It’s go time! Full moons are astrology’s brightest moments, monthly events that are ideal for manifesting, making transitions and bringing plans to fruition. Like giant celestial spotlights, they illuminate areas for closure or course correction.
Wrapping up a project? Trying to hit a milestone? Full moons can wrap up your efforts with a triumphant bow. Many people purposely choose a full moon for important meetings, debuts and finish-line dates. Caveat: The energy can be a little TOO strong or intense at a full moon, particularly when it’s a lunar eclipse. Make sure you’re ready before you pop that cork!
What is a full moon exactly?
Full moons occur once a month, when the Sun and the moon are exactly opposite each other in the sky and on the zodiac wheel. For example, an Aquarius full moon will occur while the Sun is in Leo (the opposite sign of Aquarius). The full moon is the fifth of eight monthly moon phases which occur in a 29.5-day lunar month—the halfway point.
In astronomy terms:
- The full moon occurs when the Sun and the moon are 180 degrees apart in longitude on the ecliptic—the plane created by the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
- The new moon is the reverse of a full moon. A new moon occurs when the Sun and the moon are in the same zodiac sign, and the exact same degree in ecliptic longitude.
2022 Full Moon Calendar by Month
There are 12 full moons in the 2022 calendar year, one in each zodiac sign.
Every couple years, there 13 full moons in a single year. This rare phenomenon is called a blue moon, and it happens when there are two full moons in a single month.
There are years with no full moons in the zodiac sign of Cancer. That’s because these lunar events fall during Capricorn season, which bookends the year, occurring in both early January and late December. Other years feature one Cancer full moon and some years even have two.
Here is the 2022 full moon calendar schedule
* All times listed are Eastern Time (New York, NY)
January 17: Cancer (6:48 pm)
February 16: Leo (11:56 am)
March 18: Virgo (3:18 am)
April 16: Libra (2:54 pm)
May 16: Scorpio (12:14 am) – Total Lunar Eclipse
June 14: Sagittarius (7:52 am)
July 13: Capricorn (2:38 pm)
August 11: Aquarius (9:35 pm)
September 10: Pisces (5:59 am)
October 9: Aries (4:55 pm)
November 8: Taurus (6:02 am) – Total Lunar Eclipse
December 7: Gemini (11:08 pm)
What’s the spiritual meaning of a full moon?
The moon is the Sun’s favorite companion, holding space for all the private matters el Sol doesn’t care to shine a light on. These are things like our deepest feelings, secret desires, and the security blankets that we reach for to comfort ourselves. Home and family affairs, how we nurture others and what kind of caretaking we crave are also #MoonMatters.
A full moon is about fully embodying your choices, your identity and your life. It can be a cosmic coming-out party, a time to celebrate your victories, step into the spotlight and advocate for your desires. Since full moons are the peak of the moon’s visibility, you may see clearly that it’s time to go in a new direction or even end some part of your life that has reached a natural turning point.
How to do a full moon ritual
Many people honor the full moon by doing a full moon ritual, such as meditating, journaling or visualizing something they’d like to either release or manifest. What would you like to either finish or achieve at the full moon? Look back to the corresponding new moon six months prior (in the same zodiac sign as the full moon). The full moon is the completion or turning point of that new moon.
You can do a full moon ritual, journal or write down intentions. You can make a full moon Power Wish, a method created by Japanese astrologer Keiko that involves a technique called “anchor statements.”
The First Full Moon of 2022 is in Cancer
The first full moon of 2022 is in Cancer on January 17, putting the spotlight on home, family and emotional foundations. The year’s first full moon will always be in either caring Cancer or flamboyant Leo, setting the tone for the year ahead.
Is your moon sign important at a full moon?
Your moon sign refers to the zodiac sign that the moon was traveling through at your moment of birth. If someone was to look up at the sky when you were born, or the piece of the sky that we measure from our view on Earth.
Your moon sign is a part of your birth chart, or natal chart. You can find your moon sign by entering your time, date and place of birth into our Moon Sign Cosmic Calculator.
Once a year, a full moon falls in the same zodiac sign as your Sun sign and your moon sign. These can be extra powerful dates to manifest!
Were you born during a full moon?
Fun fact: If your Sun sign and moon sign are the opposite each other, you may have been born during a full moon! How do you find out? Do a free birth chart here.
You can also use our moon phase calculator to find out which lunar phase the moon was in when you were born, and what it means about you.