Nearing the middle to end of this month there are some really interesting events coming up to look out for!

First up, on December 13th and 14th is Geminids Meteor Shower, peaking Sunday evening until dawn on Monday. You might even see a few meteors from December 7th through 17th as well. The Geminids are considered the king of meteor showers, and possibly the best show in the sky. It produces up to 120 meteors per hour with an assortment of colors. The shower is produced by debris left behind by asteroid 3200 Phaethon. For best viewing, try and gaze from a dark location around or after midnight.

There is also a new moon and total solar eclipse on December 14. This means the moon will completely block the Sun, revealing the Sun’s corona or outer atmosphere. During the new moon and solar eclipse is the best time to observe galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere with your gazing of faint objects.

December 21st is also a rather eventful night of the month! This night is the annual December Solstice when the south pole of Earth will be titled towards the Sun, which begins the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

On December 21st a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn also occurs, known as a great conjunction. The last occurred in 2000. During the conjunction the two planets will appear 7 arc minutes of each other in the night sky, so close that they will appear as a bright double planet. It can be seen best towards the west just after sunset.

December 21st is a triple threat with Ursids Meteor Shower taking place as well. This is just a minor meteor shower that produces roughly 5 to 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust left behind by comet Tuttle. It runs annually from December 17th to 25th, but peaks on the night of the 21st to dawn of the 22nd.

After spending the majority of my Thanksgiving break binge watching the first two seasons of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, it brought me to writing about the relationship between witchcraft (my current fascination) and astronomy, in particular one specific astronomical object: the moon.

It is not an understatement when I say witches LOVE the moon. They learn how to harness the powers of each moon phase to enhance and amplify their powers and spells.

The new moon phase is seen as a fresh start. With the moon almost out of sight during this phase, it is the perfect time to do shadow work, or acknowledge the darker side of themselves, shadow selves. New moons are ideal for working with shadow sides and find positive ways to work with them.

During the waxing moon phase where the moon gets bigger and brighter, it is a good idea to practice sympathetic magic related to growth. meaning using symbolic reference to utilize the growth and brightening of the moon to grow and brighten things like career, confidence, love life, and overall improve the brightness of their lives.

The full moon is the most intense phase, and this intensity can be applied to any spell. Many witches take advantage of full moons by charging their crystals and making moon water. Charging crystals adds energy and increases their intensities, allowing them to work stronger and longer before needing to be cleansed again. Moon water can be used any way normal water would: watering plants, drinking, bathing, etc., but it cleanses the negative energies of whatever it is used on.

The waning moon phase where the moon gets darker and closer to new, is great for banishing work. This goes for banishing and negative feelings or unwanted negativities, insecurities, self-doubts, and of course people too.

Each phase of the moon holds special powers and allows for ideal spells relating to certain subjects. Witchcraft and the phases of the moon go hand in hand. In fact, it is probably more likely for someone practicing witchcraft to know the moon phase of each day even more than what day of the week it is.