Waning Moon Magic for 2024 – Waning Gibbous Spells, Last Quarter Spells, and Waning Crescent Spells

Last Updated on February 25, 2024 by Eva Maria

The waning Moon phase it’s a time when the Moon decreases in size and slowly disappears from the night sky.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Moon energy, yet never worked with it consistently.

Apart from knowing two major phases: Full Moon and New Moon, I had little idea about the rest of the cycle.

It’s been almost 4 years since I started following the Moon Phases and how they affect my life.

Below you can read about the Waning Moon’s meaning and symbolism, spells, rituals, tarot spread, Moon Water, and some of my observations.

Waning Gibbous Spells, Last Quarter Spells, and Waning Crescent Spells

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Waning Moon Definition, Meaning, and Symbolism

Three moon phases are connected with the Waning Moon.

Straight after the Full Moon, for around seven days we experience the Waning Gibbous.

When Luna is halfway lit, it’s called the Third (Last) Quarter.

Just before the New Moon, the Waning Crescent is visible in the sky.

To visualize it better, I prepared a free grimoire printable, that will help you understand the changes that our Satelite goes through every 29,5 days!

To best understand how the Moon Changes each day, you could do a simple observation, sketch how it looks, and write your emotions or anything special that happened that day. It will help you stay more in tune with Lunar Energies and incorporate it into your everyday life.

In Wicca, the Waning Moon symbolizes The Crone – the third stage of a Goddess – a wise witch, Hecate that illuminates us with magical knowledge and helps to realize the passage of time, cyclic nature, death, and rebirth.

During Waning Moon, we shouldn’t start anything new. It’s a time for closure, retrospection, reorganizing, analyzing, reflection, rest, getting rid of old habits, slowing down, observing yourself, banishing negative energies, and planning for the New Moon Cycle.

This is the best time to finish the work that we set during the last New Moon.

Working with Lunar energies can be very helpful in any kind of Manifestation or Law of Attraction. By observing these natural cycles, we can add a little Lunar energy to our plans.

When the Moon is getting smaller and smaller, it’s time to be grateful, forgive, and forget. If you have been manifesting things for a while, you know how important is to let go of your idea. Sometimes the best things come when we don’t expect them at all!

free book of shadows printable moon phases merkaba study

Waning Moon Spells and Rituals

Waning Gibbous Spells

waning gibbous magic merkaba study

Straight after the Full Moon, the Waning Gibbous still shines brightly on the night sky.

This is the best time to make Waning Gibbous spells that relate to:

  1. Giving thanks to others and being grateful for the progress that we’ve made. Surprisingly this is the quickest way to let the Universe know that we acknowledge all the learning in the past two weeks and release unnecessary expectations. My favorite way to incorporate gratefulness in everyday life is to write down or think about people, events, or things that I am grateful for.

  2. Reducing clutter in your physical, emotional, and spiritual life. You can, for example, cleanse your space, get rid of things that no longer serve you, and try a more minimalistic way of living.

  3. Making a Body Scrub. I like to use my leftover coffee grains as they work perfectly for exfoliating old skin and moisturizing my body. Coffee will also bring extra energy that is needed during waning moon time. You should try it yourself!

  4. Starting dry brushing – It is one of my favorite self-love rituals. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube, and you will be surprised how this can bring your skin to a beautiful glow and smoothness. When I dry brush my skin, I repeat words of love and gratefulness to all of my body parts. And it works miracles!

Third (Last) Quarter Spells

Third Quarter Magic Merkaba Study

When the moon is halfway visible, it’s called the Third Quarter. This Phase lasts only 1 day, but you can also do these magic rituals on two days surrounding that event.

This is the most powerful time to work with letting go and healing.

This is the best time to make the Last Quarter spells that relate to:

  1. Healing your emotions and wounds. It’s a perfect time to acknowledge the negativity that surrounds you and work on releasing it. You can heal from greed, aggression, fear, sadness, lack of motivation, etc.

  2. Cord-cutting. If there is a person, that doesn’t leave you alone and has a toxic influence, during the Third Quarter you can start a ritual called cord-cutting.

    I usually do it by visualizing another person and removing any attachments in my aura field.

    You can use athame (if you have one) or simply make scissors from your fingers and cut the energetical cords that you pull out.

    Ask the Universe to support your intention by bringing their energy back to them and reclaiming your energy from that person.

    To make it more effective you can repeat this ritual for a few days until you feel the relief from that connection.

    Never wish bad for another person, as our subconscious doesn’t differentiate between ourselves and others. Also, make sure to protect yourself during that ritual.


    If you have questions about any of the information I provide here, let me know and I’ll try to explain things better!

  3. Forgiveness. Below you can find my beloved Buddhist Prayer that will help you let go of any negative emotions that you may hold towards yourself or others:

    If I have harmed anyone in any way, either knowingly or unknowingly, through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness.

    If anyone has harmed me in any way, either knowingly or unknowingly, through their own confusions, I forgive them.

    If there is a situation I am not yet ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that.

    For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle, judge or be unkind to myself, through my own confusions, I forgive myself.

  4. Getting rid of negative addictions that hold you back from becoming your Brightest and the Most Authentic Self! Try to visualize each day, that when the Moon becomes smaller and smaller it takes your negative behavior to an empty void and transforms it.

  5. Starting a diet or a detox, and eating cleansing food. You could also use some breathwork (pranayama) techniques to further detoxify your lungs, improve digestion, immune system, sleep, and overall energize your body!
buddhist prayer of forgiveness


Waning Crescent Spells

waning crescent moon magic merkaba study

This is the last phase of the moon and it’s present for around 7 days, until the Dark Moon.

This is the best time to make Waning Crescent spells that relate to:

  1. Making room for further abundance by journaling, meditating, and release. During the last phase, you shouldn’t be harsh on yourself. Give yourself space to welcome fresh energy on the New Moon.

  2. Resting and Surrendering. Working with the cycling nature of the Moon gives us the understanding, that everything has a right time in this life.

    There is a time of expansion and a time to let go.

    During the last days of the Lunar Cycle, be extra nice to yourself. Don’t push to achieve anything, let go of unnecessary perfectionism and guilt.

    Do something that brings you energy and joy.

  3. Energizing. During the Waning Crescent, we are more likely to be sleepy and tired. Making this energizing bath might be a good idea to spark some extra motivation during that time.

    Don’t try to be overproductive as this won’t bring expected results. Better wait for the right time, and start straight with the New Lunar Cycle.

  4. Discharging the health issues. If you currently have some health problems, you can visualize them disappearing together with the moon.

    Ask the natural forces for help and see yourself free from your medical condition. You can repeat this visualization for a few days in a row until the moon is no longer visible in the sky.

Waning Moon Tarot Spread

Waning Moon Tarot Spread
  1. The thing that holds you back – Something that doesn’t really work for you anymore. When you pick that card, you can read the reverse meaning, and usually, it will represent the thing that no longer serves you. It’s time to let go and release.

  2. The thing that you should be grateful for – Remember, everything serves the purpose. Even negative situations are here to teach you something about yourself. Make a habit of being grateful for both: the positives and negatives in your life. This way you will open yourself to the possibility of continuous learning. When you pick that card, the first thing that comes into your mind is usually right. Give thanks by unexpectedly paying back to someone, or leaving an offering to nature. Simple words (or even thoughts) of gratefulness will be much appreciated by the Spirit Forces and might be an opening to a whole new level of understanding.

  3. The thing to cultivate during the next Lunar Cycle – Not everything will get to fruition during the Waning Moon. Sometimes it takes more time to gain wisdom or another level of personal development. Acknowledge the things that you still need to focus on and try to incorporate them into your plans for the New Moon. Let this card be your guide and motivation for success!

Waning Moon Water

Making Moon Water is possible in any Moon Phase.

It will have different uses depending on the time you put it out.

There is a whole post dedicated to that topic on my blog, so feel free to jump there for more detailed instructions.

Generally, to make the most potent Waning Moon Water, I would pick the Third Quarter Night. Put your container with water out to accumulate the Lunar Power of that phase.

Waning Moon Water can be used for banishing, releasing, completing, breaking toxic relationships or unhealthy habits, and other spells that are aimed to diminish something in your life.

Waning Moon in the Garden

In most Farmer’s Almanacs, you will find useful information about Moon Phases and their uses in gardening. I come from a family of Nature Spirits and we’ve always tried to work together with the Moon Phases whenever planning some gardening maintenance.

Waning Moon is associated with planting below-ground plants like Potatoes, Turnips, Beets, Onions, Radishes, Carrots, and also some flowering bulbs (iris, daffodils, tulips). It is also known as the harvest time in the garden.

From Full to Third Quarter – Plant perennials, root vegetables, and bulbs

From the third quarter to dark – Weed, maintain, cultivate, and fight pests and diseases

How to track the moon phases?

Many free mobile apps provide detailed information about the Moon. I use Daff Moon and it allows me to track times of the Moon rising and setting, current location, various Moon Phases, and Zodiac Signs that our Satelite is passing through.

You could also buy a special Calendar on Almanac that will have all this information listed.

For many years I tracked only the major Moon Phases by writing them down in my Bullet Journal, yet I would like to work more and more with Lunar Magic every day. This way having a detailed planner would be a great help for all kinds of magic! 

Waning Moon Book of Shadows printable

waning moon magic intentions pdf printable for the book of shadows

Eva Maria
Eva Maria

Eclectic Witch with tons of interests (Buddhism, Yoga, Ayurveda, Alchemy, Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Climbing, Traveling, Jewelry making, Crocheting, Arts and Crafts and all sorts of readings).

Creator at @witchjournaling and host of the witchcommunity.com

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