When the Moon Stands Still

Lunar Standstill on Sunday

Photo by Yukon Haughton on Unsplash

On Sunday, December 15th, the moon will stand still.

This event—a major lunar standstill—occurs in an 18.6 year cycle, the effect lasting for about two years. During this time the moon reaches its most Northernly position in the sky, making it appear to stand still before it begins its dip back towards the equator. Sometimes referred to as a “lunistice” (the Moon equivalent of a solstice), the moon reaches its most Northernly or Southernly direction every two weeks. But because the moon’s orbit is tilted relative to the earth this distance changes every year, resulting in the 18 year cycle (click here for a more technical explanation). It is even more rare of course for this astronomical event to coincide with the final full moon of the year, the Cold Moon.

During a lunar standstill the moon’s energy is at its most potent. Put out crystals to charge them, take a Moon Bath, make Moon Water, journal, start therapy or finally do that really hard challenge your therapist set you that you’ve been putting off. This is a time to take an extra long pause and look back at all that has happened this year and all you have accomplished. Spend the entire day curled up with tea and just…winter. Let yourself drift. Let yourself be. Let the mistakes, regrets, and lessons of the year slip through your fingers like water, let them go. Breathe. Your emotions are affected by the moon and may very well be heightened during this special event; let them come as they come, like the moon they will rise and set. This is a good time to start a dream journal if you would like, or otherwise connect to your subconscious. Take the next step in knowing and trusting your deep self.

Like the solar and lunar eclipses, the moon standing still was something that the Ancients noticed, and it was thought to influence the unfolding of future events. If, like me, you are being haunted by a lingering sense of dread as we inch closer to February’s change of regime, this might be a good time to light a candle and put all your hopes for the future out for divine consideration. Don’t hold back: what does your ideal world look like? What would you change if you could? Start small, start big, start anywhere at all but give yourself a candle’s worth of space in which to dream and scheme and believe it’s all possible. We don’t know what the New Year will hold, so it just might be truly wonderful. It just might all work out fine. It could.

During this time of heightened “flow energy,” pause and reflect on how you have treated yourself this year and how you would like to treat yourself in the coming year. Do you need to change your food habits or mindset? Would you like to start, change, or add to your daily connection practice? Have you been thinking that cleansing your space would be nurturing for you? Are there situations and relationships in which you would like to see yourself standing up for your needs more effectively? Are there boundaries to protect your time and energy that you have not been honoring as you intended to? This isn’t an assignment, there’s no right or wrong answers and nothing has to be written down. If you’re feeling stuck put on some music, get up and dance, or go for a walk. This is your flow to follow however you feel.

In honor of Sunday’s special full moon, here is a list of the lunar phases and events for the coming year: