Rauhnacht 3: forgiving and letting go
Rauhnacht 3 · 2026/27
Night of December 27 into 28, stands for March
Theme of the evening: Forgiving and letting go
Rauhnacht 3: card of the night
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Your March starts now
The night of December 27 to 28 corresponds to the month of March. Its theme is forgiving and letting go. Find out what this means for you personally.
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Is there something you're carrying around that you really want to put down? The third Rauhnacht, on the night of December 27 to 28, is an invitation to do just that. By custom, this night mirrors the coming March. It can offer you a theme for the month. This evening's theme is forgiveness. Forgiving someone else, or maybe yourself. Imagine writing a letter you will never send. You just leave everything behind on the page. Find out what your chart shows for March, for free at theastroacademy.com.
Contents
The third of the twelve nights, Rauhnacht 3, is the night from December 27 to 28. According to custom, this night offers a glimpse into the coming March. The theme for this evening is forgiveness, creating space for what lies ahead.
Rauhnacht 3 in brief
| What | This night |
|---|---|
| Date | Night of December 27 into 28 |
| Stands for | March |
| Theme | Forgiving and letting go |
| Question for the evening | Whom or what do you no longer want to carry around? |
| Ritual | Write a letter you will not send and burn it safely in a fireproof bowl. |
| In the custom | Order in the house: by tradition no laundry is hung out during the twelve nights. |
Your audio for tonight
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What your chart shows for March
The night of December 27 to 28 stands for the month of March
The twelve nights between Christmas and Epiphany, known as the Rauhnächte, are traditionally linked to the twelve months of the new year. The third night corresponds to the third month, March.
What you experience or feel during this time can be seen as a symbolic preview of the themes that might be present for you in March. This connection is a custom, not a prediction.
Think of it as setting a subtle theme or mood. When March arrives, you can look back at your journal entries for this night and see if you recognize any echoes of the feelings or dreams you noted down.
| Night | Month | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rauhnächte | new year months | traditionally linked |
| third night | March | corresponds |
| this time | March | symbolic preview |
This night's theme is forgiving and letting go
The theme we suggest for the third Rauhnacht is about forgiving and releasing old burdens. The time between the years is a good moment to consciously leave behind what you no longer want to carry with you.
This can create a sense of lightness and clarity for the year to come. Consider what holds you back.
It could be an old grudge, a mistake you keep replaying in your mind, or a disappointment that still stings. The question for this evening is: What can you forgive, for yourself or for someone else, to feel lighter?
Write a letter you will never send
A simple ritual for this evening can help with the process of letting go.
- Write the letter: Take a piece of paper and write a letter to a person or a situation you want to release.
- You do not have to hold back.
- Write down everything you think and feel, without censorship. This letter is only for you and will not be sent.
- Burn the letter: When you are finished, you can burn it safely in a fireproof bowl or outside.
- As you watch the paper turn to ash, imagine the heavy feelings dissolving along with it.
The act itself is a physical representation of your intention to let go.
Paying attention to dreams and old rules
As with all twelve nights, tradition suggests paying close attention to your dreams during Rauhnacht 3. Your dreams tonight, and your first feeling upon waking tomorrow morning, are seen as an image for the month of March. Write down whatever you remember, even if it feels strange or unclear.
- Old custom: An old custom for the Rauhnächte is to keep the house in order and, specifically, not to hang out any laundry.
- Folklore: Folklore tells stories of the Wild Hunt riding through the sky and getting tangled in clotheslines, which could bring misfortune to the household. It's a reminder to keep things quiet and contained during this special time.
How often does the full moon fall on Rauhnacht 3?
A full moon fell on Rauhnacht 3 in 3 of 100 years, so about once every 33 years. A lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, which is why the full moon rarely hits any single night.
In the Rauhnächte 2026/27 neither a full moon nor a new moon falls into the twelve nights: the full moon comes just before, the new moon just after.
| Season | Moon in the nights |
|---|---|
| 2026/27 | none |
| 2027/28 | New moon, December 27, 2027, night 3 |
| 2028/29 | Full moon, December 31, 2028, night 7 |
| 2029/30 | New moon, January 4, 2030, night 11 |
| 2030/31 | none |
| 2031/32 | Full moon, December 28, 2031, night 4 |
| 2032/33 | New moon, January 1, 2033, night 8 |
| 2033/34 | Full moon, January 4, 2034, night 11 |
Calculated with the Swiss Ephemeris for the seasons 1950/51 to 2049/50. The day of the exact full or new moon in German time counts; the nights are the evenings from December 25 to January 5.
Frequently asked questions
- What date is the third Rauhnacht?
- The third Rauhnacht, or 'Rauhnacht 3', takes place during the night from December 27 into the morning of December 28. It is the third of the twelve nights observed in this tradition between Christmas and the Epiphany on January 6.
- Which month does Rauhnacht 3 represent?
- Following the custom of linking each of the twelve nights to a month, the third Rauhnacht represents the third month of the coming year, which is March. Any observations, dreams, or moods from this night are traditionally seen as a reflection of themes for the coming March.
- What is a good ritual for the third Rauhnacht?
- A helpful ritual for this night's theme of letting go is to write a letter that you have no intention of sending. You can address it to a person or a situation, then safely burn the letter in a fireproof dish to symbolically release the associated feelings.
- Why is no laundry washed during the Rauhnächte?
- The tradition of not hanging laundry during the twelve nights comes from old folklore. It was believed that spirits, particularly the Wild Hunt, roamed during this time and could get caught in the lines, bringing bad luck to the household for the year.
- How can I interpret my dream from Rauhnacht 3?
- Instead of a direct interpretation, consider the feeling of the dream. When you wake up, write down any images, people, or emotions you recall. Think of it as a symbolic snapshot, not a literal forecast for what your March will look like.