Lunar Calendar for Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Moon in Cancer · waning crescent · lunar day 26
- 16% illuminated
- Element Water
- Wet day
- 233,066 miles (375,083 km)
Cancer days turn feelings inward and deepen them. Home, family, and memory draw more than the world outside. Moods shift quickly, so take things less personally today.
Waning crescent
Only a crescent remains, visible in the eastern sky before sunrise. The lunar cycle is closing. In lunar tradition, these quiet days suit rest and wrapping up—the next new moon is near.
On its monthly path across the sky, the Moon is now descending: seen from the Northern Hemisphere, each day it crosses the sky a little lower than the day before. In planting tradition, the descending Moon draws strength toward the roots—a time for planting, transplanting, and pruning.
Element of the day
- Element
- Water
- Day character
- Wet
A wet water day in Cancer is calm and receptive; plants enjoy the moisture, and the body asks for fluids.
Lunar day 26
The twenty-sixth lunar day asks for economy with words: less judging, more silence.
Lunar days are counted from the new moon: day 1 begins at the new moon, and a cycle has 29 or 30 of them. Tradition gives each day its own character.
Health by lunar tradition
In lunar tradition, extra care goes to the chest, breasts, lungs, stomach, liver, and gallbladder.
Under a waning Moon, the stomach and liver appreciate rest and light meals. Tradition names this a good day to take care of the chest and breasts.
Cancer days belong to the chest and the digestion. Tradition holds that alcohol and tobacco weigh on the body more than usual now, and that a late night costs more the next morning. Eat lightly and slowly.
Bitter greens such as arugula, endive, and dandelion are the traditional companions of the liver on Cancer days.
August is still warm, but the evenings cool down; change into dry clothes quickly after swimming. Ease the vacation sleep schedule back gradually, since the body adjusts slowly.
Food by lunar tradition
- Favored today
- Carbohydrates and starches
Cancer days are starch days in lunar tradition, which also asks for care from anyone with a sensitive gallbladder. Bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta are said to sit well with most people today, though some feel bloated after a small portion.
With the Moon waning, tradition favors potatoes and rice over pastries.
In lunar lore, the last days before the new moon prepare the body for a new cycle.
August is the richest month of the year: tomatoes, peppers, melons, plums, the first apples, and corn. Eat what has just ripened; seasonal and local tastes best.
Reach for seasonal foods that suit the day: corn, potatoes, and pasta with tomato sauce.
Tip of the day: baked potatoes in their skins make a full meal today; a yogurt dip and vegetables are enough.
Garden by the moon
- Plant part
- Leaf
August is the month of harvest and preserving: tomatoes, peppers, plums, and early apples ripen, and the onions are ready to pull. Plant strawberries, and sow spinach, corn salad, and fall radishes. Late summer is also the time to bud-graft roses and fruit trees.
Leaves are gathered in the morning once the dew has dried.
The traditional day for nettle leaves; nettle tea is said to be at its best now. Not a day for picking fruit or for laying out beds and paths.
Cancer days are leaf days: lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, and cabbage get the attention, and watering counts for more than usual. Herbalists gather leaves of herbs for the chest, stomach, and liver on Cancer days.
Under a waning Moon, tradition says, the parts of plants below ground take the lead.
Sow and plant everything that bears below ground.
Transplant seedlings and prune trees and shrubs.
On this month’s list for the waning Moon: fall radishes.
On leaf days the leafy vegetables and herbs ask for attention: spinach and corn salad.
This is the time to harvest peppers, plums, and early apples.
Seasonal advice is for the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate zone; south of the equator, swap the seasons. For the best days of the month, see planting by the moon and the lunar hair calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What moon is August 19th?
On August 19, 2025, the Moon was a waning crescent, 16% lit, in the sign of Cancer. It was day 26 of the lunar cycle.
Is August 19, 2025 a full moon?
No. On August 19, 2025, the Moon was a waning crescent. The nearest full moon after that date was September 7, 2025.
What day is the full moon in August 2025?
The full moon in August 2025 was the Sturgeon Moon on August 9, 2025, at 7:55 AM UTC.
The whole month day by day: lunar calendar August 2025; the whole year at a glance: lunar calendar 2025. Full moon in August 2025 · New moon in August 2025