The upcoming Libra New Moon holds a strange kind of magic. On the very day the Moon lies down in the arms of the Sun, Mercury slips into the pre-shadow of its upcoming retrograde (from November 9 to November 29). It’s a quiet New Moon signal to begin slowing down, rethinking, and listening more carefully. The pace of the month ahead is shifting.
At the same time, two rare messengers are crossing our sky: Comet Lemmon and Comet SWAN are approaching the edge of naked-eye visibility. Their arrival, like Mercury’s turning, invites a deeper kind of attention—subtle, but urgent.
The familiar planets are predictable. They move along the ecliptic. They retrograde and return on schedule. But comets appear suddenly. They seem to arrive out of nowhere—unexpected and unsummoned. Originating in the Oort Cloud, the outermost region of the solar system, their appearance feels like a messenger from the unknown—a stirring from beyond the threshold of conscious awareness.
Across cultures and centuries, comets have been seen as omens—harbingers of great endings, turning points, or sudden revelations. They speak to the changing mood of an era, They tilt the collective field.
When Comets Appeared, History Turned
The most famous of all, Halley’s Comet, has visited Earth every 75–76 years, leaving a pattern of upheaval and brilliance. In 1066, Halley’s great arc across the sky was seen as a terrible omen by King Harold of England. Weeks later, he fell in the Battle of Hastings, and William the Conqueror rose to power, altering the course of British history.
When Halley returned in 1835, the great American writer, Mark Twain, was born. Seventy-five years later, as the comet returned, Twain famously said: “I came in with Halley’s Comet… and I expect to go out with it.” He died the day after its closest approach in 1910. The comet became his cosmic bookend—a personal and poetic myth of arrival and departure.
In 1811, the so-called Great Comet hung for months in the sky, growing large and unmistakable. Wine harvests flourished, earthquakes struck, and the scent of revolution filled the air. Some linked its appearance to Napoleon’s rise, the War of 1812, and waves of spiritual and political unrest across Europe and America.
And then there was Hale-Bopp, in 1997. It lingered overhead for over a year, bright and unmistakable—visible even from cities. It was one of the most widely observed comets in recorded history. Some feared it. Fearing a global meltdown was coming with Y2K, many panicked. Others were entranced. The Heaven’s Gate cult, believing a spaceship trailed behind it, tragically ended their lives in its name.
But 1997 was also the year the Internet went mainstream—there was a huge leap in homes going online. AOL, Yahoo and Netscape were booming. In September, just months after Hale-Bopp’s peak visibility, Google was founded. That year the first version of Wi-fi was released and Palm Pilots (our smart phone dinosaurs) became the rage.
What the October Comets Portend
Though these visitors may not rival the legendary brilliance of Hale–Bopp, their presence this month is still rare, luminous, and deeply meaningful. Both Comet SWAN and Comet Lemmon make their closest approach to Earth near the Libra New Moon—a moment when the skies are at their darkest, offering the best chance to glimpse their passage.
Comet SWAN (C/2025 R2)
- Discovered in September 2025, SWAN makes its closest approach to Earth on October 19-20, 2025
- Current projections suggest it’s less likely to become visible to the naked eye. Even in a dark sky, it will likely be just on the edge of visibility, requiring the assistance of binoculars or a telescope.
- This comet invites us toward the subtle, the emerging, the whisper of something collective that’s still forming. If you’re an energy sensitive, you know this feeling, when you can sense something is coming, but you have no pictures, words nor understanding yet. But this is only frustrating to the mind. It’s delicious to the heart, who knows how to live with mystery, the vibrating potential of luminosity. If you listen softly enough, your presence can help to shape it.
Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6)
- Discovered in January 2025, Lemmon makes its closest approach to Earth on October 20-21, 2025
- This comet wasn’t expected to be all that spectacular. But Lemmon has been brightening at a surprising rate, making naked‑eye viewing plausible under Libra’s dark new moon sky. Look for it in the northwestern sky after sunset.
- Lemmon can be read as a beacon of revelation — something once hidden that now begins to shine. Because of its surprising brightening and relatively accessible visibility, it speaks of truths coming into view, shifting the collective story. It invites us to see what we couldn’t see before, to witness change rather than just sense it.
How to meet the comets on New Moon night
Step outside on the night of the New Moon. Even if you can’t see the comets, imagine them streaking through the dark sky—silent heralds from beyond. Gently consider the following questions—without expecting an immediate answer.
- What has been stirring just below the surface?
- What truth in me or the collective is beginning to glow?
- Where do I feel on the edge of a new pattern—or a breakdown?
Stand barefoot if you can. Feel into the surrounding air. Listen to your body more than your mind. When you feel complete, bring your hands to your heart and whisper:
“I welcome the new.
I honor the mystery.
I trust what’s becoming clear.”
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