Last Quarter — what it means and what to do during this phase

What happens to the Moon

The last quarter arrives roughly 21–22 days after the new moon, when the Moon has covered three-quarters of the cycle. The disk is lit exactly halfway, but on the opposite side compared to the first quarter — in the northern hemisphere, the lit half is now on the left.

It's the mirror point of the first quarter: the same angle between Sun, Earth and Moon, but on the waning half of the cycle.

Energy and meaning

If the first quarter is about overcoming obstacles on the way up, the last quarter is about honest review and letting go. Much of what mattered at the peak of the full moon loses its relevance by this point, or needs reconsidering. It's another fork in the cycle — but now the question isn't "keep going or not," but "what to keep, and what to let go of."

In astrology this phase is sometimes called a "crisis of consciousness" — not because of problems, but because of the need to look honestly at what's happening, without the earlier illusions.

What to do during the last quarter

• Take stock — record what the cycle actually delivered, without embellishment.
• Let go of what's no longer relevant — ideas, agreements, habits that no longer work.
• Forgive and close things out — conversations, relationships, matters that are overdue to be wrapped up.
• Do an honest review — look at the situation soberly, without the emotional charge of the full moon.

What to avoid during the last quarter

• New long-term commitments — better postponed until the next new moon.
• Holding on to what's clearly run its course — resisting the letting-go in this phase is especially draining.
• Delaying an honest assessment — avoiding uncomfortable conclusions only keeps them relevant longer.

Last quarter and zodiac signs

The sign the Moon occupies shows where the review is most needed: in Capricorn it might be reconsidering career goals, in Libra it might be balance in relationships. Check today's Moon sign and phase on the Moon Today page, and the monthly schedule in the lunar calendar.

The previous point in the cycle is the waning gibbous, the phase of giving. Next comes the waning crescent, the final quiet before a new new moon.