The moon has a fascinating way of captivating just about everyone, so it's no wonder that witches and other spiritual paths are so drawn to its' powerful, beautiful energies! One way to work with some of that power is by aligning your spell work and rituals with the lunar phases. Here's what spells and rites work best on each moon phase:

Dark Moon/New Moon

When the moon is not visible to us in the sky because the illuminated side is facing away from us. The New Moon is when the very first sliver after a Dark Moon becomes just barely visible to us, thus starting a new lunar phase.

Spells and Rituals to do on the Dark Moon/New Moon:

Renewal
New beginnings
Setting new goals
Planning intentions for this new lunar phase
Divination

I like to do a meditation and cleansing on the new moon, and then plan and write out my goals, intentions and spell work plans out for this lunar phase. The Dark Moon is also a great time for divination!

Waxing Moon

Right after the Dark Moon/New Moon, the moon starts to become more visible in the sky to us night after night. As the moon grows, so will your intentions! During this phase you will want to do spells that attract things to you or encourage growth.

Spells and Rituals to do during the Waxing Moon:

Setting intentions
Spells to draw/attract things to you
Spells for growth/increase of something

One way I differentiated between the Waxing and Waning phase in my childhood baby witch days was manipulating a quote from the movie The Karate Kid. Instead of "wax on, wax off" I thought "wax on, wane off" and thought of it as like the moon turning on and getting brighter and brighter, then waning off! Silly, I know, but it worked!

Full Moon

The full moon can be treated in a few different ways, depending on what feels right and personal preference. Some see it as a finalization of what was set on the last Dark Moon. Some see it as the start of the next phase leading to the next Dark Moon. Others see it as a time to rest and recharge yourself and tools before you start your next phase of work. You may vary your choice from phase to phase or stick to one that feels the most right.

Spells and Rituals to do during the Waxing Moon:

Finalize manifesting the intentions that you set on the New Moon
Start release/banishing work for the next phase
Recharge

Waning Moon

During the Waning Moon phase we will see less and less of the moon in the sky each night. As the moon's light decreases, it is the best time to release, send things away or banish things you do not want.

If you do not want to banish or release anything, this is also a good time for reflecting on the past phase and the positive things that you brought to you in preparation for the next Dark Moon phase.

Release/Letting things go
Send away/Banish things
Reflection of the past phase

Doing Spells/Rituals Outside of the Moon Phase "Guidelines"

Maybe you want to do a banishing spell or a money drawing spell NOW but it isn't the right phase. Can you still do it? Yes, you can absolutely do any magickal workings when you feel they are needed! Working aligned with the moon's energies just help amplify your spells. Think of it like a tide. You can still get through and have successful spells working against it, but working with the tide is going to make the process a bit easier!