Birthday Moon Phase Meaning

The moon phase you were born under reveals your fundamental personality and karmic mission. The Sun and the Moon’s relationship form the foundation of how astrology works. But because it is so obvious, it is sometimes overlooked. Once you understand the lunation cycle, you will understand all the other planetary cycles.

 I have already covered the seasonal cycle of the Sun in my ‘How does astrology work’ post. The Solar/Lunar cycle is very similar. We all know the basics, right? New Moon & first quarter are waxing, and Full Moon & last quarter are waning. 

We also might know our Sun/Moon aspects, for example, Sun conjunct Moon (New Moon) or Sun square Moon (Quarter moon). But are they waxing or waning? Where does the Sun trine Moon fit into the cycle? This post will examine the different phases of the Moon and how they fit in with the meaning of the aspects.

Which Moon Phase Was I Born Under?

Astro Style has this convenient Moon Phase Calculator. 

How to Find Your Moon Phase Birthday Type. Once you have found your Moon phase degree on the calculator check the list below find your moon phase type. Check your birth chart on the horoscope maker to see if your Sun is in aspect to the Moon also. There are eight classic Moon Phase types but I have added the aspects which takes the total up to a very neat twelve! I have added the aspects into Dane Rudhyar’s scheme below.

The Eight Lunation Types According To Dane Rudhyar

• NEW MOON TYPE  0° – 45°
• Sun conjunct Moon 0º
• CRESCENT MOON TYPE  45° – 90°
• Waxing Sun Sextile Moon 60º
• FIRST QUARTER TYPE  90° – 135°
• Waxing Sun square Moon 90º
• Waxing Sun trine Moon 120º
• GIBBOUS MOON TYPE  135° – 180°
• Waxing Sun quincunx Moon 150º
• FULL MOON TYPE   180° – 225°
• Waxing Sun conjunct Moon Under 180º
• Waning Sun conjunct Moon Over 180º
• Waning Sun quincunx Moon 210º
• DISSEMINATING MOON TYPE  225° – 270°
• Waning Sun trine Moon 240º
• LAST QUARTER TYPE  270° – 315°
• Waning Sun square Moon 270º
• Waning Sun sextile Moon 300º
• BALSAMIC MOON TYPE  315° – 360°
• Sun conjunct Moon Under 360º

Birthday Moon Phase Meaning In Astrology

New Moon Type ~ Sun conjunct Moon 

seed germinates deep in the soil. Intuition is the guide.

“A strongly subjective, emotional and impulsive approach to life.. a tendency to be emotionally confused ..to project your feelings upon people and situations.” [1]

New moon souls are coming out of the dark. The soul breaks through its metaphorical eggshell. However, New moon babies still sometimes feel like they are still in the dark lunar womb and the bright planet earth is blinding to them. They blink their eyes a lot; they can’t quite believe they are here! New Moon babies are not always brand new souls, but they are definitely starting a new cycle.

These souls are still working from their instincts and throw themselves into adventures without a second thought. They are impulsive, passionate and try anything new with great enthusiasm. New Moon babes also have a childlike charm about them, making them quite naive at times. They trust everyone, which means that they often get ripped off by more devious types.

No matter what life throws at them, New Moon types will bounce back very quickly, for they are not world-weary like some other phases, and so have bags of energy. They can often appear spaced out. But have a heart; they are still adjusting to having a physical form. Some of them can zone out very quickly at the most inconvenient time.

New Moon people, more than others, need to spend time grounding themselves in the natural world. They will often crave nature and feel a close, instinctual connection with lunar animals like rabbits, deer and owls. Anything you will find in a magical forest!

Harrison Ford, Martin Sheen, Ray Davies, Ashton Kutcher, Queen of England Victoria, Hugo Junkers, Lucky Luciano, David Coulthard, Heinrich Hoffmann, Maurice Ravel, Florence Nightingale, Angela Davis, Lorraine Kelly. 

Crescent Moon Type ~ Sun sextile Moon (Waxing)

seed breaks out of its shell and sends out shoots

“determined self-assertiveness, active faith,…to clear the way for the fulfilling of new goals.. a sense of frustration and of struggling against too great odds.” [1]

Cresent Moon folk are the teenagers of the moon types. They are growing and know they have to let go of the past to make progress. The Crescent Moon phase is fledgling energy. They are excited as they soar high in the sky with their new wings. However, there are still moments when they realize how far they are from their nest, making them anxious. 

In this incarnation, life is about overcoming fears and insecurities and building self-confidence, just like a teenager. Unlike the fearless new moon brat, the crescents start to realize the world can be a dangerous place during this cycle. At the same time, they are eager to please, so they can still fall prey to being emotionally manipulated.

A problem with Cresent moon types is feeling haunted by the past and their fear of the unknown. Even though this is an experimental phase, the subject can revert to bad habits of the past and addictions. As the crescent Moon grows up, their talents flourish as they have the fresh new energy of the waxing Moon combined with maturity. These folk will be inventors and artistic innovators often way ahead of their time.

Galilei Galileo, Robert F. Kennedy, Matt Dillon, Joe Pesci, Montgomery Clift, Bette Davis, Sandie Shaw, Britney Spears, Willie Nelson, Bob Geldof, Gina Lollobrigida, Venus Williams, George Eliot, Maria Montessori, Indira Gándhí, Nicolas Sarkozy, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

First Quarter Type ~ Sun square Moon (Waxing)

seed becomes plant. It constructs its root system and builds structure.

“Your typical personal characteristics are: strong will and organizing ability, the instinctive rebellion of the man of action against a binding or inadequate social-ideological tradition, ability to make decisions — at times, ruthless ones; self-exaltation in the thrill of activity and overcoming difficulties, negatively, a sense of defeat.” [1]

First quarter moon types are young adults who now have reached the stage where they come up against authority figures. Unlike the flighty teenage years, putting down roots takes precedent. During this waxing growth stage, the native is impatient to build their personal empire and establish themselves in the world.

During this time, they will inevitably come into conflict with the competition. This lifetime is one of building foundations which usually entails hard graft. Reflected in the square aspect are the struggles which epitomize the energy of the waxing quarter moon very well. It is still an uphill struggle as they break away from the home comforts and have to fend for themselves in society.

They will come against challenging obstacles in this incarnation and may meet a few of their old past life foes. In this very karmic cycle, the first quarter moon person may find themselves in one crisis after another until they learn to control their knee-jerk defensiveness. Their pioneering energy is best used to clear away overgrowth and boulders to make way for new structures.

Waxing Sun square moon develops great stamina and power in this incarnation, and they cannot wait to flex those new muscles. Their impatience and tendency to domineer can upset others. Once first quarter folk get over their initial reluctance, they are keen to establish new businesses and occupy unchartered territory. Woe betides anyone who gets in their way; they are kind of like steam rollers once they get going.

George W. Bush, Marquis de Sade, Germaine Greer, Michael Douglas, Lloyd Bridges, Kirsten Dunst, Ariana Grande, Charles Baudelaire, Marie Besnard.

Pre-Gibbous Type ~ Sun trine Moon (Waxing)

Light increases to stimulate the plant to bud.

You can see a marked difference from the list of natives with the square to the trine. I would say that the luck of the waxing trine is definitely playing out here. The Moon is approaching full bloat during the waxing quarter/gibbous phase and is pregnant with potential. The Moon is increasing in luminosity in tandem with the soul’s consciousness.

The native is now aware that is it indeed an individual. It has overcome some obstacles and handled one crisis after another with grace. So this trine represents karmic reward. In this stage of the plant, the root system is complete and supportive; now, the buds are starting to swell. The soul feels like it’s on the very verge of enlightenment!

All the gibbous Moon has to do now is to be patient and wait for the flower to bloom. The Gibbous stage is one of perfecting and refining. Technically the trine aspect is more to the end of the waxing quarter phase than the gibbous. But I’m calling this Waxing/Gibbous because it falls halfway through the two.

Marie Curie, Boris Johnson, Grace Kelly, Winona Ryder, Olivia Hussey, Patricia Arquette, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Kline, Liza Minnelli, LeAnn Rimes, Joan Jett, Eros Ramazzotti, Bobby Womack, Wayne Gretzky, Joseph Campbell, Charubel, Deborah Houlding, Cyril Fagan, Gustav Holst.

Gibbous Moon Type ~ Sun Quincunx Moon (Waxing)

buds on the plant are about to burst into bloom.

“A desire to improve yourself and others, to evaluate things and people.. to bring a social trend to a conclusion; devotion to a personality.. yearning for more light.”[1]

Gibbous Moon is defined by the energy of the quincunx. I dedicated a whole post to the quincunx aspect because I find it so fascinating. If you have a Sun quincunx Moon, you will also have the possibility of this aspect forming a very significant Yod. (Especially if the Moon falls at the apex). The quincunx is supposed to be the adjustment aspect; some say karmic adjustment (again, usually with the yod. )

The tweaking and refining energy fits so well with the gibbous phases, but there is also the danger of boredom and dissatisfaction. Gibbous folk are often tested to see if they have the perseverance to see projects through. They are at the point in their evolution where the culmination is in sight, but they still should not let go of the reins.

Complacency can set in, and things can go off the rails very quickly in this life cycle if one takes their eye off the ball. There is still a mission to complete. With natives who have the quincunx, they have an inbuilt thorn in the side that never allows them to relax and rest on their laurels fully. They are always kept on their toes. The quincunx is discordant energy, and it keeps you on edge. So near yet so far, but always interesting.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Hurt, Meat Loaf, Joan Cusack, W. O. Bentley, Chelsea Clinton, Max Factor, Kim Kardashian, Michael Bolton, Michelle Phillips, Marc Almond, Barbara Dickson.

Pre-Full Moon Type ~ Sun Opposition Moon (Waxing)

The first petals of the plant start to unfurl.

Waxing Sun opposition moon has a similar energy to the quincunx; only this one is more about relationships. Oppositions always ask you to consider the ‘other’. At this stage, the bright Moon is considered more fortunate in planetary magic because the Moon is still waxing. Yet it is not quite a full Moon either. Here we are at the point of culminating, stepping up to the peak of the mountain.

Waxing full moon folk have come to the point in their journey where they are about to discover their karmic mission. Usually, this will occur after the age of 50 when they suddenly have that “Ah-ha” moment. If they spend the rest of their lives in service to others, they will usually attract luck and abundance into their lives from midlife onwards.

The full moon phase generally is the point of peak individualization as the Sun and Moon are as far apart as they will ever get. Usually, folk with this placement will be very secure in their identity and will not care about what others think of them.

Donald Trump, Luciano Pavarotti, Demi Moore, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gloria Vanderbilt, Max Weber, Lynda Hill.

Full Moon Type ~ Sun Opposite Moon (Waning)

Peak light. The flowering of the plant (or breakdown.)

” The ability to make ideals concrete, to receive illumination, to fulfil the past; negatively, divorced from reality and divided against oneself.” [1]

The full Moon proper (like the waxing conjunction) is also about relationships and coming into peak solar identity. The Ego is fully formed now. The waning energy is slightly less energetic and ‘lucky’, but it should be a lot more mature at handling relationships. The challenge for these folk is to integrate the polar opposite swings of their nature.

Full Moon natives will be hugely attracted to their opposite sign. Men will be fascinated by women who embody the energy of their moon sign. The females they attract might have a stellium in the man’s Moon sign or have that sign rising. With women, it will be the opposite; they will have an irresistible pull to men who have the same sun sign as themselves, but this is due to the polarity of the Moon.

This is a very creative opposition as the tension caused between the luminaries will want to birth new ideas again and again. Of course, this is also a very fertile moon phase, and it will drive these folk into finding their perfect mate. The concept of the soulmate will be crucial to them. However, we must not forget the possible breakdown potential of this position. The paradox of this position is the need to find that other half even though they are at peak individuality.

The waning motion means a return to the Sun. So the individual craves romantic union but cannot make the necessary compromises to sustain a harmonious relationship. The abortive action then happens. Some individuals will have a succession of broken partnerships until they get the message. It IS you, not them!

The yearning for a guru is quite intense with this position as the soul tries to find reasons for why life has been so challenging. However, in later life, if the soul has learned its lessons, the ‘harvest’ should come in relationships and their careers. Life can be a struggle with a waning full moon birthday. They experience many dramatic plot twists with a lot of emotional “Woe is me!”. But they do get there in the end.

Rupert Sheldrake, Richard Dreyfuss, Kirk Douglas, Terry Jones, Gloria Swanson, Susan Boyle, Marc Bolan, Tony Sheridan, Edie Sedgwick.

Pre-Disseminating Type ~ Sun quincunx Moon (waning)

The petals shed. Preparation & refinement

Waning quincunx possibly has a more difficult time making the karmic adjustments than the waxing version. Only because now the soul is quite weary and exhausted from so many attempts to refine itself. They may have experienced many failures and now feels doomed to repeat past mistakes. So these folk will have an urgency about them.

That they absolutely must get it right this time! There is frequent frustration and impatience when errors are made. Like the disseminating phase that follows, they want to get their message out, but the words are raw and unprocessed. On the plus side, the waning quincunx is refreshingly honest and often ‘base.’ I

Note the number of writers and singers in the list below, and all seem to have that quincunx quirkiness about them. As always, even though the quincunx is an edgy and uncomfortable aspect, it is still jazzy. The more evolved folk with this aspect will be highly original in their creations. They are incredibly inventive, and their unusual and often disconcerting style makes them unforgettable.

Goldie Hawn, Marlene Dietrich, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Grace Slick, Trent Reznor, Captain Beefheart, Keith Emerson, John Coltrane, James Garner, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Harold Pinter, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Valerie Solanas, Paul Claudel.

Disseminating Moon ~ Sun trine Moon (Waning)

The plant bears its fruits & Attracts The birds & BEES!

 ” The ability to demonstrate to others what you have learned, to disseminate ideas, to participate in social-religious movements, to be a crusader; negatively, to become lost in social or moral fights… fanaticism.” [1]

The trine aspect shows its luck here with the number of famous persons in my research. Interestingly we have the only two royals who have abdicated from their duties in the list below. These folk’s common destiny is to distribute information and wisdom. They are the most Mercurial of the moon phases.

At this stage, our metaphorical plant also bears ripe fruit, which is now ready to eat. The soul has learnt to navigate relationships now and realizes its dharma. These folk have honed their message and cannot wait to disseminate it to anyone who will listen. Communication is the prime motive for the disseminating Moon.

You will find disseminators in the media, broadcasting and entertainment fields. So it can go two ways; the wiser souls (who are on their second birthday Moon phase cycle perhaps.) will be teachers whom others will seek. Their tree of knowledge is ripe for picking, and others are drawn to their fruit.

Dissemination will be effortless, and most information they release to the world will naturally go ‘viral’. The danger with the less evolved individuals is that they become fanatical, ‘social justice warrior’ types. Their problem is that they only feel validated if everyone else on the planet falls in line with their views. While it’s great they feel passionate about worthy causes, their intolerance to others ‘wrong think’ can lead to very annoying self-righteousness. Again, as with all negative moon phase traits, age brings more sensitivity, serenity and wisdom.

Prince Harry Windsor, Edward VIII, King of England, Benjamin Disraeli, Michael Moore, Juliette Lewis, Molly Ringwald, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Young, Beau Bridges, Whitney Houston, Sheena Easton, Richard Carpenter, Edwyn Collins, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, David Byrne, Melanie C, Arthur Conan Doyle, Boris Becker, Georg Ohm, Andrew Cunanan, Nick Kollerstrom

Last Quarter Moon Type ~ Sun square Moon (Waning)

The fruit withers on the vine

“The ability to…organize people based on ideas and social-political concepts, to change people’s beliefs, to reform and transform, to build ideological structures; humour.. the inability to take criticism; a dictatorial attitude.” [1]

Last quarter moon brings a crisis in consciousness. Where the first quarter dealt with material matters, the last quarter is about ideas and beliefs. So here, old, outdated and redundant belief systems need to be discarded. Sometimes there is nothing new to replace them with immediately, and the native can feel lost and confused. The feel of this cycle is very Uranian. They are tearing down the old to make way for the new.

Some of these natives might have a very successful life, but somehow it seems meaningless. Many of Last quarter moon people will go one or more life-changing events which make them question their religion, marriage or career choice. They can suddenly flip and shock their friends by just up and leaving for another country or making some other extreme change. Their life will always have a theme of rebellion, so maybe their sudden change of heart is not so unexpected.

Often Last quarter folk will have a successful project and then drop it just like that for a new venture with no explanation. It just didn’t sit right. The biggest challenge for the last quarter moon person is to sever ties with abusive relationships of the past and move away from repeating negative childhood behaviour patterns. Some live a lie for far longer than they need to until an out of the blue event takes it from them (Just like a Uranus transit).

Allen Ginsberg, Otto von Bismarck, Regiomontanus, Luis Buñuel, River Phoenix, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Nesmith, Paul Simon, Roger Eno, Robert Shapiro.

Pre-Balsamic Moon Type ~ Sun sextile Moon (Waning)

The fruits fall to the ground and begin to decompose.

The waning Sun sextile Moon falls between the last quarter moon and the dark balsamic Moon. I have found in my aspect research that the sextile is not as benign and harmonious as one would expect from a soft aspect. The list of natives below bears this out somewhat as you can see they are mostly not fluffy bunnies types. So combine a waning sextile and a dark moon, and you get quite a bittersweet favour to this part of the cycle.

The sextile falls under the last quarter meaning, but it is further along the cycle. I’m saying this is when the fruit has only just fallen from the tree, so it can still be edible. In fact, the harvest will be at its most ripe and tasty!

The problem is that you will need to consume it fast, or it could turn sour at any moment. So it is with this cycle, there is a feeling that any success will be short-lived, so waning Sun/moon sextiles will want to gorge themselves silly while it lasts.

There is the feeling of forbidden fruit here too. Sweet but dangerous. You don’t know if you will get an upset stomach afterwards! These folk work best learning how to recycle and repurpose ideas, similar to the balsamic cycle phase that follows. Their gift is resurrecting old material and presenting it in a new style. 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Leonardo da Vinci, Angelina Jolie, Steve McQueen, Matthew McConaughey, Mark Hamill, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Winkler, Samantha Fox, Alan Wilder, Alannah Currie, Gerry Rafferty, Adolf Eichmann, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, Napoléon II Bonaparte, Billie Jean King, Antonia Fraser, Jessica Mitford, Anaïs Nin.

Balsamic Moon ~ Sun conjunct Moon Waning

Seeds return to the soil and await rebirth

“An eagerness to serve social institutions, …to bring the past to a conclusion and to sacrifice yourself for the future’s sake;.. prophetic gifts, a sense of personal destiny, of being led by superior powers.” [1]

Balsamic Moon types are the ‘old souls’. It is also the one most feared as it is that spooky dark Moon! The vibration of this moon phase is very Plutonic. The plant’s waning life force will encapsulate now into a seed that will eventually be reborn. This moon phase then is one of resurrection.

Balsamic moon people are the cycle’s black sheep, witches and outsiders. They are specialists in endings of all kinds and live in that netherworld between life and death. Did I say spooky? Yes, I already did. You get the picture. Balsamic Moon folk are Uber-gothic. They might not dress like it, but they have the soul of a Goth!

This cycle is about tying up all their karmic loose ends before their new cycle. Some of them spend their whole life searching for someone they can pass the baton of their wisdom on to. They are very conscious of the lunar cycle and the need to leave their seed behind. The ‘seeding’ might manifest in having many children.

Similar to the full Moon, the Balsamic Moon also can be pretty obsessive with relationships. For the Balsamic, it is for a different reason. They are far more likely to have a succession of very intense, short-lived connections. Romances are super-condensed because they have so much unfinished business with so many people from different lifetimes! Balsamic Moon folk need to make peace with those they have loved, lost and hated.

The Balsamic cycle comes with ALOT of karmic baggage. However, this cycle has the great advantage of shed loads of experience and wisdom. These are the wounded healers and shamen of the Moon phases. Their Balsamic cycle is a very busy one as they have to finish off so many projects. They often think they just don’t have the energy to complete all their tasks, but they do. They only have to make sure they recharge themselves regularly. Often the recharging is from a new career or relationship. Balsamic Moon people are the kings and queens of reinvention.

Karl Marx, Marlon Brando, Emperor Franz Josef, Camilo Cienfuegos, Beatrix, Queen of Netherlands, Salman Rushdie, Kim Wilde, Enrico Caruso, Jean Piaget, Marshall Applewhite.

Book referenced below are Amazon affiliate links.

Inspiration for this article is taken from Demetra George “Finding Our Way Out Of The Dark” , which goes into each moon phase in great detail. Great for charting your progressed moon phases.

1. Dane Rudhyar is the King of Moon phases. I have quoted from his summary article in this post. For more details, get his seminal 1960 work The Lunation Cycle: A Key to the Understanding of Personality

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