Chinese Lunar Horoscope, the Phases of the Moon

In his relationship with the Moon, man has always been on a more profound and intimate level. The Sun, with its brilliance, was revered, but since it shone without fail every day, man needed no assurances that it would rise again tomorrow.

It was the mystical moon that held mankind in the sway of her magic and beauty. Her dark faces and moods could plague man with doubts and foreboding, while her shimmering light brought enchantment; happiness and romance. He knew that her influence was large and multifaceted as he felt her movements touch every aspect of his life and environment.

Thus, he slowly learned to recognize her many faces and interpret the signs she gives. As he began to understand her movements better and their significance, man found he could benefit immensely by following her rhythm and guidance. Based on these observations, many thousands of years ago, the lunar horoscope was born.

In following a lunar month, the rule to remember is: a new moon heralds in a new lunar month. The monthly cycle reaches its peak on the 15th day of the lunar month, with the golden full moon dominating the night sky. It is a spectacle hard to ignore.

The four weeks that comprise the twenty-nine and a half days of each lunar month mark the four phases of the moon. Naturally, the first week starts with the new moon, and it lasts for seven and a half days. The second phase makes up what is called the first quarter, and it reaches its peak a day before the full moon (the fifteenth lunar day), which starts the third week of each lunar month. The fourth week begins with what is called the last quarter, which starts on the twenty-second-and-a-half day, and this brings the lunar month to a close.

The Chinese believe that the four phases of the moon, like the four seasons that make up the year, have their own special functions and significance.

The New Moon

The first phase symbolizes a young and vibrant Spring in which birth, growth and beginnings are emphasized. It is an excellent time to put seed into the ground, to start new ventures or open a business. People born during the first week of the lunar month are Spring people — equipped with lively, innovative minds, free spirits and a love for new ideas and adventure. They are generally inventive and outgoing but are also impulsive and restless by nature.

The First Quarter

The second phase is identified with Summer, and it advocates both mental and physical maturity since it ends at the peak of the lunar month. A prime time to transplant seedlings and to fertilize the soil to promote lush growth. The Moon’s continuing ascent favours aggressive and forceful action. Summer, or first-quarter, people will likewise be strong-minded, as they are competent fighters and capable doers. Full of potent energy, they are the leaders of the cycle.

The Full Moon

The third phase, commencing with the full moon, shows great affinity to Autumn, or the Fall. A time to harvest ripened fruit and grain, mend broken fences, cut wood for Winter, preserve food and consolidate one’s resources after the harvest. The moon begins her descent after the fifteenth day. Autumn children will like to organize, restore order, resolve problems and settle disputes with intelligence and calm reason. Theirs is the phase of the harvester and collector.

The Last Quarter

During the fourth week of the lunar month, which is called the last quarter, the lunar month is in its Winter, and this is generally the time to settle debts, close a business or finish a project. The waning moon is also conducive to the slaughter of livestock, extraction of teeth and cutting of hair, etc. It was also believed that operations done during this time will result in less bleeding. Winter people, born between the twenty-second-and-a-half day and the twenty-ninth-and-a-half day of the lunar month are the thinkers, keepers of confidences and makers of objective, analytical decisions. They possess cool, logical minds and are patient and persevering in their actions. Like potent roots that lie asleep in the warm earth beneath a blanket of winter snow, they will conserve their energy and burst forth with new life when the time is right.

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