The Spiritual Meanings of the Waxing and Waning Gibbous Moons

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Discover how the gibbous moons affect you & your personality

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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What is a waxing and waning gibbous moon?

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Waxing Gibbous Spiritual Meanings

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Waning Gibbous Spiritual Meanings

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Born on a Gibbous Moon

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Moon Phases

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Other Astronomy Terms

Many mystics and astrologers believe that the phases of the moon are powerful times of manifestation and spiritual connection. Whether you've felt the pull of the moon's waxing gibbous phase or are simply curious about what it might mean, you've come to the right place to find out. We’ll tell you what the waxing gibbous moon is, how it's different from the waning gibbous moon, what these moon phases symbolize, and what it means to be born on a gibbous moon. If you’re ready to uncover the mysteries behind the waxing gibbous moon, read on!

Things You Should Know

During the waxing gibbous moon phase, the moon’s illumination is increasing with more than half of its surface being lit up. This is the phase before a full moon.
The waxing gibbous moon signifies the final stretch of completing a project. It is the phase for knocking off tasks and tying up loose ends.
The waning gibbous moon symbolizes gratitude and reflection. It is time to be thankful for what you accomplished and to let go of the things that didn’t work.

Section 1 of 6:

What is a waxing and waning gibbous moon?

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A waxing gibbous’ light is increasing and over halfway illuminated. As the moon makes its orbit around Earth, the amount of it that is illuminated and visible on Earth changes. When the moon is waxing, the portion that is lit up is increasing. So, during the waxing gibbous phase, you see more than half of the moon’s surface illuminated. This phase lasts about 5 to 7 days before the moon transitions into a full moon.^{[1]
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- The waxing gibbous moon is illuminated on the right side while a small portion of the left side is dark. During this phase, the dark, left side gets smaller.
- The waxing gibbous moon is the phase between the first quarter moon, where the right half of the moon is visible, and the full moon, where the entire moon is illuminated.
- The waxing gibbous moon is the most visible from 3 pm to 3 am.
- Gibbous means “humped-back.” The illuminated portion of the moon looks like a rounded semi-circle.^{[2]
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A waning gibbous’ light is decreasing and over halfway illuminated. When the moon is waning, it means that its illumination is decreasing. During a waning gibbous moon, over half of the left side of the moon is visible, but a small portion of the right side is now dark. This phase lasts for about 5 to 7 days and transitions into the third quarter moon as the illuminated portion continues to decrease.^{[3]
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- The waning gibbous moon is the phase between the full moon and the third quarter moon, where the left half of the moon is illuminated.
- The waning gibbous moon is the most visible from 9 pm to 9 am.^{[4]
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Section 2 of 6:

Waxing Gibbous Moon Spiritual Meanings

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The waxing gibbous moon symbolizes finishing up a project. As the light of the moon increases into a full moon, so does your closeness to the culmination and completion of all your hard work. This waxing gibbous moon gives you the perseverance to make a final push to accomplish your goals. Use this phase to buckle down, focus on your tasks, and tie up any loose ends. You’re making huge strides to achieve your dreams, which you’ll be able to celebrate once the moon is full.^{[5]
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- If you tend to feel stressed during the waxing gibbous phase, you’re not alone—many people find it to be one of the more difficult times of the month.
- Relieve your stress by taking breaks and breaking your tasks into manageable chunks. Then, take time for a walk or to enjoy a good book or show.
- While the waxing gibbous moon is about making 1 final push, don’t work so hard that you burn yourself out. Some projects take several moon cycles to complete, so this is your opportunity to check off smaller tasks.
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The waxing gibbous moon also represents growth and development. This phase of the moon is great for reflection, helping you focus on and refine the things that aren’t working for you. You might realize that the way you schedule tasks makes you less productive, or that a friendship is no longer making you happy. Ask yourself what adjustments and solutions you can implement to overcome these challenges, and what kind of support you need to make them happen.^{[6]
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- For example, if you’re not feeling motivated and want to increase your productivity, you might pick 2 to 3 important tasks to tackle and break each one into smaller chunks that are easier to finish.
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The waxing gibbous moon is the time to manifest your desires. The moon’s energy is thought to be at its peak as the light increases during the waxing gibbous phase. This is the perfect time to manifest, set your intentions, and make your wants and desires super specific. Then, harness the active energy of this phase to define your goals, write out a plan, and make your manifestations a reality.^{[7]
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- Instead of setting an intention like, “I want to find my soulmate,” say, “I want to meet someone who is funny, intelligent, respectful, and shares my goals in the next month.”
- Then, use the energy of the moon to meet new people. Volunteer in your community, join a recreational sports club, or make a profile on a dating app.
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The waxing gibbous moon symbolizes self-improvement and transitions. Use the active and reflective energy of the waxing gibbous moon to get out of your comfort zone and work towards a new season of your life. Use this moon phase to take risks, whether that’s applying for a new job or saying, “Yes” to a second date.
- Grow into the person you’ve always wanted to be during the waxing gibbous moon. Learn a new hobby, take an interesting class at a local college, or read up on a subject you know nothing about.
- While the waxing gibbous moon is great for initiating changes, don’t force them. Go with the flow of the cycle of the moon, trusting in its energy and its ability to take you where you need to go.
- Some people directly feel the effects of the waxing gibbous moon. During this phase, you might feel compelled to make a change or head in a completely different direction than you planned.

Section 3 of 6:

Waning Gibbous Moon Spiritual Meanings

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The waning gibbous moon symbolizes gratitude and patience. After the energy peak of the waxing gibbous and full moon, things start to slow down during the waning gibbous. This is a reflective period to show gratitude for everything you were able to accomplish over the past month. You are getting back into the swing of things, so go slow and take stock of the things that helped you accomplish your goals.^{[8]
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- Be patient and don’t rush into new things. Instead, recognize the things that you want to change or get rid of that hindered your progress during the waxing phases of the moon.
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The waning gibbous moon represents letting go of negativity. Use the reflective energy of the waning gibbous moon to take note of your bad habits and behaviors that are holding you back. Don’t punish yourself, but instead forgive yourself for any mistakes you made or actions you keep repeating. Then, set goals and manageable steps to break your bad habit, whether it’s procrastinating, never saying, “No,” or staying up until 1 am every night.^{[9]
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- For example, to stop procrastinating, you might put away your phone when you work, work in different locations to keep yourself motivated, and promise to reward yourself when you’re done.
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The waning gibbous moon is often a sign that spiritual renewal is near. If you’ve been neglecting your spiritual practice, or have been feeling spiritually disconnected, the waning gibbous moon is the perfect time to get in touch with your spiritual side. This phase of the moon symbolizes spiritual closeness, which often means that a spiritual awakening or enlightenment is on the horizon.^{[10]
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- Meditating is a great way to connect to yourself and your spirituality. Sit up straight in a quiet room, focus on your breathing, and repeat a mantra like “Om” to ground yourself and connect to your higher self.
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The waning gibbous moon can signify that a phase of your life is ending. The waning gibbous moon begins the transition from the full moon to the new moon, with more and more of the moon’s light fading. This can symbolize that a particular period or season of your life is closing out, too. Take this time to recognize this phase of your life ending and appreciate where you are right now. Then, prepare yourself for the new change coming up soon.^{[11]
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- For example, you might be in a season of change and trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. The waning gibbous moon can be a sign that a new job is on the horizon to bring you stability, sureness, and balance.
- Accepting change isn’t always easy. To help the transition, stay busy by planning fun activities with your friends, grounding yourself with meditation or yoga, and enjoying your favorite pastimes.

Section 4 of 6:

What is the personality of someone born on a gibbous moon?

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People born under a waxing gibbous moon tend to be caring and calm. Some spiritualists and astrologists believe that the phase the moon was in on your day of birth affects your personality. If you were born on a waxing gibbous moon, you might be nurturing and friendly, finding it easy to make new friends everywhere you go. Because of your caring disposition and ability to form connections, teaching and mentorship can come naturally to you.^{[12]
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- People born on a waxing gibbous moon sometimes struggle with perfectionism. While it’s not a bad thing to be high-achieving, recognize that there is no such thing as perfect. Just doing your best is enough.
- In astrology, the waxing phases of the moon are associated with action and high energy. People born on a waxing crescent or gibbous moon might prefer to go, go, go rather than sit around in 1 place.^{[13]
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If you were born on a waning gibbous, you might be wise and outgoing. People born under the waning gibbous moon are often regarded as self-aware and wise beyond their years. You might be a great communicator who loves to tell your friends and strangers alike about all the cool things you know. This can make you a great teacher or leader.^{[14]
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- People born on a waning gibbous moon sometimes prefer speaking over listening to others. To be a good listener, practice putting yourself in others’ shoes. Then, set aside distractions, like your phone, and make eye contact as the other person is talking.

Section 5 of 6:

What are the phases of the moon?

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The moon has 8 phases that it cycles through over 29.5 days. The cycle starts with the new moon, which is invisible to you on Earth. It then begins to wax, with its illumination increasing on the right side. This culminates in the full moon, where the entire moon is visible. The moon then wanes and the illumination on the left side decreases as darkness creeps up on the right. This brings it back to the new moon and starts the cycle again. The individual moon phases are:^{[15]
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- New moon: the moon is invisible because the illuminated side only faces the sun.
- Waxing crescent: a sliver of the moon is visible on the right side and its illumination is slowly increasing.
- First quarter: half of the moon is visible: the right half is illuminated and the left is not. This is called the first quarter because the moon is ¼ of its way through its orbit.
- Waxing gibbous: over half of the right side of the moon is visible.
- Full moon: the entire side of the moon that faces Earth is illuminated and visible.
- Waning gibbous: over half of the left side of the moon is visible, but the illumination is starting to decrease.
- Third quarter: half of the moon is visible: the left half is illuminated and the right is not.
- Waning crescent: only a sliver of the moon is visible on the left half.
- One-half of the moon is always dark and not illuminated by the sun. You never see the dark side of the moon on Earth.

Section 6 of 6:

Other Astronomy Terms

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If you're interested in astronomy, there's more to explore. Astrologists have long looked to the skies for insights into the world, and because of this, many moon phases, planets, and constellations are believed to have deep spiritual meaning. Here are a few other interesting terms to look into:
- Full moon: The phase in the lunar cycle when the entire moon is illuminated in the sky. In astrology, full moons are associated with strong emotions, spiritual growth, and completing projects.
- Blood Moon: A special type of full moon that requires a total lunar eclipse to occur. Astrologists believe that blood moons bring change, disruption, and chaos.
- Supermoon: Occurs when a full moon gets unusually close to earth, making it look larger. Astrologists believe supermoons boost energies and intensify emotions.
- Mars: The fourth planet from the sun in our solar system. In astrology, Mars represents aggression, energy, drive, and sexuality.
- Saturn: The sixth planet from the sun in our solar system. Astrologically, Saturn represents hard work, discipline, responsibility, and karma.
- Pluto: Formerly the ninth planet in our solar system, until it was redefined as a dwarf planet. In astrology, Pluto represents transformation, renewal, and power.
- Orion’s Belt: A constellation made up of three bright stars in a line. Spiritually, Orion’s Belt is associated with good luck, intuition, and strength.