On Thursday 4 December 2025, the final full moon of the year - known as the Cold Moon - will rise in the UK sky, reaching peak fullness at 23:14 GMT. This year, it’s not just any full moon: it’s a supermoon, appearing larger and brighter as it draws closer to Earth. In the hush of winter’s approach, this moon offers a luminous invitation to pause, reflect, and realign.
Why Is It Called the Cold Moon?
The name “Cold Moon” comes from Old English and Celtic traditions, marking the time when frost settles deep into the land and the nights stretch longest. It’s the moon that watches over the threshold between seasons, when the earth sleeps and the soul turns inward.
Other traditional names include:
- Long Night Moon – for its proximity to the winter solstice, when darkness reigns
- Moon Before Yule – in Norse and pagan calendars, heralding the sacred season of Yule
What Makes This a Supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest point to Earth (perigee) during its full phase. This makes it appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. The December 2025 Cold Moon is the last supermoon of the year, amplifying its energetic pull and emotional resonance.
Spiritual Meaning: A Portal of Stillness and Truth
The Cold Moon is a mirror moon - a time to see clearly what the year has taught us, what we’ve outgrown, and what we’re ready to release. It’s not a moon of action, but of integration.
Spiritually, this moon invites:
- Reflection – What have you learned? What patterns have repeated?
- Release – What burdens, beliefs, or behaviours are you ready to let go of?
- Restoration – How can you honour your need for stillness, softness, and solitude?
- Reconnection – With your intuition, your ancestors, your inner truth
In many traditions, this moon is seen as a veil-lifter - a time when clarity pierces the fog, and the soul whispers its deepest truths.
Rituals and Practices for the Cold Moon
You don’t need a coven or a cauldron to honour this moon. Here are a few simple, soul-nourishing ways to work with its energy:
1. The Year-End Reflection Spread
Pull three tarot or oracle cards:
- What am I being shown?
- What am I being asked to release?
- What am I being called to carry forward?
Journal your insights by candlelight. Let the cards speak plainly.
2. Smoke and Salt Release
Write down what you’re ready to let go of - habits, fears, relationships, roles. Burn the paper safely in a fireproof dish, then wash your hands in a bowl of salt water. Let the smoke and salt carry away the residue.
3. Cold Moon Bathing
Run a warm bath with Epsom salts, dried rosemary, and a few drops of frankincense or cedarwood oil. Place a moonstone or clear quartz nearby. As you soak, visualise the moonlight cleansing your energy field.
4. Stillness Walk
Bundle up and walk slowly under the moonlight. No phone. No destination. Just your breath, your footsteps, and the hush of winter. Let the silence speak.
5. Altar of Endings and Gratitude
Create a small altar with seasonal elements - pinecones, holly, quartz, silver, or snowflake obsidian. Light a white candle and speak aloud what you’re grateful for and what you’re releasing.
Final Thoughts
The Cold Moon doesn’t demand resolutions or reinvention. It asks for honesty, humility, and honour - for the self you’ve been, the lessons you’ve learned, and the space you’re making for what’s next.
Let this moon be your sacred pause. A breath before the turning of the year. A light in the longest night.