The sky on Thursday, January 14, 2027
| Sun in | Capricorn |
|---|---|
| Moon in | Aries |
| Moon phase | First Quarter |
| Illumination | 36% |
| Mercury retrograde | No |
The Moon is in Aries, near its first quarter, climbing toward full.
What is a first quarter moon?
A first quarter moon is the half lit Moon that stands ninety degrees from the Sun, a week or so after the new moon, and it is a square between them.
At its exact moment half the disc is lit; across the days this phase covers, illumination climbs from about a third toward two thirds. It rises around midday and sets around midnight, so it is the obvious evening moon.
Because the Sun and Moon are square, this phase reads as the point where a beginning meets its first real friction: the cost becomes visible, and something has to be adjusted or committed to. That tension is where the growth in the cycle actually lives.
Nothing about a square decides anything for you. It marks the place in the month where a decision is worth making deliberately rather than by default.