Lunar almanac

Lunar calendar

A calendar for observing the Moon’s real movement, understanding the eight stages of its cycle and choosing a ritual gesture with discernment. Astronomical times and symbolic interpretations always remain distinct.

View calendar Understand the cycles

Understand the cycle

Eight phases, one continuous movement

A lunation unfolds over about 29.53 days. Texts of astral magic chiefly codify two movements: increasing light for increase, attraction, blessing or consecration; decreasing light for diminution, separation, purification or banishing. The eight-phase framework below is a modern teaching aid, not a universal law.

  1. New Moon
  2. Waxing crescent
  3. First quarter
  4. Waxing gibbous
  5. Full Moon
  6. Waning gibbous
  7. Last quarter
  8. Waning crescent

01 · Dated astronomical instant

New Moon

What happens in the sky

The illuminated side faces the Sun and the night side faces Earth. The Moon is generally invisible and a new lunation begins.

Ritual correspondence

In several traditions of election, conjunction with the Sun and invisibility mark retreat or even impediment rather than a peak of power.

Uses and cautions

Prefer silence, cleansing, rest and preparation. For attraction, blessing or consecration, some traditions wait for the crescent to reappear.

The almanac

Four lunar appointments each month

New Moon, first and last quarters, full Moon: every row gives the exact instant calculated in Universal Time by the U.S. Naval Observatory, then converted to your time zone. UTC remains visible to remove ambiguity.

Month 9 · 2026

Current month

Last quarter

Banishing

Exact instant Universal Time · the interactive calendar shows your local time

Ritual reading Name what must leave the circle: banish an influence, break a habit or unbind an attachment, then cleanse and close.

New Moon

Retreat

Exact instant Universal Time · the interactive calendar shows your local time

Ritual reading Close the cycle, cleanse the space and prepare the next operation; for attraction or consecration, wait instead for the visible return of light.

First quarter

Action

Exact instant Universal Time · the interactive calendar shows your local time

Ritual reading Commit to a work of increase, blessing or active protection and anchor it with one precise act.

Full Moon

Full light

Exact instant Universal Time · the interactive calendar shows your local time

Ritual reading Examine what has reached full expression: bless or consecrate what should endure, reveal what was hidden, then name what must begin to wane.

Using the lunar calendar well

Why does the calendar date four phases when the cycle has eight?

New Moon, first quarter, full Moon and last quarter are four geometric configurations that occur at a precise instant. Crescents and gibbous Moons are progressive intervals between those thresholds; assigning them one unique minute would be artificial.

Why can the date differ between calendars?

The same instant can fall before or after midnight depending on the time zone. This page shows your local time and keeps the source UTC time. Always check the time zone when dates differ by one day.

Is an esoteric influence of lunar phases proven?

The phases are measurable astronomical phenomena. Their ritual meanings belong to varied symbolic systems and cultural practices; they are not scientific proof or a prediction. Use them as a structure for observation and intention.

Must a practice happen at the exact minute shown?

The minute marks the astronomical threshold. Traditions and practitioners choose different windows around it. If you work ritually, define a rule consistent with your practice instead of treating one minute as universally mandatory.

The Aeternum notebooks

Explore the language of lunar phases

Learn how to observe changing light, keep a lunar journal and build a regular practice without turning symbolism into certainty.

Read the phase guide

— To go further.

Free lunar calendar 2026: full moon and new moon dates

When is the next full moon? At what time does the new moon occur? Our free online lunar calendar makes these events easy to find, with no registration, on desktop or mobile. Check the dates of the four main phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. You do not need to know the cycle by heart to start following it.

A simple tool for checking lunar phases

Choose a year and month, then check the dates and times of lunar phases. The interactive table shows your local time alongside a UTC reference. Use it to plan an observation, update your lunar journal or organise your practice. The cycle explanations help you read the calendar; ritual correspondences remain symbolic references, distinct from astronomical data.

When is the next full Moon or new Moon?

Find the full Moon or new Moon entry in the displayed month and compare its date and time with the present. If it has already passed, move to the next month; in December, remember to change the year too. You can find the next occurrence or look back at an earlier period to complete your notes.

A calendar month and a lunar cycle do not necessarily begin together. Do not calculate the next full Moon simply by adding a fixed number of days to the last one: use the date in the table. Record the year, month and time zone alongside your notes so that later comparisons remain clear.

Waxing Moon, waning Moon and quarters: reading the cycle

A waxing Moon has an increasing visible illuminated portion between new Moon and full Moon. During the waning Moon, that portion decreases until the next new Moon. First quarter belongs to the waxing part of the cycle; last quarter belongs to the waning part. These markers help you place a day between two dates in the table.

In a lunar journal, record the preceding phase, the next phase and what you actually observe in the sky. A calendar date alone does not describe clouds, the horizon or viewing conditions. Our guide to Moon phases and their symbolism explores the eight stages and different ways of interpreting them.

Reading local time and UTC in the lunar calendar

The interactive table converts times to your device’s time zone, while UTC remains available for comparison. For times in mainland France, check that your device uses Europe/Paris; elsewhere, choose the time zone relevant to your location. Travelling or using a device set to another country can change the displayed time. If interactive conversion is unavailable, the built-in dates remain in UTC.

The instant of a phase is not the same as moonrise. A full Moon dated during daylight does not mean you can see it from your location at that instant. This calendar lists phases; it does not provide local moonrise and moonset times.

Using a lunar calendar to prepare a ritual

A Moon calendar can help organise your practice: identify a waxing or waning period, set aside preparation time and keep a record. First establish the framework of your tradition, then choose a suitable date. A phase provides a reference point, not a guarantee of any particular effect or outcome.

If your practice also considers planetary days and hours, consult our planetary hours calculator. It addresses a different question: dividing the day and night into planetary hours for a selected location. The two tools complement one another without calculating the same information.

Connecting lunar cycles with the seasons and further reading

Monthly Moon observations can form part of a broader seasonal journal. Our Wheel of the Year and sabbats guide explores these other reference points. A seasonal cycle is distinct from a lunation: you can consider both when planning while retaining their separate dates and meanings.

To study correspondences further and compare approaches, browse our selection of astrology books. Then return to the calendar to find the lunar dates relevant to your observations or practice.