Everyone notices the Full Moon. It’s the big, round, glowing sphere in the sky over our heads for a few days a month. The New Moon? Can’t see it, but it’s usually the time astrologers recommend for seeding our intentions and there is a lot written about it. But the First Quarter Moon? Who? While it’s not as glamorous as the Full Moon, or as mystical and special as the New Moon, it does play an important part in the lunation cycle and, by correspondence, in our personal cycles for growth and evolution.
So what is the first quarter moon and why should you care? The quarter moon, astronomically, is the time during the month where the Moon is at a right angle, 90 degrees, from the Sun. When the distance between the Sun and Moon is 0 degrees it’s the New Moon- they’re both in the same spot. When the distance between them is 180 degrees it’s the Full Moon- the sun is directly across from the moon and we see the light reflected off of it. The quarter moon is when the moon is halfway between new and full. So, when the Sun is just setting and dipping below the horizon the Moon will be overhead for the First Quarter Moon or if the Moon is overhead as the Sun is rising it’s the Last Quarter (since the distance between the horizon and directly overhead is 90 degrees) Got it? Good.
Now, what does this mean astrologically or metaphysically? The meaning is derived from the Sun and Moon’s relationship to one another- one of 90 degrees, or what in the astrology “biz” we call “square,” or, more accurately, “in a square aspect to one another.” Since the Moon is moving away from the Sun we say that it is separating. A separating square in astrology is referred to as a “crisis in action.” The word crisis doesn’t necessarily mean a dramatic situation in this case (although that’s what I might need in order to take action). The word crisis comes from the Greek krisis “turning point in a disease” (used as such by Hippocrates and Galen), lit. “judgment,” from krinein “to separate, decide, judge,” fromthe base *krei- “to sieve, discriminate, distinguish” [reference]
A crisis simply mean a turning point- a situation where a decision must be made. It sounds more dramatic than it really is, and I think in our common usage of the word it has lost some of its objectivity. So a crisis in action simply means that it’s time to actually choose to do something. To act. The New Moon challenges us to set our intention and plant the seeds that will potentially blossom at the Full Moon. But without taking real action- physically doing something- nothing will get done and the full moon will yield nothing. The quarter moon says that it’s time to engage- don’t just sit there- do something!
This phase within the cycle is a critical phase. This phase relates to Cancer and the fourth house: action must be taken to nurture, feed, and protect your intentions. This angle of the chart is also very sensitive and translates into physical action. This is when the idea starts to become real.
The first quarter moons happen about a week after the New Moon.
