New and Full Moons – How to Interpret Them Astrologically

by Anne Reith, Ph.D.
Photo of New and Full Moons against night sky
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Photo of New and Full Moons against night sky

What are New Moons?

A New Moon occurs about every 28 days and about 2 weeks after each Full Moon. It’s when the Moon and Sun are located at the exact same location in the sky above us. 

Whenever any planets are positioned at the same location, then this is referred to as a conjunction, which means that there is 0° of separation between them.  Therefore, all New Moons are when the Sun and the Moon are conjunct. 

Given the Moon and Sun are located in the same place:

  • This means they will fall into the same astrological sign.  Therefore, a New Moon in Aries means that both the Moon and the Sun are in Aries. 
  • This also means that they will be located at the same degree and minute within that astrological sign. For example, the Moon and Sun might be located at 21°03’ of Aries.
  • In your natal chart, this means that both the Moon and the Sun will fall in the same house. For example, if the cusp of your 9th house is located at 2°27’ of Aries and a New Moon is located at 21°03’ of Aries, then this means that the Moon and Sun would both be located in your 9th house.

NOTE: Here is a Blog post that provides directions and examples for how to locate and interpret transiting New Moons in your natal chart: How to Find the Transiting Moon in Your Natal Chart.

What do New Moons represent according to astrology?

In general, New Moons represent the following:

  • A time for new emotional starts in the sign and house involved. 
  • It can also be a good time to start new habits or projects associated with the sign and house. 
  • Some astrologers view it as a time when your head (Sun) and heart (Moon) are aligned, which is like the equivalent of an astrological “green light.”
  • Symbolically, New Moons can be thought of as a time to plant seeds that will eventually grow into something new associated with the sign and house.

The Moon is always associated with emotions, and usually New Moons are times of “good feelings.” However, New Moons not only represent the start of something new; they can also be associated with the ending of a phase. Therefore, sometimes there can be some grief mixed in with the positive emotions.

What are Full Moons?

A Full Moon occurs about every 28 days and about 2 weeks after each New Moon. Full Moons occur when the Moon and Sun are located exactly opposite each other in the space above Earth. 

Whenever any planets are positioned exactly opposite each other, then this is referred to as an opposition in astrology, which means that they are located 180° apart from each other. 

Given the Moon and Sun are located exactly opposite each other:

  • This means they will fall into the astrological signs that occur opposite each other.  For example, a Full Moon in Aries means that the Moon is in Aries and the Sun is in the sign exactly opposite Aries, which is Libra. 
  • This also means that they will be located at the same degree and minute within those 2 astrological signs. For example, if the Moon is located at 21°03’ of Aries, then the Sun will be be located at 21°03’ of Libra.
  • In your natal chart, this means that both the Moon and the Sun will fall in houses that are exactly opposite each other in your chart. For example, if the cusp of your 9th house is located at 2°27’ of Aries, then a Moon that is located at 21°03’ of Aries would be located in your 9th house. The Sun would be located in the house exactly opposite the 9th, which would be the 3rd house.

NOTES:

  • All Full Moons are referred to by the sign in which the Moon is located.  For example, if the Moon is in Gemini and the Sun is in Sagittarius, then it is referred to as a Gemini Full Moon or Full Moon in Gemini. 
  • Here is a Blog post that provides directions and examples for how to locate and interpret transiting Full Moons in your natal chart: How to Find the Transiting Moon in Your Natal Chart

What do Full Moons represent according to astrology?

In general, Full Moons represent the following:

  • A time when we are asked to evaluate whether there is a healthy balance between the 2 astrological signs and 2 houses involved. 
  • It’s often a time of heightened emotion. The Moon is associated with our emotions. Having the Sun and Moon in opposite signs and houses means that we can feel pulled in two different directions emotionally.
  • Some astrologers view it as a time when your head (Sun) and heart (Moon) are not aligned, which is like the equivalent of an astrological “yellow light” or even “red light.” 
  • Often this is a time when we are asked to determine if we need to reinvest in a goal or let go of something that is no longer serving us. This may be associated with whatever was started 2 weeks earlier at the time of the last New Moon.
  • Symbolically, Full Moons can be thought of as a time when the seeds we planted at the last New Moon have sprouted. However, it’s now time to either “get to work” or make some tough decisions. We might need to:
    • Reinvest in our goal and do something to move the garden along (e.g., major weeding).
    • Thin out some of the sprouting plants in order to create the best chance of success for those remaining.
    • If we have neglected the garden, then we may need to decide if it can be saved through hard work or whether we need to just let it go.

With all Full Moons, the key is to find a balance between the issues associated with the 2 signs and 2 houses involved. I believe that it can be helpful to envision this like a teeter-totter that needs to be balanced. Emphasizing one side of the teeter-totter will not keep it in balance.

Solar and lunar eclipses

Twice (and sometimes three) times each year, the New and Full Moon will coincide with solar and lunar eclipses, respectively. This greatly increases the impact and intensity of the associated New and Full Moons.

Here is a Blog post that provides more information about eclipses: Solar and Lunar Eclipses – What Are They and How to Interpret Them Astrologically

How long will a New or Full Moon impact us?

A New or Full Moon will impact us for about 3 days before, the day of, and the 3 days after the actual event (i.e., a total of 7 days).  

You can think of the strength of the impact like a bell-shaped curve: 

  • The impact will “ramp up” for the 3 days before the New or Full Moon.
  • The strongest impact will be the day of the lunar event. 
  • The impact will gradually decrease for the 3 days after the New or Full Moon. 
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By Anne Reith, Ph.D.

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