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While I don't put much stock in Astrology in my practice as a secular Witch, I do engage in limited planetary magick involving Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. This is where learning and understanding some Astronomy can be useful! Unlike distant objects in the galaxy or Universe, these relatively local planetary bodies do significantly influence my daily life.
I can also observe with my naked eye planets like Jupiter, Venus, and Mars, and although I don't feel their impact on me is substantial, I occasionally work with them as symbols or archetypes, which has yielded pretty groovy results.
As for the system and ‘psychology’ of birth charts, houses, and zodiac signs found in Astrology, they are not my cup of tea. My stance is that Astrology lacks a significant influence on our fundamental selves.
Like many Witches, regardless of tradition or beliefs, I can still find humor in the memes and flattering horoscopes, but the distant celestial bodies that the system of Astrology is based on doesn't hold much sway over who we are at our core, in my opinion, and certainly doesn’t influence our relationships, personalities, or ‘destinies’ (ick, another notion I reject) as Astrology claims.
Overall I regard Astrology as mostly harmless. If it helps you and doesn’t make you limit yourself or rob you of your agency- great. You do you. I tend to only care to challenge the notion when it's claimed as a real science, which it definitely isn't, and when the dogmatic belief in it prevents people from growing and evolving or leads to obnoxious proselytizing.
My aim is to focus on Astronomy in this new semi-regular section. Many practicing Witches like myself who don’t care for or are indifferent to Astrology might feel pressured to incorporate Astrology into their practice due to community expectations. It can be tricky to omit Astrology from spells and rituals, considering its prevalence in the Witchcraft sphere.
My words here are not meant to change anyone’s mind or convince anyone that Astrology is bad or Astronomy is good. This is for those who are on the fence, have doubts, or simply have already decided not to believe and want to still find a way to work with planets and celestial bodies that doesn’t trip their pseudoscience alarms.
I hope discussing evidence-based Astronomy in this Witch-centered space sometimes will be a welcome alternative and opportunity to expand your secular practice and help you Walk in Your Power.
Astrology and Astronomy are often confused with one another, but they are fundamentally different disciplines with distinct methodologies, perspectives, and objectives. Let's break down these differences to understand them better.
ASTROLOGY
Astrology is a belief system that suggests a connection between the positions of celestial bodies and events on Earth, including human lives and behaviors. It dates back thousands of years and is rooted in various ancient cultures. Astrologers create horoscopes based on the positions of the stars and planets at the time of a person's birth, claiming that these positions can influence personality traits and predict future events. However, it's crucial to note that Astrology lacks empirical evidence and is not supported by scientific methods. Its assertions are not testable or falsifiable, leading the scientific community to classify it as a pseudoscience.
ASTRONOMY
On the other hand, Astronomy is a legitimate science dedicated to the study of celestial objects, space, and the universe as a whole. Astronomers use the scientific method to observe, hypothesize, and experiment, gathering data through telescopes, satellites, and other technologies. They aim to understand the physical and chemical properties of celestial bodies, their movements, and their interactions. Astronomy has led to significant discoveries, such as the understanding of gravity, the life cycles of stars, and the expansion of the universe. It relies on peer-reviewed research and empirical evidence to build a coherent and reliable understanding of the cosmos.
In summary, while Astrology and Astronomy both involve the study of celestial bodies, their approaches and purposes are vastly different. Astrology is based on belief and interpretation without scientific backing, whereas Astronomy is a rigorously tested science focused on uncovering the truths of our universe. Understanding these differences helps to appreciate the scientific integrity of Astronomy and recognize the cultural and historical context of Astrology.
CREATING A PRACTICE WITH ASTRONOMY
Are you searching for ways to incorporate cosmic-themed content into your practice that goes beyond typical astrology predictions and panic-driven sentiments like “The sky is falling/My life is failing because Mars retrograde!!” or “Gemini is trine with Saturn’s Moon in my 2nd House and that’s why I can’t pay my bills right now"?
It’s challenging to find rituals, practices and beliefs that aren’t centered around astrology and pseudo-science. There are ways you can work with ‘the Universe’ and other cosmic energies without attributing your whole identity or ‘destiny’ to planetary movements. It’s OK to just be in awe and wonder of the cosmos and all that it contains, known science and mysteries alike.
Astronomy itself is not Witchcraft on its own, at least not the way I think of it. But it is a great jumping-off point. Some of this will depend on what you personally believe in. How do you view the Universe? Where do you think we come from? Where do we go when we die?
As a Secular, Animist Witch, I know that, based on Science, we are made of the stuff of stars. The majority of the elements that make up our bodies, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, were created inside stars long before our solar system formed, meaning the matter that constitutes us originated from stars that exploded and dispersed their material into space billions of years ago. In essence, we are composed of the remnants of stars.
As a result, I tend toward the belief that we are all connected, all part of One unfathomably enormous entity and we are all sharing in a collective, yet separate, experience. Much like the quaking aspens in Utah, Pando, that appear to be tends of thousands of individual trees on the surface but are actually one single organism. I think humans and the cosmos are like that. We’re all one big organism. We’re just bits of collected stardust that have become aware, or sentient, and we have the ability to think about ourselves, question and try to understand the bigger picture and our place in it. That’s magickal to me. That’s unique and something worth leaning in to from a magickal or Spiritual perspective, imo.
Astronomy is not a major part of my magickal practice or something I dwell too deeply on, at least not when viewed through the lens of how astrology is used in the craft. I mean, yes, Spiritually, I certainly give it a lot of thought and consideration as I navigate being human and ponder ways to connect on deeper levels with the mysteries, particles and energy of the Universe. But overall it’s not a major part of my decision-making or an influence I give much power to for most day-to-day parts of my life. Be that as it may, it factors in enough that I recognize it’s not easy to find good information about it as it pertains to Witchcraft. Over the years I’ve had to create many of my practices from scratch, including those related to Astronomy.
If you’re like me and have moved away from Wiccan Sabbats, especially the traditional Celtic Wheel of the Year celebrated by most Pagans, you might want to start with replacing or devising your own seasonal calendar based on Astronomy. For example, much of my personal seasonal calendar is centered around my local seasons and the Solar Cycle - Quarters (Equinoxes, Solstices) & Cross Quarters. These are dependable, recurring events that provide some structure and make it easier to develop my own personal ‘holy days’. With Astronomy, there are new things that happen in addition to the Solar Cycles that keep it exciting and fresh, For example, occurrences that happen every year at the same time, like certain meteor showers, as well as some things that happen at predictable intervals but not at the same time each year, like eclipses. There’s also recurring activity that happen on varying cycles that can span decades, like comets. And then there are wholly unexpected celestial happenings like supernovas.
How deep you dive into these happenings is completely up to you. The meanings given to most celestial events is highly subjective, imo, and so you get to be in charge of what correspondences and attributes you assign them based on your beliefs and traditions. I am fascinated by most of what science discovers in the Universe, and try to stay read up on the latest news, but as interesting and wonderous as it can be, not all of that makes it into my Witchcraft. I tend to keep my Astronomy-based Witchcraft very local- the Sun, Moon & Earth. If a comet or meteor shower occurs near Earth and I can see it with the naked eye, I might include that occurrence in my practice in some way. A newly discovered distant star cluster or planet is exciting, but not something I’m likely to assign any magickal meaning to.
CREATING A PRACTICE WITH ASTRONOMY
If you are starting from scratch like I did, here are some tips:
Creating Correspondences
Decide which planets and celestial bodies you want to include in your practice. Black holes and nebulas count if you want them to!
Develop your own starter-set of correspondences for each. Mine are rooted in scientific data and can include folklore and symbolism when they resonate for me.
Craft rituals and practices, be they seasonal or designed for special purposes, that draw on their attributes. Save these in your grimoire or magickal journal.
Consider creating Archetypes for your chosen celestial peeps to help you connect with their energy or power in your practice, especially if personifying them helps you connect better.
Build a relationship with each by connecting to the Spirit of the planet, star or cosmic body and getting to know its personality, wisdom and preferences.
Create a unique sigil or symbol for each
If you like working with color magick, assign it a color
Over time, develop your correspondences and take them deeper.
More Ways to Add Astronomy to Your Witchcraft
Learn more about Astronomy, Cosmology, Astrophysics, and various other fields of Space science.
Subscribe to evidence-based Astronomy publications, websites or news sources
Make special meals or do special rituals for celestial events
Charge waters, your tools or spells during unusual celestial events
Celebrate meteor showers and comets!
Stargaze! Make going outside and looking up at the stars a ritual or opportunity for meditation.
Install a star map app that transposes constellations over the night sky on your screen in real time.
Read books on science and astronomy, (especially books by Carl Sagan, Steven Hawking or Neil deGrasse Tyson). Include science fiction, space travel, and anything else that gives you a sense of wonder about the Universe.
I dislike the term ‘pray’ because it triggers my religious ick, but you can talk to a specific Star, Planet, Moon or cosmic body, or just the Universe in general. Share your day, your struggles, your triumphs. It’s a great listener, and sometimes, you get an answer or message back. If you think of it as sentient or aware, or as a Spiritual entity, it can be a great source of comfort and wisdom. I do not think of the Universe as a deity/god or a ‘Supreme being’. I treat it more like an Ancestor, as I consider it to truly be that. I am It and It is Me. We are the same. It is not there to judge me nor does it have a moral code of right vs wrong to impose on me. It has no system of belief or doctrine to teach me. It’s ancient, and it’s just experiencing and existing without a care to its name. All the good and all the bad are relative to it. I find that comforting. Find what works for you.
Use visualization to try to comprehend the vastness and oldness of the Universe. If you were the Universe, what would you be experiencing? What you be ‘thinking’? How would time feel?
Use Astral projection techniques to transport to a star, planet, moon, asteroid, comet, black hole, or open space. What do you find there? Journal about this.
Collect meteorites and add them to your crystal or rock collection. Use them in your tools, on your altar, in divination, as focal points for meditation and astral projection, and in spellcraft.
Don’t neglect Earth as a planetary body to work with! Earth is more than spell herbs and ‘Spirit Animals’. What does it mean to you for Earth to be your home? What would it symbolize for you if you lived on another planet where Earth was visible in the sky, ‘out there’?
Create your own ritual stories and legends that include the big bang, stellar nucleosynthesis, volcanos, and the formation, merging and destruction of stars and galaxies. Incorporate music, candles, props, and recordings of cosmic background radiation and craft some ritual theatre!
Learn about and do science experiments that focus on Earth Science, Space, Gravity, Chemistry, Physics and Quantum Mechanics.
Learn about the science behind the Multiverse theory or Many Worlds theory . This is the idea that there are multiple universes (sometimes called "parallel universes" or "alternate universes”) that make up everything that exists, including space, time, matter, energy, and information.
Using the concept of String Theory or stretch your psychic abilities to reach out and communicate or send or exchange messages, thoughts or emotions to your other selves in parallel worlds.
RECOMMENDED READING
The first two books are children’s books that had a deep impact on me and my children when they were little. Whether or not you have children, these are must-reads, imo, for any Witch who is deciding what they believe and how they perceive the Universe.
Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story
A story of the Universe forming from the perspective of the Universe itself.
“When we take the time to learn about the beginnings of the Universe, the miraculous conditions that make our existence possible, and how we are physically part of everything around us, a sense of connection forms...”
All I See Is Part of Me
A beautiful book about the interconnected web of existence.
“In a journey that carries the reader far beyond the printed page, a child discovers his common link with all of life.”
Five recently read Science-Fiction books by author Becky Chambers that I adored:
Here’s why I love this author: Becky Chambers comes from parents with science-intense backgrounds including an astrobiology educator, an aerospace engineer, and an Apollo-era rocket scientist. AND IT SHOWS. Her stories are inclusive, equality forward, gently utopian and optimistic, and resonate with my views and beliefs as a Secular, Animist and Spiritual Witch. Her books are thought-provoking and compelling, subtly inviting us to think more deeply about our place in the Universe and our connection with all life. Don’t let the enticing plots of space drama fool you- there’s an undercurrent of something more beautiful woven throughout every story that exceeds the sum of its parts.
I find genuine enchantment in the captivating power of awe and wonder. The curiosity it sparks and the desire to explore the magick woven into the fabric of the Universe hold transformative potential. Astronomy and related fields are rooted in science – a tangible reality (at least as far as our human perception allows!). Delving into the profound realms of physics, chemistry, and quantum mechanics allows us to witness the wonders our Ancestors could only imagine.
While everyone may not share this perspective, I personally see the Universe as the home and extension of our purest Spiritual, energetic forms. It’s the place we go back to when our physical form dies. The Universe is undeniably real and exudes immense power.
The sense of awe and wonder deeply rooted within us is a gift that has shaped our existence.
If the Universe is indeed infinite, then all possibilities are within reach, and what seems merely probable could gain greater plausibility through intent and encouragement. Our intentions and interactions with the world wield influence, and that belief and knowledge is the heart of the practice of Witchcraft.
Love,
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Starting in September 2024, I've added a new semi-recurring section to the Sage & Crow monthly newsletter on the subject of Astronomy for Witches based on noteworthy monthly happenings. You can subscribe to my newsletter for free here.
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