{"id":28280,"date":"2023-05-01T01:10:46","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T05:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=28280"},"modified":"2023-04-24T16:27:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T20:27:20","slug":"learning-lunar-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2023\/05\/01\/learning-lunar-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Lunar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning Lunar: The Waxing Crescent<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Welcome to the next instalment in our Learning Lunar series, and the second about waxing moons<\/a>, this time looking at the waxing crescent. The crescent moon is such an evocative image, found throughout history in the form of Roman pendants, Greek goddess statues, and even 16<\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span><\/sup><\/span> century Christian manuscripts. Understanding the meaning of the waxing crescent moon could help hone your moon magic skills and increase your connectedness with the cycles of the moon and the seasons.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What Does a Waxing Crescent Moon Mean?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A crescent shape is instantly recognisable, and is basically a sliver of the moon\u2014less than half, but beyond the dark moon. In technical terms, a waxing crescent moon can mean any phase of the moon that\u2019s at least 0.1% visible in the sky, all the way up to being 49.9% visible. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What Does A Waxing Crescent Look Like?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The waxing crescent is a thin, curved band of moon that gradually gets fatter until it\u2019s a waxing half moon or first quarter. In the northern hemisphere, the waxing moon starts at the right and gets bigger towards the left. In the southern hemisphere, the opposite occurs, with the moon seeming to fatten towards the right.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The waxing crescent moon is often brightest in the west, just after sunset. This does not mean the moon is rising in the west! It just means the moon was visible during the daytime and is about to set, however, the small crescent of the waxing moon isn\u2019t as noticeable in the daytime hours.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quick fact:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span> Some people might think they can see the \u201cdark side of the moon\u201d or the rest of the moon that\u2019s not generally visible during this phase. This isn\u2019t an optical illusion: The dark partial disk is lit up just a tiny bit by what\u2019s called Earthshine<\/a>. Just like the moon reflects sunlight onto Earth, the Earth also reflects light back at the moon! It can, in some circumstances, be just enough to illuminate the normally \u201chidden\u201d part of the moon.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What To Do On A Waxing Crescent Moon<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The waxing moon is often associated with rejuvenation, rebuilding, and the gradual progress of plans that are coming to fruition. If you practice a regular, monthly connection with the lunar cycles, this is a great time to check in and see how your work is progressing and what steps you need to take to ensure your work keeps moving forward and is serving you in the best way it can. For example, if a part of your practice has become redundant or feels like a chore, it may be that you can swap this out for something else or focus on a different aspect of your spirituality. Meditation, visualisation, or speaking to a peer or mentor can help with this.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The waxing crescent is also associated with:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n