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Finding north or south
by the moon
Except for a few nights every month the moon can help you give light and finding north or south direction. The moon produces no visible light of its own. It only reflects the suns light and therefore it indicates the direction of the sun.
North or South
If the moon is in a crescent phase simply draw an imaginary line through the tips of it's "horns" down to the horizon. The point where it touches is roughly South for the northern hemisphere and North for the southern hemisphere.
This old navigation trick is not particularly accurate but at least provides you with a rough guide.
East - West
You can also use our nearest celestial neighbor to determine a rough east - west direction. If it rises before the sun sets, the illuminated side will be west. But if it rises after midnight, the illuminated side will be east.
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