Understanding moon phases Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Understanding moon phases

 

Why does the moon seem to change its shape every night?

 

The answer is the moon is a world in space, just as Earth is. Like Earth, it’s always half illuminated by the sun. In other words, the round globe of the moon has a day side and a night side. From our earthly vantage point, as the moon orbits around Earth, we see varying fractions of its day and night sides. These are the changing phases of the moon.

 

One key to understanding moon phases is to think about the whereabouts of the sun. After all, it’s the sun that’s illuminating and creating the day side of the moon. Moon phases depend on the sun. They depend on where the moon is with respect to the sun in space.

Another key to understanding moon phases is to remember that, like the sun and all the planets and stars, the moon rises in the east and sets in the west each and every day. It has to. The rising and setting of all celestial objects is due to Earth’s continuous spin beneath the sky.

 

Also, remember that the moon takes about a month (one “month”) to orbit the Earth. Although the moon rises in the east and sets in the west each day (due to Earth’s spin), it’s also moving on the sky’s dome each day due to its own motion in orbit around Earth. The moon’s orbital motion can be detected in front of the stars from one night to the next. It’s as though the moon is moving on the inside of a circle of 360 degrees. Thus the moon moves about 12 degrees each day.

 

The moon’s orbital motion is toward the east. Each day, as the moon moves another 12 degrees toward the east on the sky’s dome, Earth has to rotate a little longer to bring you around to where the moon is in space. Thus the moon rises, on average, about 50 minutes later each day. The later and later rising time of the moon causes our companion world to appear in a different part of the sky at each nightfall for about two weeks. Then, in the couple of weeks after full moon, you’ll find the moon rising later and later at night.

 

As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow this to understand the various phases of the moon.

 

A waxing crescent moon – sometimes called a young moon – is always seen in the west after sunset.

 

At this moon phase, the Earth, moon and sun are located nearly on a line in space. If they were more precisely on a line, as they are at new moon, we wouldn’t see the moon. The moon would travel across the sky during the day, lost in the sun’s glare.

 

But a waxing crescent moon is far enough away from that Earth-sun line to be visible near the sun’s glare – that is, in the west after sunset. This moon phase is seen one day to several days after new moon. On these days, the moon rises one hour to several hours behind the sun and follows the sun across the sky during the day. When the sun sets, and the sky darkens, the moon pops into view in the western sky.

 

Because the waxing crescent moon is nearly on a line with the Earth and sun, its illuminated hemisphere – or day side – is facing mostly away from us. We see only a slender fraction of the day side: a crescent moon. Each evening, because the moon is moving eastward in orbit around Earth, the moon appears farther from the sunset glare. It is moving farther from the Earth-sun line in space. Each evening, as the moon’s orbital motion carries it away from the Earth-sun line, we see more of the moon’s day side. Thus the crescent in the west after sunset appears to wax, or grow fatter each evening.

 

Note that a crescent moon has nothing to do with Earth’s shadow on the moon. The only time Earth’s shadow can fall on the moon is at full moon, during a lunar eclipse. There is a shadow on a crescent moon, but it’s the moon’s own shadow. Night on the moon happens on the part of the moon submerged in the moon’s own shadow. Likewise, night on Earth happens on the part of Earth submerged in Earth’s own shadow.

 

You sometimes see a pale glow on the darkened portion (night side) of a crescent moon. This glow is due to light reflected from Earth’s day side. It’s called earthshine.

 

A first quarter moon looks like half a pie.

 

But we officially call this moon a quarter and not a half because it is one quarter of the way around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.

 

This moon appears half-lit to us, and half moon is a beloved name (although not an official one). Still, it’s good to recall that the illuminated portion of a first quarter moon truly is just a quarter. On the night of first quarter moon, we see half the moon’s day side, or a true quarter of the moon. Another lighted quarter of the moon shines just as brightly in the direction opposite Earth!

 

A first quarter moon rises at noon and is high overhead at sunset. It sets around midnight.

 

First quarter moon comes a week after new moon. Now, as seen from above, the moon in its orbit around Earth is at right angles to a line between the Earth and sun.

 

A waxing gibbous moon appears high in the east at sunset. It’s more than half-lighted, but less than full.

 

This moon phase comes between one and two weeks after new moon.

 

The moon has moved in its orbit so that it’s now relatively far from the sun in our sky. A waxing gibbous moon rises during the hours between noon and sunset. It sets in the wee hours after midnight.

 

People sometimes see a waxing gibbous moon in the afternoon, shortly after moonrise, while it’s ascending in the east as the sun is descending in the west. It’s easy to see a waxing gibbous moon in the daytime because, at this phase of the moon, a large fraction of the moon’s day side is facing our way. Thus a waxing gibbous moon is more noticeable in the sky than a crescent moon, with only a slim fraction of the lunar day side visible. Also, a waxing gibbous moon is far from the sun on the sky’s dome, so the sun’s glare isn’t hiding it from view.

 

Any moon that appears more than half lighted but less than full is called a gibbous moon. The word gibbous comes from a root word that means hump-backed. You can see the hump-backed shape of the waxing gibbous moon.

 

At full moon, we are seeing all of the moon’s day side.

 

The moon and sun are on a line, with Earth in between. It’s as though Earth is the fulcrum of a seesaw, and the moon and sun are sitting on either end of the seesaw. Thus as the sun sets in the west, the full moon rises. When the sun is below our feet at midnight, the full moon is highest in the sky. When the sun rises again at dawn, the full moon is setting.

 

In many ways, a full moon is the opposite of a new moon. At both the new and full phases, the moon is on a line with the Earth and sun. At new moon, the moon is in the middle position along the line. At full moon, Earth is in the middle.

 

Full moon always comes about two weeks after new moon, when the moon is midway around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.

 

If there is a lunar eclipse, it must happen at full moon. It’s only at the full moon phase that Earth’s shadow, extending opposite the sun, can fall on the moon’s face.

 

A waning gibbous moon sails over the eastern horizon in the hours between sunset and midnight.

 

The moon is past full now. Once again, it appears less than full but more than half lighted.

 

What can I say about a waning gibbous moon? Only that it can surprise you if you happen to be out late in the evening. It rises eerily some hours after sunset, glowing red like a full moon when it’s near the horizon. Sometimes it looks like a misshapen clone of a full moon.

Because it comes up late at night, the waning gibbous moon prompts people to start asking, “Where is the moon? I looked for it last night and couldn’t find it.”

 

The waning gibbous moon also initiates a rash of questions seeing the moon during the day. If it rises late at night, you know the waning gibbous moon must set after sunrise. In fact, in the few days after full moon, you’ll often see the waning gibbous moon in the west in early morning, floating against the pale blue sky.

 

A last quarter moon looks half-illuminated. It rises around midnight, appears at its highest in the sky at dawn, and sets around noon.

 

Last quarter moon comes about three weeks after new moon. Now, as seen from above, the moon in its orbit around Earth is at right angles to a line between the Earth and sun. The moon is now three-quarters of the way around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.

 

After this, the moon will begin edging noticeably closer to the sun again on the sky’s dome. Fewer people notice the moon during the day from about last quarter on, because the sun’s glare begins to dominate the moon.

 

A last quarter moon can be used as a guidepost to Earth’s direction of motion in orbit around the sun. In other words, when you look at a last quarter moon high in the predawn sky, you’re gazing out approximately along the path of Earth’s orbit, in a forward direction. The moon is moving in orbit around the sun with the Earth. But, if we could somehow anchor the moon in space . . . tie it down, keep it still . . . Earth’s orbital speed of 18 miles per second would carry us across the space between us and the moon in only a few hours.

 

A waning crescent moon is sometimes called an old moon. It’s seen in the east before dawn.

 

Now the moon has moved nearly entirely around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.

 

Because the moon is nearly on a line with the Earth and sun again, the day hemisphere of the moon is facing mostly away from us once more. We see only a slender fraction of the moon’s day side: a crescent moon.

 

Each morning before dawn, because the moon is moving eastward in orbit around Earth, the moon appears closer to the sunrise glare. We see less and less of the moon’s day side, and thus the crescent in the east before dawn appears thinner each day.

 

The moon, as always, is rising in the east day after day. But most people won’t see this moon phase unless they get up early. When the sun comes up, and the sky grows brighter, the waning crescent moon fades. Now the moon is so near the Earth/sun line that the sun’s glare is drowning this slim moon from view.

 

Still, the waning crescent is up there, nearly all day long, moving ahead of the sun across the sky’s dome. It sets in the west several hours or less before sunset.

 

What is this ghostly image? It’s a new moon. Its lighted half is facing entirely away from Earth.

 

The image above is imaginary. It’s as if you flew in a spaceship to a place where you could see the night side of the moon. When the moon is new, its night face is facing us on Earth … but we can’t see the moon at this time.

 

We cannot see the new moon from Earth, except during the stirring moments of a solar eclipse. Then the moon passes in front of the sun, and the night portion of the moon becomes visible to us, surrounded by the sun’s fiery corona.

 

Once each month, the moon comes all the way around in its orbit so that it is more or less between us and the sun. If it were directly between, a solar eclipse would take place. But that doesn’t happen every month. Instead, in most months, the moon passes above or below the sun as seen from our earthly vantage point.

 

On the day of new moon, the moon rises when the sun rises. It sets when the sun sets. It crosses the sky with the sun during the day.

That’s why we can’t see the new moon in the sky. It is too close to the sun’s glare to be visible. Plus its lighted hemisphere is facing away from us.

 

Each new lunar cycle is measured beginning at each new moon. Astronomers call one lunar cycle a lunation.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Working Spells with Moon Phases by phoenix fire

For centuries Occultists, Spiritualists and Magicians have recognized that the Moon's phase is important to what type of Magic you will be performing. From New Moon to Dark Moon, each period in the moon's development brings with it a special energy for that lunar cycle.



From scientific study, we know the Moon affects the ocean tides, animals, plant development and even human behavior. It is also accepted within the magical community that the Moon can and does create fluctuations on the psychic energies within each of us. So, it only makes sense that the Moon would have a direct influence on our magical and spiritual workings.



Simply put, there are two cycles and three phases during each cycle. Below are descriptions of these phases and standard recommendations for the type of magic to be performed within each. The moon is known by many names, myths and legends. Respective schools, sects and orders have varying interpretations of Moon magic according to their own beliefs.



SIMPLE MOON MAGIC

There are two general phases of the moon. In working moon magic on its most basic level, one can look solely at the WAXING and WANING of the moon.



A simple rule of thumb you may choose to follow states that DRAWING is conducted during the WAXING MOON and REMOVING is conducted during the WANING MOON. If you never get more involved in lunar cycles, you still take advantage of the moon's power by adhering to these simple principles.



WAXING MOON

To Draw Something to you like Money or Love you make prayers or set work during the WAXING MOON. Plant leaf crops in this moon phase.



•Appearance - The moon is growing into a FULL MOON. A waxing moon shows a LIGHT colored crescent on the RIGHT side of the Moon.

•Magical Qualities - Used for attraction magic, love spells, protection and healing . The perfect time for abundance, wishes, new projects, growth, expansion and increasing knowledge, spirituality and fertility.


WANING MOON


To Send Away Trouble or Remove Evil you make prayers or set work during the WANING MOON. This is also when one plants root crops.



•Appearance - The moon is getting smaller after being a FULL MOON. A waning moon shows a DARK colored crescent on the RIGHT side of the Moon. In other words, the left of the moon is LIGHT and the RIGHT is DARK.


•Magical Qualities - Used for banishing and rejecting those things that influence us in a negative way. Negative emotions, diseases, ailments, and bad habits can all be dealt with during this moon phase. Purification and House Cleansings should be performed at this time.



MORE ADVANCED MOON MAGIC



A complete lunar phase takes about 29 1/2 days to complete. Beginning at the NEW MOON, we see the total absence of the Moon in the night sky. The WAXING or the increasing of the moon follows as it grows into a FULL MOON. From this point, the moon decreases in size during the WANING phase of the moon. The cycle is complete with the DARK MOON or when no moon is visible.



Many books and spells recommend you perform certain work during the exact time of a moon event - like the hour the moon becomes FULL. This information is easy to find on the Internet. Moon phase information can be found at Moon-phases.net or from the US Naval Observatory.



Remember that the Moon rises about 48 minutes later than the day before as it works itself through the lunar cycle. Moon rises can and do occur in the day - so never think Moon magic is always conducted at night! If you are serious about doing work or conducting ritual in conjunction with the Moon, put this old rule to memory.



The NEW MOON always rises at sunrise

And the FIRST QUARTER at noon.


The FULL MOON always rises at sunset



And the LAST QUARTER at midnight.


The NEW MOON, FULL MOON and DARK MOON are all important stops in the Moon's monthly cycle. Many people use these days for special workings, believing they are more powerful.



NEW MOON


•Appearance - The new moon appears to be totally dark or that there is no moon out at night.

•Magical Qualities - The NEW MOON introduces the WAXING MOON phase of the lunar cycle. Some say not to begin work until the actual WAXING CRESCENT is visible. Used for personal growth, healing and blessing of new projects or ventures. It's also a good time to cleanse and consecrate ritual tools.



FULL MOON


•Appearance - The full moon appears totally light.


•Magical Qualities - The FULL MOON is the culmination of the WAXING MOON (increasing) phase. After the FULL MOON the WANING MOON (decreasing) phase begins Some say you may perform FULL MOON magic three days prior to and after the actual full moon. Others believe rituals must be started or in process during the actual hour of the full moon. Any spells may be cast during the Full Moon - especially protection and divination.


DARK MOON


•Appearance - The dark moon appears totally dark or that there is no moon out at night. It occurs 3 days prior to the New Moon.


•Magical Qualities - Typically no work is performed during this time. Some feel the Dark Moon phase continues until the actual WAXING MOON crescent is visible in the sky. Others believe this period officially ends at the hour of the NEW MOON.





http://www.neworleansmistic.com/spells/primer/moonphases.htm