The Moon now appears half-lit again, but this time she is waning, shrinking, moving toward her rest. The Last Quarter is a phase of release, cleansing, and realignment. It is the cosmic broom that sweeps away what no longer belongs, making room for the new cycle that waits just around the corner.

The Last Quarter whispers: “You cannot carry everything with you. Lay down what has grown heavy.”

🌙 A Story from the Ancients

In Native American traditions, the waning half-moon was known as the “clearing time.” Elders taught that just as fields must be cleared after harvest, our lives must also be cleared of old energy before planting new seeds.

In Hindu philosophy, this time mirrors moksha — release and liberation from what binds us. Even the Moon, radiant and proud at fullness, must let go of her light to be reborn again.

The lesson is simple but profound: endings are not loss, but preparation.

🌑 The Meaning of the Last Quarter

This phase symbolizes:
• Releasing — habits, beliefs, and attachments that no longer serve.
• Realignment — re-centering intentions, preparing for the New Moon.
• Forgiveness — letting go of resentment toward self or others.

It is the Moon’s reminder: lightness is found not in adding more, but in carrying less.

✨ How It Shows Up in Our Lives

• In relationships: releasing old patterns or forgiving misunderstandings.
• In career: finishing projects, clearing tasks, rethinking priorities.
• In personal growth: breaking habits, cleansing your physical or emotional space.

This is a phase of clarity through subtraction.

🔮 Rituals for the Last Quarter

1.⁠ ⁠Cleansing Bath 🛁

Draw a warm bath with salt and herbs (lavender, sage, or rosemary). As you soak, visualize heavy energies leaving your body and dissolving into the water.

2.⁠ ⁠Decluttering Ritual 🧹

Pick one small area — a drawer, a desk, a shelf. As you clear it, imagine you’re making space in your mind as well.

3.⁠ ⁠Forgiveness Meditation 💫

Close your eyes and picture the person (or yourself) you hold resentment toward. Breathe deeply and say: “I release you. I forgive. I set myself free.”

🌌 Affirmation of the Phase

“I release with love to make space for renewal.”

🌙 Reflection

The Last Quarter Moon reminds us that release is not a punishment — it’s freedom. Just as trees shed leaves to survive winter, we too must shed what no longer feeds us.

Ask yourself: What one thing can I lovingly let go of this week?

💫 Next in the Moon Mysteries Series:
The Waning Crescent is the final phase before rebirth — a time of deep rest, surrender, and quiet preparation for the New Moon’s return.