little spirit moon / moon before yule
Nov/Dec 2025
Hello All,
I’ve immensely enjoyed following the moon with all of you these past ten months, and I hope that you have too. If you’d like to keep to the lunar path, my 2026 lunations calendar is now available for purchase on my website here. The US and UK versions now have separate listings, so be sure to choose the right one!
The new US calendar will be following the timekeeping traditions of the Kiowa Native Americans of the Great Plains, while the UK version will be turning time all the way back to the Anglo Saxons’ lunisolar calendar.
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Today we are greeted by one of the most magical new moons of the year. In the old British tradition this is the “Moon Before Yule”, and the “Little Spirit Moon” (Minoode-giizis) in the Anishinaabeg tradition—the month when the spirit world is said to be closest of all.
British History – Moon Before Yule
In the Anglo-Saxon calendar this month was simply Ærra Gēola, translated variously as “Before Yule”, First Yule”, or “Early Yule.” The bright full moon that always appears before the winter solstice, therefore, became the “Moon Before Yule”—the last full moon of the old year and the lantern that lit the way to midwinter. Even in the gas-lit Victorian age, when most town-dwellers had lost the habit of watching the sky, the old almanacs clung faithfully to the Anglo-Saxon name.
This year, the full moon before yuletide comes unusually early (December 4th), so instead of guiding the final rush of Christmas preparations, it feels more like the quiet herald telling us that the longest nights have truly begun.
Some say that whatever you dream on the first night you see the Moon before Yule will come true before the year is out.
American History - Little Spirit Moon
For the Anishinaabeg of the Great Lakes, this is Manidoo-giizisoons, the Little Spirit Moon—the deepest, coldest heart of winter.
Elders teach that the long nights and sparkling snow make the veil between worlds thinnest; the little spirits (manidoo-giizisoonsag)—mischievous, child-like beings—dance on the snow under moonlight, and ancestors visit in dreams. This is the classic month for healing ceremonies, sweat lodges, naming ceremonies, and the most powerful dream-work, because the spirits are “right outside the door.”
Storytelling reaches its sacred peak now: only when snow lies on the ground may the winter dibaajimowinan (teaching stories) of Nanabozho, the Wiindigoo, and the Little People be told around the fire.
Lunar Astronomy
The new moon today is invisible, of course, giving us deliciously dark skies for the next week—perfect for stargazing and for the Geminids meteor shower that peaks 13–14 December under almost no moonlight at all.
This is a special new moon in that it coincides almost exactly with “lunar apogee”, the Moon’s farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit —making this the most distant new moon in 18 years, sometimes called a “micromoon.” This apogee timing also sets up a stunning contrast to the dramatic super-moons we’ve seen in October and November, and soon to come once again with the full moon on December 4th.
These extremes remind us of the Moon’s wildly varying distance from us: over 30,000 miles farther than perigee, meaning its gravitational pull on our tides will be noticeably weaker this cycle. Earth’s gravity keeps it in orbit, but the uneven pull creates perigee (closest, stronger tides) and apogee (farthest, calmer seas).
December 4th’s supermoon will be the third and final of 2025’s autumn trio, appearing 14% larger and 30% brighter than average.
Lunar Astrology
This new moon falls in Sagittarius, with the full moon on 4 December landing in Gemini. These two signs make up the great axis of knowledge, truth-seeking, and storytelling.
Sagittarius, hosting the moon during its new phase on November 20th, is ruled by expansive Jupiter. It is the perfect moment to set big, brave intentions about truth, travel (physical or philosophical), higher learning, and spiritual adventure. Ask yourself: “What truth am I ready to chase, even if it takes me far from where I stand today?” Write it down, speak it aloud, light a candle—Sagittarius loves fire and honest words.
The December 4th full moon will bloom in airy, curious Gemini, illuminating all the details, conversations, and bright connections that your Sagittarian quest has gathered. Gemini wants to talk, teach, and share stories. Expect news, messages, and sudden flashes of understanding under that huge December moon.
Together, Sagittarius plants the seed of the big vision; Gemini harvests it as a thousand sparkling stories told around the winter fire—exactly what both the Little Spirit Moon and the Moon before Yule ask of us.
So, step outside, breathe the cold air, and whisper your wildest, truest wish to the invisible moon. The little spirits are listening, and the road to Yule has just opened.
All my best, and until the next lunar month,
Claire
