Moon phase · 2 of 8
The Waxing Crescent Moon
A waxing crescent moon is the phase between new moon and first quarter, when the first sliver of light shows in the evening sky, less than half lit and growing each night.
The facts
The waxing crescent at a glance
| Order in the cycle | 2nd of 8, after the new moon, before the first quarter |
| Illumination | 0 to 50 percent, increasing nightly |
| Days after the new moon | Roughly day 1 to day 6.5 of the 29.5 day cycle |
| Rises and sets | Rises before noon, sets before midnight |
| Best viewing | Low in the western sky just after sunset |
| Lit side | Right side in the Northern Hemisphere, left in the Southern |
| How long it lasts | About 7.4 days on average |
Timing figures follow the U.S. Naval Observatory and NASA. The four quarter moments are instants; the phases between them are spans of nights.
The science
What is a waxing crescent moon?
The crescent appears a night or two after the new moon, when the Moon has moved far enough from the Sun for a thin edge of its day side to show. Look west just after sunset, where it trails the Sun down the sky. Each night it sets a little later and the sliver thickens toward the half. The Moon is not growing; the angle between the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun is opening, showing a little more of the day side each night.
The reading
What does a waxing crescent moon mean?
The waxing crescent is the first visible yes. The intention set in the dark now has an edge of light on it, and the work is gathering: supplies, allies, first steps. In moon lore this phase favors small commitments over grand gestures. Begin lightly, but begin.
Your Primal Zodiac Animal is what we call your Zodi Animal, and each of the 144 takes its first steps differently. Reveal your animal for the version keyed to your nature, or see which sign the Moon is in tonight.
Keeper stones
Your keeper stone in this phase
In the stone rooms, the waxing crescent belongs to the growing stones. Citrine and green aventurine are the ones most often kept for first growth, by convention the stones of small beginnings and steady increase. If you keep a stone, carry it while the plan is still fragile and let it hold the intention you set at the new moon. The full moon, two weeks on, is when it gets charged.
The five elements
The waxing crescent among the elements
Chinese tradition maps the five elements to planets and seasons, not to moon phases, so we will not pretend otherwise. In the Zodi reading, ours alone, the waxing crescent keeps company with Wood, the element of the sprout: first green, small roots, a plan just breaking the surface. Walk the element halls and see where your own animal stands.
Wood 木 mù · Water 水 shuǐ · Fire 火 huǒ · Earth 土 tǔ · Metal 金 jīn
Common questions
Questions about the waxing crescent
How long does a waxing crescent moon last?
About 7.4 days on average. The new moon and the first quarter are exact instants, so each in-between phase covers roughly a quarter of the 29.5 day lunar cycle, a night or two more or less depending on the Moon's elliptical orbit.
How can I tell a waxing crescent from a waning crescent?
Check the hour and the lit side. A waxing crescent hangs in the western sky after sunset, lit on the right in the Northern Hemisphere. A waning crescent hangs in the eastern sky before sunrise, lit on the left. South of the equator, swap the sides.
What does it mean to be born under a waxing crescent moon?
In moon lore, people born under a waxing crescent are the starters, good at first steps and gathering momentum. Cross that with your birth date and you get something more specific: your Zodi Animal, one creature out of 144.
The cycle
Before and after
The waxing crescent follows the new moon and leads into the first quarter moon. All eight phases live on the moon phases page, in order, and tonight's sky is read on the Moon tonight.