If you've been putting off decluttering for a while now and your home is getting out of hand, a more unusual but great hack is to tackle the task when the moon is in its 'New Moon' or 'waning' moon phase, experts share.
The moon has more to it than just beauty: Its emergence is said to bring a renewal of energy and encouragement, which, if we know how to use it, can supercharge our home improvements.
Here, astrologers explain exactly how and why the presence of these two moon phases can bolster any manner of decluttering tips, and a professional organizer chimes in on how to stay motivated.
Why you should consider the moon's phase when decluttering
The shift in lunar energy around these two moon phases (new moon and waning) is an ideal time to detach ourselves from anything we don’t need or that doesn’t serve us.
Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and owner of Oh, So Organized! says,'A specific event, transition, season, or cycle can inspire and motivate decluttering, including elements such as these two moon phases,' says Linda.
The New Moon occurs when its position is between the Earth and the Sun. You won't be able to see it in the sky as the side reflecting the Sun's light is away from us.
The waning moon is when the moon appears to be getting smaller in the sky until it is just a tiny sliver.
'These moments, which signify a change, ending, or beginning, are often emotionally charged periods that encourage you to rethink your space, systems, and patterns,' adds Linda, encouraging you to think about what belongs, can be released, or decluttered.
Consider what no longer serves you, including duplications or items belonging to your fantasy self that have been hard to let go of. Decluttering sentimental items in these phases of the moon may well feel a little easier on the heart, too.
Harnessing the new moon for decluttering
Regardless of if you're seeking to streamling things by yourself, trying to encourage your family to declutter or using it as a bonding activity with your loved ones, timing your efforts with the occurrence of a New Moon is an ideal way to get motivated to declutter and hype yourself up for the task.
When the moon is in this phase, according to Jessica Adams, psychic astrologer, it signifies a period of freshness and making space in your life for what's yet to come. This makes it a great companion for decluttering, as a person is seeking to subtract items and make space in their home.
'A New Moon is always a new beginning,' says Jessica. 'The sun and moon are in exactly the same zodiac sign, at the same place, to start a new cycle. It’s ideal for decluttering and will help a person to make space for something or someone new to come into their life.'
Jessica recommends aligning your decluttering with a method like the Ski Slope Method as it's a rather quick way to cull clutter from your home, and the New Moon won't be present and powerful for too long.
'I believe decluttering during the New Moon suits a method like the Ski Slope Method of decluttering,' says Jessica. 'Work from side to side, and corner to corner. This is a faster way of removing clutter and it typically takes two days, the amount of time the New Moon is in a new zodiac sign.'
If it helps, during the process of decluttering, you can jot down your thoughts in a journal to elevate the self-growth element of the process. The Simply Grateful Journal: Guided Notebook from Target is easy to follow and will encourage gratitude, or you could stick to something simple such as the Pen+Gear Fabric Cover Journal from Walmart with blank pages.
It's best to begin the task the day before a New Moon reaches its peak, up to midnight on the day it arrives, to harness the strongest lunar energy to complete the task. Below, Jessica shared a list of the New Moons upcoming in 2025:
- July 24th at 2:11 p.m. CST
- August 23rd at 1:06 a.m. CST
- September 21st at 2:54 p.m. CST
- October 21st at 7:25 a.m. CST
- November 20th at 12:47 a.m. CST
- December 19th at 7:43 p.m. CST
Harnessing the waning moon for decluttering
The waning moon phase, taking place between a Full Moon and a New Moon is also said to be one of the best times of year to declutter. Perfectly balanced between two strong lunar occurrences, it's an optimal time to reset your living space to uplift mood and de-stress each day.
Rebecca Gordon, a professional astrologer based in New York, says, 'A waning moon is the best time to perform any kind of reset, whether you're seeking to streamline your home, get a haircut, or work out. Yyou’ll have the most success because the moon rules your biorhythms and while it is decreasing in light, you are well supported to offload in your life and make space for new positive energies.'
Rebecca recommends beginning clearing out your clutter right after the Full Moon, and ending a few days before the New Moon for the longest window of time.
Whether you wish to continue the task for this entire period or just a few days, Rebecca suggests trying out a simple decluttering method, such as the 'four box' method, which can rapidly transform even the messiest parts of a house.
'Create four labeled garbage bags: clothes to give away to friends, clothes for charity, throw away pieces and clothes that need some tailoring. Invite over a friend to help you and then return the favor.'
This way you can help one another to break the stages of clutter for a more peaceful home that's renewed and more balanced. I like using collapsible storage cubes like the Mainstays Collapsible Fabric Cube Storage Bins from Walmart as they're reusable, practical and easy to store away for future use.
Below is a calendar of upcoming waning moon phases in 2025. A 'waning gibbous' takes place after the Full Moon, and a 'waning crescent' takes place closer towards the New Moon:
- July 12th - 17th: Waning Gibbous
- July 20th - 24th: Waning Crescent
- August 10th - 16th: Waning Gibbous
- August 18th - 22nd: Waning Crescent
- September 9th - 14th: Waning Gibbous
- September 17th - 21st: Waning Crescent
- October 8th - 14th: Waning Gibbous
- October 16th - 20th: Waning Crescent
- November 7th - 12th: Waning Gibbous
- November 15th - 19th: Waning Crescent
- December 6th - 12th: Waning Gibbous
- December 14th - 19th: Waning Crescent
What to shop
Repurposing a laundry hamper to collect the items you're decluttering will make the process so much easier. This one is incredibly sturdy and easy to move around with its two handles.
If you have items to donate or throw away, opting to use biodegradable bags to put them in will make your home improvement efforts more green-fingered.
Whether you're labeling your categories of 'to go', 'to keep' and 'maybe' or organizing your possessions after your decluttering sessions is over, having some simple self adhesive labels like these on hand will be incredibly useful.
Meet the experts
Psychic astrologer Jessica Adams BA began her career at ELLE and Vogue, and has also written about Tarot cards and horoscopes for Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire. She is the author of #1 Amazon bestseller Your Birthday (Hachette) with Rachel Wells, and a consultant on The Aries Billionaire (Audible UK). Curious about the stars since the age of nine, watching Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac on television as a child, Adams later completed her degree in Ancient Civilisations and Religious Studies at the University of Tasmania. She also studied mediumship at The College of Psychic Studies in London.
Rebecca Gordon is a renowned New York City astrologer, founder of a 20-year running Astrology School, and author of Your Body and the Stars (Simon & Schuster). She has graduated thousands of students across the globe, taught people how to read your birth chart, and has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, Forbes, and shows on CNN, and CBS forecasting global trends. Rebecca has been gifted with the ability to translate cosmic symbols into everyday wisdom that is as transcendent as it is practical and actionable.
Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™, ICD® Master Trainer, founded Oh, So Organized! in 1993, a global professional organizing company based in New York. Linda helps overwhelmed individuals who are challenged by disorganization get unstuck and organized with compassionate, nonjudgmental, personalized virtual one-on-one sessions, workshops, and publications. She is the author of The Other Side of Organized, the Professional Organizer Mentor for Revel Coach, and writes a blog about organizing and life balance. Linda is an active member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), where she has served as president. Media features include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and HuffPost.
If you found this method to be interesting, we recommend checking out zodiac sign decluttering and learning what the right cleaning style for your star sign is. They both taught me a thing or two!
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