New Moon vs Full Moon: What Actually Changes
Of the Moon's 8 phases, new moon and full moon get by far the most attention — they sit at opposite ends of the same cycle, and traditionally represent opposite kinds of moments.
New moon — the blank slate
The new moon is the point where the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, invisible from Earth. Traditionally it's read as a reset — the start of the 29.5-day cycle, associated with beginning something rather than finishing it, when little has built up yet either way.
Full moon — the peak
The full moon sits exactly opposite, with Earth between Sun and Moon, fully lit. Traditionally it's read as the point of maximum visibility — two weeks of building momentum culminate here, which is why it's associated with heightened emotion and things coming to a head, for better or worse, rather than with starting fresh.
Check today's phase
The two aren't a random pair — they're mathematically 14.75 days apart, exactly half the 29.53-day synodic month. Synastri's `/moon-phase` calculator computes the real current phase from synodic-month math, not a lookup table, so you can check where today actually sits between the two. For entertainment.