Tag: #FullMoon

Autumnal Equinox – Saturday, 23rd September

The autumnal Equinox occurs in September each year.  This year, the autumnal equinox occurs on 23rd September at 7:50am BST.

At the time of the autumnal & spring Equinoxes – the Sun will illuminate the northern and southern hemispheres equally. It is a time of balance – to discard the unwanted and take on the new. 🙂 Deciduous trees undergo huge transformations by shedding their leaves. They trust that this needs to happen in order for renewal and more growth. Letting go is necessary and important in order to sustain life. There can be a sense of loss during this season too, so it’s important for families to spend more time with each other and develop closer, stronger, more loving and supportive bonds.

For many, this Equinox marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.  However, there are three main different ways of defining autumn: astronomical, meteorological and phenological.

  • Astronomically, the four seasons centre around the equinoxes and solstices. However, there is disagreement between those who see the equinox or solstice as the start of the season, and those who hold that it represents the middle of the season.
  • By contrast, meteorologists tend to divide seasons into periods of three whole months based on average monthly temperatures, with summer as the warmest and winter as the coldest. On this basis, for most of the northern hemisphere the autumn months are usually September, October, and November.
  • The third way of defining autumn is to use what are known as phenological indicators. These cover a range of ecological and biological signs, such as the leaves falling off the trees and the migration of birds to warmer climates. These events of course are greatly influenced by weather and climate, and so changing climate could cause autumn to start earlier or later than the standard astronomical or meteorological definitions.

Mabon is a modern Pagan ritual marking the autumnal equinox. The ritual gives thanks for a plentiful harvest and recognises the need to share the Earth’s fruits in the coming winter months.

In Japanese culture, the autumn equinox is celebrated with the tradition of Higan. It is a time to remember deceased relatives, as well as mark the passing of the seasons.

Harvest MoonThe Harvest Moon is the name given to the Full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox. The Full Moon this month falls on Friday, 29th September.
Historically the light of the Harvest Moon was said to enable farmers to work late into the night, helping them to bring in the crops from the fields.

 

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Blue Supermoon – Thursday, 31st August

At 02.36hrs on Thursday, 31st August, we have the second Full Moon of this month and the third of four Supermoons this year- the biggest and brightest Moon of the year. Due to the hour, the Moon will appear its largest & brightest on the Wednesday evening.

Blue Moons occur about every 2½ years – hence the phrase “once in a Blue Moon!“. The Moon does not appear blue in colour. The Blue Supermoon is considered a powerful time to set intentions, release negative energy, and manifest abundance 🙂

A Supermoon is when the Moon is at its closest to our planet Earth. The increased gravitational pull of the Moon can cause higher tides, known as “Spring tides“.  These tides can have an impact on coastal ecosystems.

Overall, this Blue Supermoon is a rare and powerful event that holds great significance to many cultures and individuals.

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Full Moon -Tuesday, 1st August

According to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the Full Sturgeon Moon will be full at 19.31hrs. on Tuesday evening. It is also a Supermoon.

The Sturgeon Moon is also referred to as:

  • Full Green Corn Moon, signalling that the corn was nearly ready for harvest.
  • Grain Moon,
  • Fruit Moon,
  • Barley Moon
  • Wheat Cut Moon 
  • Blueberry Moon

August also brings us the most popular meteor shower of the year.  As our planet rotates the sun, every August, the Earth crashes into a cloud of debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As the debris burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, it produces the meteor shower that we call the Perseids.

This year, the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17th July and 24th August. The shower will peak 12-13 August and if skies are clear, it can be one of the most dramatic things to see in the summer sky.
Meteors can appear in any part of the sky so the more sky you can see the better…

  • Reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view.
    Find an area with a clear view of the horizon and away from trees and buildings.
  • Binoculars and telescopes are not necessary as they will restrict the size of the sky that will be visible to you.

Look up and enjoy the show! 🙂

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Full Moon – Monday, 3rd July

Tonight’s Full Moon will be the biggest the lunar surface has looked from Earth so far this year. This s because it is also a Supermoon: the closest, brightest Full Moon. Two supermoons will be seen in August, which will include a blue moon that will be the closest moon to Earth this year.  The fourth and final supermoon in 2023 will rise on 29th September.

Commonly called the Buck Moon (because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time), it is also known as the Thunder Moon, or Hay Moon.  Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the Full Moon.

  • The indigenous Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region call this Moon the Halfway Summer Moon, or the Raspberry Moon.
  • The Cherokees call it the Corn in Tassel Moon.
  • The Cree Nation of central Canada calls the Full Moon the Feather Moulting Moon
  • The Mohawks call it the Fruits are Ripened Moon.

Because the Moon is full when it is opposite the sun in the sky, Full Moons always rise in the east as the sun is setting, and set in the west at sunrise. Since sunlight is striking the Moon vertically at that time, no shadows are cast; all of the variations in brightness you see arise from differences in the reflectivity of the lunar surface rocks 🙂


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Full Moon – Sunday, 4th June

The last Full moon of Spring, the first of Summer is the Strawberry Moon.  The Moon will be full at 04.42hrs on Sunday morning so will appear its fullest on the Saturday evening.

Red-coloured moons get their hue from their proximity to the horizon. (The closer the moon is to the horizon, the more atmosphere its light rays must travel through, and the redder the moon appears).

June was traditionally the month for marriages – it is even named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Following marriage comes the “honeymoon,” which give may give credence to one of this Full Moon’s names:

  • Blooming Moon is indicative of the flowering season.
  • Green Corn Moon and Hoer Moon suggest that it’s time to tend to young crops.
  • Birth Moon, referring to the time when certain animals are born in their region.
  • Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon are Cree terms that also hint at a time of many animal babies.
  • Honey Moon
  • Mead Moon

This year the Strawberry Moon will not be a supermoon as it is expected to be too far from earth. To be a supermoon it should be 360,000km or less away from Earth. Supermoons are often known to appear slightly larger than a normal Full Moon, up to 30% brighter and 17% larger, but in reality it seem to appear much the same, observed as a bright orb casting a slight golden tint.

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Full Moon – Friday, 5th May

This month, the Moon will be Full at 18.34hrs on Friday, 5th May.

Frequently referred to as the Flower Moon, other names attributed to this Moon which is full of the promise of summer are:

  • Leaf Budding Moon
  • Planting Moon
  • Egg Laying Moon
  • Field Making Moon
  • Frog Moon
  • Moon Of The Shedding Ponies!

Black Moon is not a well known astronomical term. In recent years, the term has been made popular by social media, astrologers, and followers of the Wiccan religion. It occurs at the time of the New Moon. You cannot see it! The sky is completely dark. A Black Moon frequently is used when the following occur:

  • 2nd New Moon in the same month – the most common type, occurring approximately once every 29 months.
  • 3rd New Moon in a season of four New Moons  – occur about once every 33 months.
  • No New Moon in February – occurring approximately every 19 years. This can only happen in February, as this is the only month which is shorter than a lunar month. When this occurs, both January and March have two New Moons, instead of just one.,  By this definition, the next Black Moon will occur in 2033,
  • No Full Moon in February – also occurring approximately every 19 years.  In this instance, there are two Full Moons in January and March, also known as a double Blue Moon. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur in 2037, while the last one was in 2018.

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Full Moon – Thursday, 6th April

This month’s Full Moon is at 05.35hrs. on Thursday, 6th April and is known as the ‘Pink Moon‘. This is also the Paschal Moon, from which the date of Easter is calculated. Generally, the Christian holiday of Easter, also called Pascha, is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full Moon of spring.

The name ‘Pink Moon’ is not because the Moon will be pink in colour. It comes from the pink moss, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the Spring in North America. Other names for this month’s Full Moon, all of which indicate the season, include:

  • Full Sprouting Grass Moon
  • Egg Moon
  • Full Fish Moon, among coastal tribes because this was the time that the fish swam upstream to spawn.

At the same time, April is a time when rivers and streams begin to fully thaw. Accordingly, April’s Full Moon was:

  • Full Melting Moon, by the Shoshone tribe.
  • Moon Where Ice Breaks in the River, by the Arapaho tribe.
  • Sugar Maker Moon, by the Abenaki tribes
  • Sugarbush Moon, by the Ojibwe tribe. The Ojibwe tribe would journey north to their spring camps to tap maple syrup and engage in spear fishing. Maple syrup was integral to Ojibwe culture: not only was it a crucial method of seasoning all their foods (they did not have access to salt at that time), but it also symbolized harmony within the community and with the forces of nature around them.

In Islamic communities around the world, April’s Full Moon is celebrated as Bara’at Night, also known as the Night of Innocence. Muslims offer up prayers, asking their God to absolve dead ancestors of their sins. They also prepare sweet desserts such as halva or zarda and give it out to children, the needy, and other members of their community.

Lyrid Meteor ShowerTowards the end of the month we can look forward to the Lyrids – one of the oldest Meteor showers to be observed by Man.  The Lyrids can produce up to 18 meteors per hour at the peak, with occasional fireballs, producing up to 100 shooting stars an hour.  Hopefully, we have a clear sky to observe them… look Northeast 🙂

 


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Full Moon – Tuesday, 7th March

Today’s Full Moon at 12.40pm is known mainly by the Farmers’ Almanac as the Worm Moon, referring to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring, inviting robins and other birds to feed. Europeans may know March’s Full Moon as the Lenten Moon, according to NASA, after the Christian period of fasting before Easter, which coincides with this period in the lunar cycle.

There are other names for this particular Full Moon all of which herald the transition from Winter into Spring.  Such names include:

  • Crow Comes Back Moon.
  • Sugar Moon – marking the time of year when the sap of sugar maples trees starts to flow.
  • Wind Strong Moon – referring to the strong windy days that come at this time of year.
  • The Sore Eyes Moon – from North Dakota where the blinding rays of sunlight reflect off the melting snow of late winter.

Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not only to the Full Moon.

For Hindus, this March’s Full Moon marks the festival of Holi, a celebration of the love of the god Radha Krishna and the triumph of good over evil. During Holi, revellers light bonfires and douse each other with colourful powders or dyed water.

For many Buddhists, March’s Full Moon is the Full Moon of the third lunar month, the time of the festival Māgha Pūjā in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka. This festival celebrates an ancient gathering of disciples with Buddha.

 It’s a period of new beginnings. Look for the spectacularly bright Moon as it rises above the horizon this evening! Planets Venus and Jupiter, will continue to dominate the western sky.


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Full Moon – Sunday, 5th February

The Full Moon is today at 13.30hrs.

Known by many as the Snow Moon as snow is generally found on the ground in most Northern Hemisphere countries during this time, it is also known as the Black Bear or Bear Moon: referring to the time when bear cubs are born.

About once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon, known as a Black Moon. In 2018, this was the case in most time zones. This can only happen in February, as this is the only month which is shorter than a lunar month. When this occurs, both January and March have two New Moons, instead of just one, creating a double Blue Moon. This will next occur in 2033.

Just like “Blood Moon” and “Blue Moon,” “Black Moon” is not an astronomical term. There is no single accepted definition of a Black Moon either. Some say every New Moon is a Black Moon as it cannot be seen.

Another definition of a Black Moon says that it is the third new moon in a season of four new moons, according to Space.com. The next date that type of Black Moon will occur is May 19, 2023.


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Full Moon – Friday 6th January 2023

2023’s first Full Moon is at 23.56hrs on Friday, 6th January.

It’s thought that January’s full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more often heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that wolves howl for other reasons.

The Gaelic word for January, Faoilleach, comes from the term for wolves, faol-chù, even though wolves haven’t existed in Scotland for centuries. The Saxon word for January is Wulf-monath, or Wolf Month. Meanwhile, the festival of the Japanese wolf god, Ooguchi Magami, is also held in January. The Seneca tribe links the wolf so strongly to the moon, they believe that a wolf gave birth to the moon by singing it into the sky! So just why are wolves so strongly associated with January’s full moon?

The most obvious answer is because wolves are much louder and more noticeable in January, which is when breeding season begins. Wolves begin to howl more frequently and aggressively to establish their territory, threatening neighbours and enemies alike to stay far away from their breeding grounds. A small pack of wolves may even try to make themselves seem like a larger pack by howling together. While a lone wolf can sustain a howl for the duration of a single breath, an entire pack may howl in unison for longer than two minutes during breeding season. Howling and other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting.

Wolves are so well-known for their tight-knit communities that the Sioux tribe called January’s Full Moon the Moon Where Wolves Run Together. The wolf is often seen as a symbol of loyalty and protection in many cultures. The Wolf Moon is the perfect time for you to reach out to loved ones and reaffirm your connections, in preparation for deepening your bonds and taking on new challenges together over the upcoming year. We’ve most certainly got those ahead.

Stay safe with your pack!


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