August 2026
MEMORY LANE MUSINGS
A ‘90s kid remembers celestial décor
by Sara Jordan-Heintz
It’s the late 1990s, and I’m watching “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” on television. While many felt her talking black cat Salem stole the show, what always captured my attention the most was Sabrina’s bedroom, decorated with sun and moon imagery, which I emulated to a certain extent in my childhood bedroom.
Celestial décor burst onto the scene in the ‘90s, and it wasn’t just teenage angst driving its popularity. I think most of us owned at least one blue and yellow Libbey celestial mug like the ones seen in Monica Geller’s apartment on “Friends.” I priced these vintage beverage vessels on eBay and Etsy, noting they go for $50 to $100 apiece. The brand’s celestial wine glasses can be had for $135 to $150 for a set of four. Items in new/unused condition are always going to be priced higher. Glassware with some chips, known as “flea bites,” can lower the value, as well as fading/scratching on the yellow celestial decals.
The sun/moon/star craze extended to bedspreads, throw pillows, rugs, curtains, towels, table runners, tapestries, lamps, wall hangings, wind chimes, candleholders, storage chests, mirrors, sun catchers, and more.
Shelby Deering wrote in her column “I’m a Vintage Seller, and I Can’t Keep This ‘90s Decor Staple Stocked” that buyers should pay attention to color palette selection. “Many of the era’s suns and moons appear on blue backdrops, and these pieces tended to feature other hues that were popular during the era like burgundy and dark yellow,” she says.
This aesthetic is sometimes called Whimsigoth (or Whimsy Goth), brought into the mainstream through shows including “Charmed” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” plus the ever-popular 1998 film “Practical Magic” and movies made by Tim Burton. Evan Collins, co-founder of the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute (CARI), first used the term Whimsigoth. If you’re looking for the living embodiment of the term, look no further than Stevie Nicks.
Hannah Baxter, writing in Architectural Digest, points out that Whimsigoth isn’t just for witches. Was it ever?
“Was there a ’90s kid that didn’t have glow-in-the-dark stars in their bedroom?...If you’re unsure about how to test celestial elements without reaching for a pack of stickers, start with an elevated accent piece (a Tiffany lamp perhaps?) and build out the room from there,” she notes.
The Yin Yang is used in Taoist philosophy as a symbol of balance and harmony between opposing forces. The sun is often associated with masculine or yang energy while the moon represents feminine yin energy.
My celestial blanket from the ‘90s and this vintage sun pillow I recently found thrifting. (Image courtesy of the author)
Stars have been used in religion and cultures since the beginning of time. They have come to be associated with guidance (think the North Star), making a wish upon a star, excellence and achievement, and even military rank. Nakshatra is the term for Lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Buddhist astrology. The Star of David is a symbol of Judaism and Jewish identity, while the crescent moon and star represents Islamic faith, as seen on flags of Muslim-majority countries. Many Christians top their Christmas trees with a star, which symbolizes the star that appeared in the sky when Jesus was born.
Babylonians practiced astrolatry, the worship of celestial bodies, believing the sun, moon and planets were actual gods, and that their movements dictated human events — laying the foundation for our understanding of horoscopic astrology. The Faery Star is a seven-pointed star important in Pagan and Wiccan traditions. A star in popular culture is a celebrity who shines brighter than the rest.
To me, growing up, the celestial appeal felt homey with a touch of spookiness thrown in. Is it any wonder as a teen and adult I wrote (and continue to write) horror and speculative fiction stories? Décor can set the mood.
While I’ve drifted away from Whimsigoth in my everyday life, I still use my celestial blanket from the ‘90s and a vintage sun pillow I recently found thrifting. Whenever I see this aesthetic out in the wild, I’m transported to my preteen years, when I was fascinated by astronomy and what lies beyond what we can see and understand.
Sara Jordan-Heintz is a journalist, author, and editor based in Iowa. An “old soul” she is an avid collector of vintage jewelry, Russian stacking dolls, and autographs. In her free time she’s a voracious reader and lover of classic movies — “All About Eve” being her top pick. Her favorite fictional sleuths are Columbo and Jessica Fletcher. She holds a degree in American Studies from the University of Iowa. Connect with her at: sara.jordan909@gmail.com.