What The Phases Of The Moon Really Mean In Astrology

The sun gets a lot of love in astrology, and sometimes I feel like the moon isn't receiving its fair share. Not just with regards to your moon sign, either. Every 29.5 days, the moon goes through eight cycles. Just like the Sun's placement in the sky can help predict your personality traits and even influence current events, the phase the moon is in at any given time — and the cycle you were born under — has a huge influence on your life, mindset, and mood.

"The stages correspond with the stages of the planting cycle, beginning with the potential represented by the seed planted in the ground," Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com, tells Refinery29. "Events in our life begin to unfold as the same way the seed takes root and begins to grow," she says. "Being born during the various moon phases affects the personality, and the personal focus in life."

Adds Mysticalcraft Arriana, a Keen.com advisor and tarot card reader, "Knowing what the moon phase was when we were born is essential, as it allows us to add knowledge in life." Your fate isn't necessarily predetermined because of where the moon was on your birth chart, but you may be pulled toward certain personality traits or ways of thinking. And knowing about those predispositions can help you take advantage of them — or avoid them.

We asked Hale and Arriana to tell us what each moon phase means for life here on Earth. And for those who want to dig a little deeper, we also asked about the personality traits typical for people born under each phase. To find out what the moon looked like when you were born, plug your birth date, time, and place into a birth chart generator, like the one on Chani Nicholas's website. Then swipe through.