Last Quarter
Letting go, reassessment, and inner clearing
The Last Quarter is the mirror image of the First. Again the moon is divided — light and shadow in equal measure. But now the shadow is growing. This is a time for inner "clearing": saying farewell to what has served its purpose, taking stock, and preparing for a new cycle.
Energetically this is a time for letting go. What in your life — habits, relationships, beliefs, projects — no longer serves your growth? The Last Quarter is not a time for new beginnings but for honest inventory.
Traditionally this phase was accompanied by rituals of space clearing: cleaning the house, burning old objects, saying goodbye to the past. In Buddhism this is a time for practising non-attachment — noticing what you cling to and practising gentle release.
A ritual: walk through your home and remove three things you no longer need — physically or symbolically. You may write a list of "what I am releasing" and place it in a drawer or burn it. By clearing space on the outside, you clear it on the inside as well.