growing moon looks more like a backwards D.

Reflection prompts for each phase

There is no scientific evidence that the moon affects mood or luck, but its steady rhythm is a handy calendar for checking in with yourself. New moon: what do I want to start? Waxing crescent: what's the first small step? First quarter: what's getting in the way? Waxing gibbous: what needs adjusting? Full moon: what can I see clearly now? Waning gibbous: what am I grateful for? Last quarter: what can I let go of? Waning crescent: where do I need rest?

Try it this month

Pick one prompt tonight and write three lines. Come back at the next phase, about a week later, and read what you wrote. Over one cycle you'll have a small record of how your thinking moved — no predictions required. Our Moon page shows tonight's phase if you want a starting point.