Is the Phase of a Complex Number Always Taken with Respect to the Real Axis?

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Yes. Any complex number, a+ bi, can be written, in "polar coordinates", as [itex]r (cos(\theta)+ i sin(\theta))= re^{i\theta}[/itex] where r is the distance from (0, 0) (= 0+ i0) to (a,b) (= a+ bi) and [itex]\theta[/itex] is the angle the line from (0,0) to (a, b) makes with the positive x- axis.

Note that because cosine, sine and [itex]e^{i\theta}[/itex] are all periodic with period [itex]2\pi[/itex] we can add any multiple of [itex]2\pi[/itex] to theta: [itex]a+ bi= r (cos(\theta+ 2n\pi)+ i sin(\theta+ 2n\pi)= re^{i(\theta+ 2n\pi)}[/itex] for n any integer. However, that angle is still measured from the positive x-axis.
 
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Thanks. You have helped me a lot lately.

Merry Christmas.