ermetikon

Lunar Phase

Last Quarter

The Last Quarter Moon occurs when the Moon reaches 270 deg of elongation from the Sun - the third square in the lunation cycle. The Moon is now waning, decreasing in light and moving back toward the Sun's conjunction. Classical doctrine marks this square as a moment of release, clearing, and preparation for the cycle's end.

At a glance

Last Quarter meaning in the current sky

Release, correction, and clearing. Useful for endings, pruning, and turning away from stale effort.

Current sky

Moon is Last Quarter now

Currently in Pisces with 20% illumination.

Next exact occurrence: May 9, 2026, 9:11 PM UTC

Elongation range

270 to 315 deg

Measured from the Sun, with illumination running from 50% to 15%.

Best used for

Useful for endings, pruning, and turning away from stale effort.

The Moon stands in its third square to the Sun, now waning and decreasing in light. Classical doctrine marks this as a moment of release, clearing, and dissolution as the cycle moves toward its end.

Caution

Watch the last quarter build in Aquarius

A waning square is better for resolution than launch.

Visual geometry

Last Quarter geometry

A visual anchor for where this phase sits in the solar-lunar cycle.

270 deg square
Sun
Moon
0 deg
90 deg
180 deg
270 deg

Solar side

Sun as the source of light and the fixed reference for lunar elongation.

Lunar side

Last Quarter as a representative lunar position in the cycle.

Local personalization

Local timing for the Last Quarter

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Current moon

Last Quarter in Pisces

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Next Last Quarter

May 9, 2026, 9:11 PM UTC

Last Quarter in Aquarius.

The Last Quarter Moon mirrors the First Quarter's geometry but carries the opposite energy of the cycle. Both are squares to the Sun, both are moments of tension and friction, but where the First Quarter is a waxing square (building, acting), the Last Quarter is a waning square (releasing, clearing, letting go).

In classical astrology, the Last Quarter occurs when the Moon has completed three-quarters of its synodic cycle. It is decreasing in light and applying back toward the Sun's eventual conjunction. The Moon is in a state of deliberate withdrawal.

Classical electional doctrine tends to caution against beginning important new matters under a decreasing Moon in square. But the Last Quarter is not a malefic phase - it is a phase of appropriate endings, release, and the clearing of space that must precede a new cycle.

The Waning Square

The Last Quarter is geometrically the same as the First Quarter (both are 90 deg from the Sun) but carries entirely different quality. The First Quarter is a waxing crisis demanding action; the Last Quarter is a waning crisis calling for release. Classical doctrine is attentive to the Moon's direction of travel - and at the Last Quarter, the Moon is clearly moving toward the Sun's consuming embrace.

Decreasing in Light

At the Last Quarter, the Moon is decreasing in illumination while locked in a waning square to the Sun. In classical doctrine, that combination weakens its power for fresh beginnings, even while it remains appropriate for completing existing ones and preparing for what comes next.

Preparation for the New Cycle

The Last Quarter marks the beginning of the cycle's final week. The Moon will continue decreasing through the Waning Crescent and eventually reach the New Moon's conjunction again. The traditional teaching associated with this phase is one of deliberate release: completing old business, clearing obligations, and making space for the next New Moon's beginning.

Classical Perspectives

Primary-source passages on the last quarter from the Hermetikon archive.

Cover of A Manual of Astrology

A Manual of Astrology

Raphael (Robert Cross Smith)
1828
"After the full , she begins to decrease gradually, as she moves through the other half of her orbit; and when the eastern half of her only is enlightened, she is said to be in her third quarter"
Page 60Open in Reader
Cover of Tetrabiblos

Tetrabiblos

Claudius Ptolemy
150
"The third part of this consideration appertains to significations applying more minutely, and points out their force or weakness. In this case, the partile configurations of the Sun and Moon, at the intermediate quarters, as well as at the new or full Moon, are to be attentively regarded; since there is a certain variation in the constitution of the atmosphere, which usually commences about three days before, and sometimes, also, about three days after the Moon has equated her course to the Sun"
CHAPTER XIII MODE OF CONSIDERATION FOR PARTICULAR CONSTITUTIONS OF THE ATMOSPHEREOpen in Reader
Cover of Tetrabiblos

Tetrabiblos

Claudius Ptolemy
150
"from her full state to her third quarter she causes dryness; and from her third quarter to her occultation she causes cold"
CHAPTER VIII THE INFLUENCE OF POSITION WITH REGARD TO THE SUNOpen in Reader

Sources on the Last Quarter

Open the cited books and authors behind this last quarter page.

Books cited here

Manual of Astrology

Open the full book page in the archive.

Tetrabiblos

Open the full book page in the archive.

Authors cited here

Claudius Ptolemy

Open the author page in the archive.

Last Quarter in Every Sign

Last Quarter in Aries

Fire - Cardinal

Last Quarter in Taurus

Earth - Fixed

Last Quarter in Gemini

Air - Mutable

Last Quarter in Cancer

Water - Cardinal

Last Quarter in Leo

Fire - Fixed

Last Quarter in Virgo

Earth - Mutable

Last Quarter in Libra

Air - Cardinal

Last Quarter in Scorpio

Water - Fixed

Last Quarter in Sagittarius

Fire - Mutable

Last Quarter in Capricorn

Earth - Cardinal

Last Quarter in Aquarius

Air - Fixed

Last Quarter in Pisces

Water - Mutable

Last Quarter FAQ

What does the last quarter moon mean in astrology?

In classical astrology, the last quarter moon is the Moon at 270 deg elongation from the Sun - in square, waning, and decreasing in light. It marks a phase of release, completion, and clearing. Classical doctrine cautions against beginning new matters under this phase; it favors endings, resolution of old business, and preparation for the next cycle.

What is the difference between first quarter and last quarter moon?

Both are squares to the Sun, but the First Quarter is a waxing square (Moon increasing in light, building toward the Full Moon) while the Last Quarter is a waning square (Moon decreasing in light, returning toward the New Moon). Classical doctrine treats them oppositely in elections: the First Quarter is for action, the Last Quarter for release.

Is the last quarter moon the same as a half moon?

Yes - the last quarter moon is the waning half moon, showing approximately 50% illumination. It appears as a half-circle but is decreasing: the illuminated side is opposite to the First Quarter half-moon. The Last Quarter rises around midnight and is visible in the morning sky before sunrise.

How long does the last quarter moon last?

The last quarter phase spans roughly 270 deg to 315 deg of lunar elongation - approximately 2-3 days around the precise square. The broader waning half of the cycle (from the Full Moon to the New Moon) lasts about two weeks, with the Last Quarter marking its midpoint.

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