Waning Moon - Moon Phases - The White Goddess

Waning Moon

The Waning Moon

Waning Moon means the moon is decreasing in size, moving from the Full Moon towards the New Moon. This is a time for spells that banish, release, reverse. This is a time to break bad habits or bad addictions, to end bad relationships. This is a time of deep intuition and a time for divination.

At this time the moon represents the Goddess in her Crone Aspect, give praise to Hecate, Morrigan or one of the other Crone Goddesses. The period of the waning moon lasts about 14 days.

Waning Gibbous /Disseminating Moon

"Moon of Retribution"
Location: Moon is 225 - 270 degrees ahead of the Sun
Span:
Three and a half to seven days after the Full Moon. The Moon appears to be more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.

Positive Attributes:
This is the Moon of the Earth Mothers. Demeter, Ceres, Korte, Danu (Anu), and Bast. What work has been done is now gathered in and the crop offered as a sacrifice to the Mother who gave it to us in the first place. Time to harvest and time to begin renewal. A time to review endeavors and correct mistakes. Settle disputes and make amends.

Activities:
A time to review endeavors and correct mistakes. Settle disputes and make amends. A time to start taking things apart. Addictions; Divorce; Stress; Unnecessary negativity; Bad or unwanted Habits; Decision making; Emotions; Protection; Unwanted influences; Unwanted situations; Healing, banishing what shouldn’t be there; Old ways of thinking and doing things. Goals: Start work on removing obstacles. Give thanks for what has been achieved. Relates to the Harvest of the Grown Plant.

Goals:
The time of the waxing Moon is in many traditions concerned more with mundane outer matters, whereas the period of the waning Moon deals with subconscious enlightenment leading to the clarification of conscious values. The waxing Moon brings instinctual growth. The waning Moon brings a conscious process of creative release.

Last Quarter / Waning Crescent Moon

"Moon of Harvest"
Location: Moon is 270 - 315 degrees ahead of the Sun Span: Seven to ten and a half days after the Full Moon. Positive activities: Release of any negativity, not just banishing it but consciously letting go of it . Continuing any banishing done during the last phase.

Goals:
Continue work from last phase. Good time to concentrate on removal of self from situations, relationships, and habits. Relates to the Storing of the Harvested Plant. A time to rid oneself of everything that is causing obstruction, to get rid of anything (or one) you know longer need. Good time for hair cuts to slow growth, dye hair, pluck eyebrows (wax ...)Time for self-analysis, rest an recuperation, meditation and readying oneself for the energies of the New Moon. The third quarter, Full Moon through Last Quarter, ideally brings illumination to the influences of the entire lunar cycle. The fourth quarter, called the "Last Quarter," is from the Moon square Sun aspect through the next New Moon. It can bring a crisis in consciousness. This cycle's experiences have culminated and one must now prepare for rebirth.