Other Celestial Events
Like most people, witches still wish on falling stars and the first star they see in the night sky. In ancient Egypt and Rome, this little bit of “wishcraft” was an active prayer to Ishtar and Venus, respectively.
In times past, the appearance of a meteor or comet was believed to portend some great event (often an unpleasant one). This concept seems to have some support if you look at the history of comet sightings. Comets streaked across the sky about the time Mt. Vesuvius erupted, destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum. A comet in 1665 was blamed for bringing the Black Plague to Europe. Napoleon viewed a comet in 1811 as a sign to attack Russia. Other comets coincided with the death of Julius Caesar, the fall of Jerusalem, and the Civil War.
Haley's, the most famous comet, showed up before the demise of Herod, coincided with the Turkish invasion of Constantinople, and was said to influence the outcome of the Battle of Hastings. Queen Elizabeth took to her deathbed during one of the comet's returns. Hale-Bopp, a comet discov-ered in 1997 just outside Jupiter's orbit, was feared by some to herald the end of the world — especially as the millennium was rapidly coming to an end. Should a comet collide with earth, the devastation would be massive. When pieces of the comet Shoemaker-Levy hit Jupiter in 1994, the force was greater than if all the nuclear weapons in arsenals around the world had exploded.
Meteorites are astral debris that reaches earth without being destroyed. When they enter the earth's atmosphere, they burn brightly and produce meteor showers or “shooting stars.”
A meteor shower over Czechoslovakia 20 million years ago left behind an unusual translucent green rock, moldavite. This rare stone blends extra-terrestrial and terrestrial properties. Many metaphysicians believe moldavite contains unique magickal properties that can aid human evolution. Moldavite is said to enable its wearers to improve their psychic awareness and release old patterns.
Eclipses frightened early humans, who didn't understand what caused this heavenly occurrence. The darkening of the light held ominous symbolism for our forebears. Sanskrit writings claim that a huge dragon flies between the moon and sun and blocks light. Ancient magi, however, recognized potential in a day that was not a day and in a moon going dark. Modern witches likewise see an eclipse as a perfect in-between time, well suited to magickal gatherings.
To astrologers, lunar eclipses signify periods when solar power — intellect, logic, outer-world activity, and masculine energy — dominates. During solar eclipses, lunar power — intuition, imagination, receptivity, reflection, and feminine energy — dominates. Eclipses can be very important times for spell-casting and rituals that tap these cosmic forces.
