From Lady Abyss – Feast of Samhain

“The Celts honored the opposing balance of intertwining forces of existence: darkness and light, night and day, cold and heat, death and life. The Celtic year was divided into two seasons: the light and the dark, celebrating the light at Beltane on May 1st and the dark at Samhain on November 1st. Therefore, the Feast of Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, since it marked the beginning of a new dark-light cycle. The Celts observed time as proceeding from darkness to light because they understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Therefore, the Celtic year began with the season of An Geamhradh, the dark Celtic winter, and ended with Am Foghar, the Celtic harvest. The Celtic day began at dusk, the beginning of the dark and cold night, and ended the following dusk, the end of a day of light and warmth. Since dusk is the beginning of the Celtic day, Samhain begins at dusk on October 31. Samhain marks the beginning of An Geamhradh as well as the New Year. Whereas Beltane was welcomed in the summer light with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of Samhain was at night. Oidhche Shamhna, the Eve of Samhain, was the most important part of the celebration. Villagers gathered the best of the autumn harvest and slaughtered cattle for the feast. The focus of each village’s festivities was a great bonfire. Villagers cast the bones of the slaughtered cattle upon the flames. (Our word bonfire comes from these “bone fires.”) Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire. Many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. With the great bonfire roaring, the villagers extinguished all other fires. Each family then solemnly lit their hearth from the one great common flame, bonding all families of the village together. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come.”

Let’s Have Some Fun – Samhain

One Type of Samhain Celebration Ritual

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE THIS SPELL TO A DOCUMENT FOR YOU TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.)

Samhain Celebration Ritual

Aacestors are not just blood relatives they are any person who has helped even in a small way to help you be the person you are today. In my case I even included some of the people that treated me unkindly because they helped me not to treat others I meet in the same way. School teachers, people from other religious paths, a good friend, someone who bullied you, someone that taught you a trade or even just how to hit a nail without hitting your thumb (lol), these are just a few ideas to get us all thinking whom we might want to honor today.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Left over Apple Juice

Leftover Bread

Pictures of 2 Ancestors or More (Have a picture of every ancestor you will call upon if you have one of them. No picture? No problem just concentrate on them wile writing their full name you knew them by on a piece of paper. Ink color does not matter. I do use red for women and blue for men, I know cliche.)

2 Birthday Candles (Flashlights can be used if you cannot have lit candles) or More so you have one for each person you call in to visit with.

Heat Proof Dish with ½ inch/1,5 cm of sand or dirt (the candles will be placed in here and should be allowed to complete burn down.)

Trivet/hotplate/potholder to place heat proof dish on.

DO NOT PUT MORE THAN 12 BIRTHDAY SIZE CANDLES IN ONE CONTAINER.

Chant/Spell:

You will say this for each person separately: I invite the Spirits of my ancestors I call upon to come to me. Light 1 candle say the person’s name then place it in the sand. You are welcome to stay until your candle burns out (In a safe place leave all candles you have lit burn all the way down into the sand)

After doing the spell spend as long as you want to just sit quietly and thinking of the people you have summoned. They may just want to spend some time with you also and/or have a message for you or someone in your life. MAke sure your 3rd Eye is clear so you can receive a message if anyone has one for you. Ancestors are not just blood relatives that have crossed over they include anyone in your life that has had some type of impact on it in a positive or at the time a negative way. A school teacher, if you grew up with a different spiritual path people from there, a good friend, someone who bullied you

After all the candles have burned out say, ” Thank you for visiting and return from whence you came.”

So mote it be or however you end your spells or rituals

When you are all done take the candle remnants and sand outside and sprinkle it over a flower bed or vegetable garden or around the base of a tree. You may choose to say something as you do this but it is not absolutely neccessary.

If you have any questions about this ritual please put it in the comment section because someone else may have the same or similar question.

November 1, 2026 Current Southern Hemisphere/Tomorrow’s Northern Hemisphere Moon Phase

You can find more moon phase details on both of the websites used in this post by clicking on each hyperlink.

Source: nineplanets.org

…

The Moon phase for November 1st, 2026 is the Last Quarter phase, which is also sometimes known as the Third Quarter. In this phase, the moon has completed three quarters of it’s orbit around the earth and exactly half of the moon is illuminated and half is in darkness.

The Last Quarter phase comes roughly 3 weeks after the New Moon and this is when the moon has completed three quarters of its orbit around the Earth (hence the name, Last Quarter). The moon will rise around midnight on the eastern horizon, transits the meridian at sunrise, before setting at noon in the west.

The Last Quarter of the moon phase cycle happens on one day. It’s followed by the intermediate phase, Waning Crescent, and will become less illuminated every day until it reaches the New Moon phase.

Fun fact:

Phase Details:

Phase: Last Quarter

Moon age: 21.32 days

Moon illumination: 58.69%

Moon tilt: -33.124°

Moon angle: 0.54

Moon distance: 370,203.08 km

Moon sign: Cancer

Source: MoonGiant.com

You can use this link to go forward or backward in time for Moon phase information. If you are curious, you can even find out what phase the Moon was in when you or anyone else was born.

…

Visit the November 2026 Moon Phases Calendar to see all the daily moon phase for this month.

Today’s Last Quarter Phase

The Last Quarter on November 1 has an illumination of 52%. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. On November 1 the Moon is 21.98 days old. This refers to how many days it has been since the last New Moon. It takes 29.53 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth and go through the lunar cycle of all 8 Moon phases.

Phase Details:

Phase: Last Quarter
Illumination: 52%
Moon Age: 21.98 days
Moon Angle: 0.54°
Moon Distance: 366,199.64 km
Sun Angle: 0.54°
Sun Distance: 148,441,543.51 km

Divination Journal

Lady Beltane picks out the symbol, rune, tarot card, etc., but the information is from the website in the hyperlink or book listed. The description of these is one person’s view on them. Please click on the hyperlink for more information.

Tarot Card

Source: Tarotx.net

Eight of Wands – Minor Arcana

The Eight of Wands describes eight sticks soaring in the air with dizzying speed. This image shows changes, moves and travels. On the card, the background is very clear, showing that there are very few obstructions in your way and there is a beautiful and peaceful river that brings life to all things which are nearby.

In the movie Ten Commandments, Moses touched his stick into the water to spread the waves. His stick is a symbol of power to initiate events. The stick of Moses evokes the image of those sticks in the Eight of Wands Tarot card. They are the symbol of the beginning of action and the effects as well as consequences of such actions. Before we act, we think, imagine, study, exchange, and delude. This is the place of the element Air which is the sky. We give practical and possible ideas, then turn them into action.

This card also has a different meaning which is the appearance of news or new information. You can see or hear something important. The news may appear as a metaphor, so stay awake and pay attention to everything that happens to you at this time.

This card also implies an end. Sooner or later everything ends. Those eight sticks in this card not only focus on starting the events, but also bringing these events to an end. It seems the sticks in this card are about to fall to the ground. If you see this card in a Tarot spread, this may be the time to stop whatever you are doing. You can celebrate the events that happened, but also prepare to receive new things.

Rune

Source: TheRuneSite.com

UL

Sound: “ue” as the sound in “ee” or “ö”
Stands for: Turning point
Magick/Healing use: Revives former powers and helps assist in crises of healing.

Witch’s Rune

Source: TheCarnutIanNemeton.com

Woman

Take things slowly and connect to the deep understanding of contemplation. The rune applies to healing and domestic arts.

Keywords
home, creativity, healer, nurturing, caring

Druid Ogham

Source: druidogham.wordpress.com

KODA

Grove, convergence, ecosystem, review, crossroads, harmony

Tree: Collection of various trees

Letter: Ch

Koad represents a point on the map of your life and cause to reflect on what got you there as well as where you are headed. Many factors conspired to bring you where you are today. An entire ecosystem exists in and around you that is as unique as a fingerprint. This ecosystem is neither entirely good nor entirely bad, which is why this Ogham and the rest of the Forfedha (Oir, Uilleand, Phagos, and Mor) are too complex to be read as well or ill-dignified. Koad is one particular harmony/dissonance at this point in your life. If your life is going well in some respects, this could mean a feeling of competence and capability or a feeling of love and being loved. If you are in a time of stress, Koad may represent the s**tstorm whirling around you. Or all of the above could be going on at once.
You are here to learn a certain set of unique lessons in this lifetime. There are many roads you can take any given day, and like one of those old Choose Your Own Adventure books, each road has its own outcome. Sometimes two seemingly different roads have the same outcome. Koad indicates a feeling of responsibility and ownership of your decisions, however, other factors you cannot control should be taken into account as well, such as family history, social norms, laws, and the era in which you dwell.

Many people do not realize that orchestral symphonies are major works that are frequently an hour in length. A symphony is an elaborate ABA form (think Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on steroids) with mini-breaks between three sections. If your life is a symphony, imagine Koad as one moment in one measure of a huge programmatic work of music. What harmony have you achieved? Are you in a slow or fast movement?

Source: IChingOnline.net

Hexagram Thirty – Five/35

Chin / Aspiration

The Sun shines down upon the Earth:
Constantly honing and refining his brilliance, the Superior Person is a Godsend to his people.
They repay his benevolence with a herd of horses, and he is granted audience three times in a single day.

Promotion.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of reward for good works.
Those you have helped want to show their gratitude.
Benefits come both from on high and from the humble you uplifted.
Accept all gifts graciously, though the reward may not be what you truly need or hoped for.
Some may bestow more than they can afford to give, but you must realize that they need to feel that they have repaid you.

Numerology

Source: CafeAstrology.com

Five

This is the freedom lover. The number five is an intellectual vibration. These are “idea” people with a love of variety and the ability to adapt to most situations. Ruled by Mercury.

Keywords: adaptable, freedom-loving, romantic, resourceful, witty, fun-loving, curious, flexible, accommodating. If expressed negatively, non-committal, irresponsible, inconsistent.

As lovers: These lovers are generally attractive to others, as they are adaptable, curious, and friendly. Their wit and love of fun is unmistakable. In order to be happy in love, they need some level of change and variety. They also require mental stimulation. They are quick to adapt to ups and downs, but when under-stimulated, they can be inconsistent and resisting of making commitments.

Angel Number

October 31st Birthday Scorpio Horoscope Traits

You can find more birthday trait information from these websites by clicking on each hyperlink

Happy birthday wishes from Lady Carla Beltane with the WOTC Family and Friends!!

May the next year of your life bring you more love, laughter, joy, happiness, enough income to cover what you have to have along with a little leftover for fun! May it bring you everything you want if it is supposed to be and everything you need. May sorrow be unknown, and any negativity be minimal. May the wind always be at your back.

Click here to read more about anyone’s Birthday or Daily or Monthly Horoscopes Source: thehoroscope.co

As a Scorpio born on October 31st…

Astrological symbol: Scorpio. This zodiac symbol is considered to influence those born October 23 – November 21, under the Scorpio zodiac sign. It is representative for willfulness, plenty of desire and resilience.

The Scorpio Constellation is placed between Libra to the West and Sagittarius to the East on an area of 497 sq degrees. It is visible at the following latitudes: +40° to -90° and its brightest star is Antares.

The Latin name for the Scorpion, the October 31 zodiac sign is Scorpio. The Spanish name it Escorpion while the French call it Scorpion.

Opposite sign: Taurus. This suggests philosophy and loving sense and shows how Taurus natives are thought to represent and have everything Scorpio sun sign people ever wanted.

Modality: Fixed. The modality suggests the fun nature of those born on October 31 and their elegance and punctuality in most life situations.

Ruling house: The eighth house. This placement is focused on what others own and on the permanent desire of having what others have and suggests why these have always been of interest for Scorpios.

Ruling body: Pluto. This celestial planet symbolizes entrusting and revelation. Pluto is most associated with the unconscious and unknown. Pluto is also suggestive for the excitement component of these personalities.

Element: Water. This element symbolizes transformation and is considered to influence people associated with October 31 to base their actions more on feelings and less on analysis. Water takes on new meanings combined with fire, making things boil, with air that vapors it or with earth that shapes things.

Lucky day: Tuesday. This day is representative for the exciting nature of Scorpio, is ruled by Mars and suggests dedication and stamina.

Lucky numbers: 4, 9, 12, 15, 22.

Motto: “I desire!”

People born on October 31 have great social skills and an emotional intelligence above average, although at times they left themselves distracted from their intuition by their stubbornness. They are also strong willed and little can stand in their way when they are determined to achieve something. They dislike mediocrity and finish things with anyone who does even the slightest gesture of betrayal. They are sensual and interesting beings and prefer to keep an air of mystery around them.

Positive Traits: Unpredictable, mysterious and precise are traits of interest for these natives. Although these might not seem classic positive benchmarks, there are indeed means by which these people attain their objectives. They are also inquisitive and amicable and enjoy spending time exploring their interests. They try to be all ears to their instinct but are also well grounded and logical although at times their bull headedness and emotions stand in their way.

Negative Traits: Patronizing and selfish, these natives let themselves led by their stubbornness and clingy nature. They are resentful and don’t ever forgive anyone, even for fall downs that are mostly caused by them. They never look back once they make a decision, even when they know it wasn’t the fair way. They prefer to be ridden by guilt and frustration than admit that they were wrong. They can deceive even those close to them quite easily.

Love and Compatibility: Lovers born on October 31 are passionate, sensual and secretive. They find it very hard to commit to one person, but when they do they become very loyal and reliable. However they keep many things to themselves as they are afraid to appear sensible and weak in front of someone else. They are attracted to someone who shares the same exciting lifestyle as them. You can conquer the heart of Scorpio if you know how to handle them and be open and ready to listen when they have a moment when they feel like sharing what’s going on in their mind.

They regard all their relationships with respect and care and usually no one has anything to criticize about their attitude in love. They like to progress slowly in love, get to know all about their loved one but once they get the confidence they need in the relationship they become the most loyal partners. They are likely to fall in love at a young age and have many interactions with different kinds of people. Once they settle for their special someone, become patient and dependable and seek for peace and fulfillment. They are most compatible with those born on 1st, 8th, 10th, 17th, 19th, 26th and 28th.

October 31 Zodiac people are very attached to the other two water signs: Cancer and Pisces as they tend to share the same vision of life. In life, Scorpio is in a constant search for a protective and dependable partner and the one to offer them this is the native in Taurus. The lover in Scorpio is thought to be least compatible with Libra. As for the rest of compatibilities between the other star signs and Scorpio, you know what they say, stars predispose but people dispose.

Lucky Color: The lucky color for Scorpio zodiac is deep red.

The dark shades of red are the most representative for the temperament of the Scorpio natives. It draws attention and stimulates all initiatives.

Other hues that appeal to people born on October 31 are violet, scarlet and carmine.

Representative Birthstone: The birthstone for Scorpio is the impressive Topaz.

This precious material is the symbol of friendship and inner strength. It is said to focus the energy on enhancing both the positive and negative characteristics of an individual.

Other gemstones that are thought to influence people born on October 31 are Onyx and Garnet.

Characteristic Flower: Chrysanthemum is the characteristic flower for Scorpio zodiac.

Chrysanthemum suggests the introspective and warm soul in every individual. This is a flower thought to clear negative energies from around it so it can be used as a lucky charm or joyous decoration.

Other lucky flowers for Scorpio include Roses and Geranium.

Symbolic Metal: The representative metal for Scorpio zodiac is Iron.

Iron is as strong as a metal as is the individual in Scorpio. Its properties include magnetization, shaping at high temperature and rusting in moist air. This can be translated for Scorpio into great stimulation, hard implementation of change and need to be handled with care.

Another metal considered to bring luck to people born on October 31 is Silver.

Characteristics: October 31 Zodiac belongs to the first decan of SCORPIO (Octombrie 23-November 2). This decan is influenced by the planet Pluto. Those born under this influence combine the secretiveness and sensuality of Scorpio with the ambition and focus of Pluto. This decan is known to magnify all the positive and negative characteristics of the Scorpio zodiac sign.

Being born on the 31st day of the month shows organization, responsibility, loyalty and friendship. The numerology for October 31 is 4. This number reveals creation combined with logic and a bit of stubbornness. Those Scorpio associated with number four are surely imaginative but also hard working and critical.

October is the tenth month of the year, bringing the opportunity for provision like activities. Those born in October are attentive and modest. October 31 Zodiac people are opinionated but loyal. October has as representative symbols the Calendula as plant and the Aquamarine and Opal as gemstones. The name of this month comes from the Latin “octo”.

Statistics Say: In the Gregorian Calendar, October 31 is placed as the 304th day of the year or the 305th day in leap years and there are 61 days left until the end of the year. The sixty first day of autumn, this is also the World Savings Day.

Scorpio comes first most common zodiac sign on the list of occurrence in the horoscope. An even numbered sign, this is full of negative polarity and attached to a feminine symbolism. This exemplifies introvert natives who are meditative and self-supporting. One of the archetypes used to describe this sign is the Sorcerer. People born in autumn are inclined to do well in sport competitions and are also quick learners. Famous people born on October 31 under the Scorpio zodiac sign: Cristopher Columbus, Rob Schneider, Vanilla Ice and Adam Horovitz.

Famous people born on October 31 under the Scorpio zodiac sign: Cristopher Columbus, Rob Schneider, Vanilla Ice and Adam Horovitz.

Click here to read more about traits for anyone’s birthday horoscope Source: tarot.com

If you were born on October 31st…

October 31 Scorpio at Their Best: Strong, adaptable, creative

October 31 Scorpio at Their Worst: Unlucky, mad, detached

What to Wear: Clothes that show you’re worthy of being in Scorpio’s presence lean toward black, purple and deep reds.

What to Eat: Treats with special centers, like stuffed mushrooms and deviled eggs, or sensual foods like chocolate-covered strawberries or oyster shooters.

Who to Invite: Choose with care. You won’t want to include anyone who might be on Scorpio’s list of enemies du jour.

Where to Go: Somewhere dark and mysterious — where Scorpio won’t have to worry about any wrinkles that might show.

Click here to read more anyone’s birthday traits and more Source: sunsigns.org

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS ON OCTOBER 31, chances are you are a person who is destined for success. More than anything, you want to be successful and that could be why you work so hard. You are disciplined and usually, are upset when your plans don’t go accordingly. However, those little setbacks are what make you a stronger person.

You usually set and meet all of your goals with a heaping of get-up-and-go. Your friends and co-workers think highly of you. They believe that you are a calm and spiritual person although a loner.

As an October 31st birthday zodiac sign is Scorpio, you don’t need a girlfriend or boyfriend to make you whole because you are certainly high on self-esteem. You love to be challenged. You won’t settle for anything less than the best.

It aggravates the 31st October birthday personality to even think about taking a chair to someone else. However, you don’t hold a grudge unlike others born under the same zodiac sign. You are an honest person, however, you can be blunt and unintentionally hurtful.

Aside from this, this Scorpio birthday person is used to getting their way. You have strong determination and this may fuel your efforts in getting what you desire. You are a responsible soul with the ability to communicate. More often than not, you spread yourself too thin. This can get upsetting and cause confusions. However, you to learn how to deal with these issues.

The October 31 zodiac birthday person in love is someone who is sincere, dedicated and even inspiring. You like helping other people but only if it is a cause that you are passionate about. When someone has been treated unjustly, you will stand up for their rights. Those of you born today have a soft spot but it can quickly turn into a block of ice if you suspect somebody is trying to take advantage of you.

The October 31st birthday horoscope predicts that you may have a hard time telling the truth in some instances. It’s true… this Scorpio expects a lot from his or her peers, children, and friends. You, on the other hand, will not give a hand-out. When in love, you like to be close to your partner. After arguments, you should be able to make peace with what’s bothering you.

Let’s talk about your career, Scorpio. Okay… so you are passionate about your art but who isn’t. The world is filled with people who love and love for a reason. You, in addition, find comfort in knowing that you would make an excellent therapist or someone in marketing and sales. In a much larger vision, you could have a career in music. On that same note, you could be facing a social work disadvantage. You need to get out sometimes and let the kids be kids.

With so many career options, the October 31 birthday personality will have a difficult time deciding on what they want. You are incredibly talented so getting another job will be easy for you. You are resilient unlike most born under this zodiac sign. Why don’t you start to look around. In the meantime and between time those who love shopping, the doors open at 9 o’clock… Be there or be square! This could mean spending a lot of money or running the credit card up to the max.

Let’s talk about your health, Scorpio. The 31 October birthday meanings show you have other means to deal with sickness and health. You may have holistic health care in mind over conventional methods. You like to have an option and feel that it has had some bearing in the past and some remedies are tried and true. Getting in touch with nature is a good way for you to relax.

As the October 31 birthday astrology suggests, you’re naturally ambitious, Scorpio. Nonetheless, you set limitations on how far you will go with a person or a personal relationship. The answers you are looking for may be in the past. To people who don’t know you, you seem to be a laid-back person but you are just the opposite. When you have the means to do so, you like to enjoy yourself.

Famous Celebrities Born On October 31

This Day That Year –October 31 In History

834 – First time Halloween observed.
1943 – Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins, throws 6 Touch downs.
1968 – Davy Jones crushes Americans with news of marriage to Linda Haines
1976 – Larry Bird gets a divorce from Janet Condra.

October 31 Vrishchika Rashi (Vedic Moon Sign)
October 31 Chinese Zodiac PIG

Birthday Planet

Your ruling planet is Mars that symbolizes passion, rivalry, and instincts.

Birthday Symbols

The Scorpion Is The Symbol For The Scorpio Zodiac Sign

Birthday Tarot Card

Your Birth Day Tarot Card is The Emperor. This card symbolizes a father-figure who will help you build a solid foundation. The Minor Arcana cards are Five of Cups and Knight of Cups

Birthday Compatibility

You are most compatible with people born under Zodiac Sign Taurus: This will be a calm and passionate love match.
You are not compatible with people born under Zodiac Sign Leo: This relationship can be a clash of egos.

Lucky Number

Number 5 – This number stands for expansion, fun, surprise, and integrity.
Number 4 – This number symbolizes a methodical personality who is dependable and stable.

Lucky Colors

Red: This is a color that symbolizes love, passion, enthusiasm, and competition.
Blue: This color signifies truth, wisdom, peace, freedom, and compassion.

Lucky Days

Tuesday – This day is ruled by Mars and represents anger, desires, and assertiveness.
Saturday – This day ruled by planet Saturn is symbolic of difficulties and problems that help us get back in touch with reality.

Birthstone Topaz

Topaz gemstone signifies dignity, status, elegance, money, and loyalty.

Ideal Zodiac Birthday Gifts

A voucher for a sports shop for the man and a pair of topaz earrings for the woman.

Flashback to 2022 – Spell for Beltane – Charm to “Tie the Knot”

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY)

Beltane Charm to “Tie the Knot”

Much as the Great God and Great Goddess are said to “tie the knot” of marriage at Beltane, we can create our own knot-based magickal charm to honor this ancient and festive sabbat of which the tied-up Maypole is its emblem! When it comes to Beltane a vast majority of ancient pagans – and certainly any Neopagan worth their salt – understands that gender and orientation are of little consequence. Love is love. Whoever we are and however we are, let’s craft a charm of nine loving knots. Feel free to chant the traditional Wiccan knot spell* if it aids your focus. This can be found online and in a variety of Witchcraft books.

Using a long strip of natural fabric (red or white are ideal), tie nine knots, each of which should contain within a small stone, herb, charm, or written prayer specifically for the energy of love** – cosmic, social, and personal – however your intuition guides. After preforming your magick, hang the charm near the front door or bedroom in order for its blessing to illuminate today and onward.

Source: Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2022 page 71 by Raven Digitalis

October 31, 2026 Current Southern Hemisphere/Tomorrow’s Northern Hemisphere Moon Phase

You can find more moon phase details on both of the websites used in this post by clicking on each hyperlink.

Source: nineplanets.org

…

The Moon phase for October 31st, 2026 is a Waning Gibbous phase. This is the first phase after the Full Moon where the illumination of the moon decreases each day until it reaches 50% (the Last Quarter phase).

The waning (shrinking) gibbous Moon will rise after sunset in the east, transit the meridian after midnight, before setting after sunrise in the west.

During this phase, the illumination of the moon will go down from 99.% to 50.1%. Technically, the phase starts as soon as the Full Moon has passed, but it can be difficult to calculate and differentiate the first stage of a Waning Gibbous Moon from a Full Moon when 98-99% of the Moon’s surface is illuminated.