By Narayana Montúfar
As we get closer to one of the year’s most fun holidays, Halloween, the spooky vibes are beginning to creep in. Witches are on everyone’s lips, but for some of us, being a witch is more than just a fad—it’s a lifestyle. The practices and power of intuition give us gifts all through the year. Our modern conception of witches has evolved beyond a cackling lady huddling over a cauldron to an empowered (and even seductive) practitioner who conjures the powers of the moon, planets, and stars for a specific purpose!
This way of living in close communion with the seasons, lunar phases, animal tokens, goddesses, and spirits is now accessible and even celebrated. Bottom line: it has never been easier—or cooler—to be a witch. But can anyone be a witch? The answer is yes! Ultimately, manifesting with magic is all about having a genuine intention and believing in your own power. However, some specific birth chart placements scream you were born to be a witch!
Sun, Moon, Venus, or Rising Sign in Scorpio
Scorpio is the ultimate witchy sign, as it’s associated with the turning of the season, and Pluto, who rules sex, death, transformation and secrets. It’s no coincidence that this season brings Halloween, the Wiccan holiday Samhain, and other traditions like the Day of the Dead. If you were born with your sun, moon, Venus, or rising sign in Scorpio, you own a natural ability to connect with the other side. It’s as if the metaphorical veil between worlds is always “thin” for you, giving you access to feel subtle energies that others find challenging to perceive. You are incredibly psychic! And you’re not afraid of connecting with spirits, your ancestors, or guides—you thrive when exploring esoteric practices like astrology, magic, tarot, and spellcasting to get what you desire.
Pluto in Aspect to the Lunar Nodes
As the modern planetary ruler of Scorpio, Pluto brings out stories of transformation and connection to worlds beyond the every day and connects us to cultural archetypes of magic, witchcraft, and healing. In the birth chart, Pluto’s placement relates to the trace imprints we bring from past lives, which is especially true if it is connected to the lunar nodes of the moon. If your Pluto is square your lunar nodes or in conjunction with your North Node, in this lifetime, you’re meant to evolve by embodying your own version of the Pluto archetype. If Pluto is conjunct with your South Node, it means you may have been a witch in a past life, which means that magic and esoteric practices come naturally to you. To revive them within you, all you need to do is set the intention of remembering them and becoming more aware of them.
Cancer Moon or Cancer Rising
For your spells to truly connect with the world around you, working with the ongoing and ever-evolving phases of the moon is a must. For example, if you’re trying to remove something from your life, you cast a banishing spell during the full moon. If you’re trying to create something new, you call it in right after the new moon. Cancer is the only zodiac sign ruled by the moon, so if you were born with your moon or ascendant (rising) in this sign, you are literally a moonchild, owning a special connection with this tantalizing stellar protector. Your emotions are your vehicles for unleashing your innate moon magic. Use them, don’t repress them!
A Strong Focus on either the Eight or the Twelfth House
When it comes to witchy placements, the astrological houses can’t be ignored! The eighth house of the birth chart is connected to mysticism, mystery, and even sex magic, so if you have the ruler of your chart (also known as the planetary ruler of your rising sign) or a stellium (three or more planets) in this house, you have a strong interest in the occult. You have an x-ray type of vision that sees below the surface—you can see beyond facades. The twelfth house is the part of your chart that rules intuition, healing, and the subconscious mind. If you have the ruler of your birth chart or three planets or more in this house, you are likely powerfully intuitive and may even be incredibly psychic. Since the twelfth house is also connected to your soul’s most recent past, you can work on developing your past-life intuition, to help yourself and others find healing by exploring the past.
Black Moon Lilith In Aspect to Your Sun, Moon, or Rising Sign
Black Moon Lilith is the mathematical point calculated by tracking the dark side of the moon. In mythology, Lilith is an archetype steeped in mythology, lore, and multiple theologies. In some traditions, she was the first wife of Adam, who refused to submit or follow the rules, which got her exiled from the Garden of Eden. Often depicted next to serpents and owls, Black Moon Lilith is the archetype of the wild witch against power structures like the patriarchy and unjust power dynamics in all their forms. We all have this mathematical point within our birth charts, but if Lilith is in aspect to (square, sextile, trine—and especially conjunct) your sun, moon, or rising sign, you might be the ultimate empowered, intersectional witch! Your operating procedure is about rebelling against the rules. Luckily, the world has never been more ready and hungry to unravel, understand, and elevate Black Moon Lilith’s energy!
Narayana Montúfar is a Mexican-born, California-based astrologer, writer, and Akashic reader who finds inspiration in the symbolic language of the cosmos. She is the author of ‘Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power’, the resident astrologer for House of Intuition, and a guest writer for Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Well+Good, Refinery29, and Parade. Find her on Instagram at @narayanamontufar or at her website naromon.com.