How to Plan With the Moon: A Beginner's Moon Phase Guide

Moon phase planning sounds mystical, and it can be if you want it to be. At its simplest, though, it's a rhythm: a repeating cycle of roughly four weeks that gives you a regular point to set an intention and a regular point to look back. People have kept time by the Moon for as long as there have been calendars. A moon phase planner just puts that habit on paper.

This guide covers what the phases are, a routine you can start this month, and prompts to write from.

Why plan by the Moon at all?

Most planners run on weeks and quarters. Those are useful for work and less useful for the question "how am I doing?" The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days from one new moon to the next, which is long enough for something to change and short enough that you'll remember what you wrote last time.

You don't have to believe the Moon influences anything to benefit. The value is in the check-in. The Moon is simply a clock you can see from your window, and one that never needs a notification.

The eight phases

The cycle is usually divided into eight phases. The first half, when the lit part of the Moon is growing, is called waxing. The second half, when it shrinks, is called waning.

1. New moon. The Moon is between Earth and the Sun and the sky is dark. Traditionally: beginnings. Choose one thing to focus on.
2. Waxing crescent. A thin sliver appears. Traditionally: first steps. Do the smallest possible action toward your intention.
3. First quarter. Half the disc is lit. Traditionally: decisions and obstacles. Notice what's in the way.
4. Waxing gibbous. Nearly full. Traditionally: refining. Adjust the plan instead of abandoning it.
5. Full moon. The whole disc is lit. Traditionally: culmination. Look at what has come of the past two weeks.
6. Waning gibbous. Just past full. Traditionally: gratitude and sharing. Tell someone what you learned.
7. Last quarter. Half lit again, on the other side. Traditionally: release. Decide what to drop.
8. Waning crescent. A final sliver. Traditionally: rest. Do less, on purpose.

These meanings are folklore and tradition, not science. Treat them as writing prompts with a nice theme.

The two-step routine

If eight phases feels like a lot, use two. This is the whole method:

At the new moon, write one intention. One, not five. Make it something you can act on within a month. "Finish the first draft" works. "Become a better person" doesn't give you anything to do on Tuesday.

At the full moon, review it. About two weeks later, read what you wrote. What happened? What did you do, what did you avoid, and what surprised you? Then decide whether to carry it on, change it or let it go.

That's two short journal entries a month. Most people can keep that up, which is the point. A routine you keep beats an elaborate one you abandon in February.

Adding the quarters

Once the two-step routine feels easy, add the quarter moons as halfway markers.

• First quarter: "What's the obstacle, and what's one way around it?"
• Last quarter: "What am I finished with?"

Now you have a weekly rhythm with four different questions, and each one has a job.

Journal prompts for each phase

Use these as they are or rewrite them in your own voice.

• New moon: What do I want to begin? What would make this month feel well spent?
• Waxing crescent: What's the first small step, and when will I take it?
• First quarter: What's getting in the way? What am I avoiding?
• Waxing gibbous: What needs adjusting? What's working better than expected?
• Full moon: What came of this? What am I proud of?
• Waning gibbous: What did I learn? Who could I share it with?
• Last quarter: What can I stop doing? What no longer fits?
• Waning crescent: How will I rest before the next cycle?

Setting up your planner

A lunar planner needs only three things.

A monthly view with the phases marked. You need to see at a glance when the next new and full moons are. Take the dates from a reliable almanac or astronomy source for your time zone, since the exact day can differ depending on where you live.

A page per cycle. Space for your new moon intention at the top and your full moon review underneath, so they sit together.

A notes area. Somewhere to jot how you felt, what you noticed, what you want to remember. Over a year these notes become the most interesting part.

Paper or digital both work. Printing has the advantage that the planner lives on your desk where you'll see it. A tablet has the advantage that it's always with you.

Eclipses and retrogrades

If you follow astrology, you may also want eclipses and retrogrades in your planner. 2027 has four eclipses: an annular solar eclipse on February 6, penumbral lunar eclipses on February 20 and August 17, and a total solar eclipse on August 2. The July 18 full moon in Capricorn only grazes the edge of Earth's penumbra, so some catalogues list it as a very slight penumbral eclipse and others don't. Mercury is retrograde around February 9 to March 3, June 10 to July 4 and October 7 to 28. These dates are in US Eastern Time and can fall a day earlier or later depending on where you live. Many people treat eclipse weeks as a time to observe and write, and save new intentions for an ordinary new moon.

Common mistakes

• Too many intentions. Pick one per cycle.
• Waiting for the "right" moon to start. Begin with whichever phase is next.
• Treating a missed entry as failure. Skip it and pick up at the next phase. The Moon will come round again.
• Outsourcing decisions to the calendar. The planner is for reflection. You still make the choices.

Getting started

If you'd like the pages already designed, the 2027 Moon Phase Planner & Lunar Journal is an instant-download PDF you can print or use on a tablet.

Moon planning and astrology are offered here for entertainment and reflection only.