You know your moon sign, but do you know the lunar phase you were born under?

A picture of Aryn the Alchemist with a smoky eye makeup, black mustache, and red heart is on a black poster with lunar phases that say "Lunar Phase Archetypes."

The lunar phases of the Moon reveal the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. The Moon does not have multiple faces, but that’s how the Sun’s reflected light makes it seem from our perspective on Earth.

Astrology frames the Sun-Moon dynamic as the relationship between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Due to the prevalence of sun sign astrology, most people know their “star sign” even if they know nothing else about their natal chart. While sun signs speak to our energy, individualism and the parts of our personality that are usually “fixed,” the Moon speaks to what lies beneath the surface, the instincts and emotions that have been denied co-existence with logic.

Moon signs speak to who we are in the dark.

Electricity and glowing phone screens distort the darkness. Nighttime is not so primordial anymore, especially if you’re living in a city or town. Who we are in the dark becomes increasingly difficult to decipher; but that indecipherable landscape is exactly the one the Moon governs.

In my own astrological practice, I find it helpful to look at lunar phases when I’m studying moon placements. First of all, they reveal possible major aspects—such as trines, squares, oppositions—before I even look at a birth chart. Focusing on how the Sun-Moon interact in a birth chart is an important part of gauging someone’s relationship with the visible and the invisible.

Lunar phases also reveal timelines—for crops, projects, phases of growth and dissemination. The Moon orbits Earth faster than the Earth orbits the Sun, so it’s the luminary that gives us more insight into micro-cycles. Even though we are born under one moon phase, we get to have relationships with all of them. You can look up the moon phase you were born under by visiting the Farmer’s Almanac.

I created my own take of lunar phase archetypes based on my own study of the cycles for my upcoming class Creative Cycles: Making Art with the Moon in my online program Divine Muse Academy. Archetypes are energetic motifs that connect to the subconscious, collective memory. I’ve based a lot of these on people I know born under these phases.

Like all general archetypes, you may resonate with yours and you may not. The beauty of ideas is that you don’t have to agree with them. You can combine them or embody multiple at the same time. Your disagreement might spawn another idea. I encourage you to build your own relationship with each individual lunar phase based on your perspective.

New Moon: The Visionary

The one who sees spark before there is fire. The one who sips darkness and tastes new realities.

A black background with an image of a waxing crescent moon and a red heart locket. There is white text that says waxing crescent and the devotee.

Waxing Crescent: The Devotee

The one who pours libations for the unseen. The one who maintains faith in the face of nihilism.

First Quarter: The Alchemist

The one who transforms tension into beauty. The one who decides again and again and again to turn lead into gold.

There is a black background with a waxing gibbous moon, red velvet material, a rose illustration and gold grapes and a pear. There is white text that says waxing gibbous, the architect.

Waxing Gibbous: The Architect

The one who builds beyond the constraints of reality. The one determined to sketch, shape and mold their ideas until they’re material.

Full Moon: The Mirror

The one who reflects truth and refracts illusion. The one who others seek for their clarifying perspectives.

There is a black background with an image of a waning gibbous moon, an red coat with red fur and roses. There is white text that says waning gibbous, the lover.

Waning Gibbous: The Lover

The one who holds contradictions and grace with elegance. The one who unclenches their fists and caresses the crevice between loss and gain.

There is a black background with an image of a third quarter moon and scraps of brown paper that is a map. There is white text that says third quarter, the doula.

Third Quarter: The Doula

The one who crosses thresholds and transmutes fear into bravery. The one who steps pathways where there are none.

There is a black background with an image of a waning crescent moon and a needle and a red thread. There is white text that says Waning Crescent, The Synthesizer.

Waning Crescent: The Synthesizer

The one who distills the wisdom of experience. The one who weaves disparate parts together.

If you are interested in going deeper with these lunar archetypes and learn more about how to align your creative process with lunar cycles, I am teaching a class called Creative Cycles: Making Art with the Moon in my online program Divine Muse Academy on October 5th, 2025. Enroll in the Academy to gain access to biweekly classes, a discord channel and monthly artist salons.

I’d also recommend checking out these sources that have informed my approach to studying the moon:

🌙 I recommend checking out Emily Hall’s Lunar Living: Rituals for Recovering From Burnout by Attuning to the Moon, a free four-week newsletter for further practice with aligning with the Moon. My friendship with Emily and her work with the moon has inspired me to pay closer attention to my own relationship with the Moon.

🌙 Post-Colonial Astrology by Alice Sparkly Kat has a chapter on the etymology of the Moon and it’s relationship with capital, power and labor. It unpacks a lot of the gendered associations modern mysticism has with the Moon that I find satisfying.

Lunar Phase Archetypes

Using Astrology to Enhance Your Creativity

Aryn Scanlon