New moon intentions

New Moon in Sagittarius ritual for December 9, 2026

By Mira Nyxlight · Updated 2026-10-21

The December 2026 new moon is exact on Wednesday 9 December at about 00:52 UTC, at roughly 17 degrees of Sagittarius. In the United States that is the evening of Tuesday 8 December. A new moon starts the lunar cycle and is the traditional time to set intentions. Sagittarius is the sign of belief, exploration, learning and honesty.

This page has the time for each US zone, a 20-minute ritual built around Sagittarius themes, journal prompts and a 3-day follow-up. It is a useful moment for a year-end review, since it falls about 3 weeks before the new year.

Exact time in your time zone

The U.S. Naval Observatory lists 00:52 UTC on 9 December; a few sources list 00:51 to 00:54 UTC. All US zones are on standard time, so the date shifts back a day for most of them:

  • Eastern (EST): 7:52 PM on Tuesday 8 December
  • Central (CST): 6:52 PM on Tuesday 8 December
  • Mountain (MST): 5:52 PM on Tuesday 8 December
  • Pacific (PST): 4:52 PM on Tuesday 8 December
  • London (GMT): 00:52 on Wednesday 9 December

When to do it

You cannot see a new moon, since it sits between us and the Sun. Traditions vary: some say the night of the new moon, others say within about 3 days afterward. For most of the US, the evening of Tuesday 8 December or Wednesday 9 December works well. Choose one and treat it as a 20-minute appointment.

For how the phases fit together, see the guide to first quarter moon rituals, which covers the action step 1 week later.

What Sagittarius adds to a new moon

Sagittarius is associated with travel, higher learning, philosophy, optimism and plain speech. Intentions set under it tend to be about widening your range: learn something, go somewhere, test a belief, tell the truth. The risk of the sign is over-promising, so the ritual below pushes you to make the intention specific.

A 20-minute Sagittarius new moon ritual

You need a notebook and a pen. A candle or lamp is optional, and use a flame only where it is safe.

  1. Quiet the room (2 minutes). Turn off notifications and dim the light.
  2. Review the year (5 minutes). Write 3 things you learned in 2026, 3 places or experiences that stretched you, and 1 belief that changed.
  3. Name the belief to retire (3 minutes). Complete: 'I used to believe...'. Choose the one that costs you the most.
  4. Name the horizon (4 minutes). Complete: 'By the end of March I want to have learned, visited or tried...'. Make it a behavior with a date, not a mood.
  5. Plan the first step (3 minutes). Write the smallest action that moves it forward, and the day you will do it in the next 7 days.
  6. Seal it (3 minutes). Read the 3 lines aloud and keep the page where you will see it.

Journal prompts for a Sagittarius moon

Choose 2 or 3 and give each 3 minutes.

  • What do I believe about myself that I have never tested?
  • Where would I go, or what would I study, if cost and time were smaller problems?
  • Which truth have I been softening in conversations?
  • What did I say I would do this year and quietly drop, and does it still matter?
  • What do I want next year's version of me to be curious about?

A 3-day follow-up

The next full moon is the Cold Moon in Cancer on 24 December.

  1. Day 1. Do the first step you scheduled, or book it in your calendar.
  2. Day 2. Tell one person your horizon so it is not only in a notebook.
  3. Day 3. Write 1 line on what is easier or harder than expected.

Coming from the full moon?

If you did the Gemini full moon ritual on 24 November, look at your open-loops list: what is still open, and what goes into this cycle?

Questions people ask

What time is the December 2026 new moon?

About 00:52 UTC on 9 December 2026, which is 7:52 PM Eastern, 6:52 PM Central, 5:52 PM Mountain and 4:52 PM Pacific on 8 December.

What sign is the new moon in?

Sagittarius, at about 17 degrees (16 degrees 57 minutes in several sources).

Is it 8 December or 9 December?

Both, depending on your location. It is the evening of 8 December in the Americas and early 9 December in UTC and Europe.

Do I need to do the ritual at the exact time?

No. The evening of 8 or 9 December, or within about 3 days afterward, is the usual practice.

Can I set more than one intention?

You can, but 1 to 3 is easier to follow through. Make each one specific and attach a date.

More guides

Sources

Astrology and moon rituals are used here as reflection tools, not predictions.