Full Moon Names and Their Meanings
Transcript of Full Moon Names and Their Meanings
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Full Moon Names and TheirMeanings
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the
northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the
seasons by ivin distinctive names to each recurrin full Moon.
Their names were applied to the entire month in which each
occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in
eneral, the same ones were current throuhout the Alon!uin
tribes from New "nland to #ake Superior. "uropean settlers
followed that custom and created some of their own names. Sincethe lunar month is only $% days lon on the averae, the full Moon
dates shift from year to year. &ere is the Farmers Almanac's list
of the full Moon names.
( FULL WOLF MOON) *anuary Amid the cold and deepsnows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hunrily outside +ndian
villaes. Thus, the name for *anuary's full Moon. Sometimes it was
also referred to as the ld Moon, or the Moon After -ule. Some
called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to
the net Moon.
( FULL SNOW MOON ) February Since the heaviestsnow usually falls durin this month, native tribes of the north and
east most often called February's full Moon the Full Snow Moon.
Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full &uner Moon,
since harsh weather conditions in their areas made huntin very
difficult.
( FULL WORM MOON ) March As the temperaturebeins to warm and the round beins to thaw, earthworm casts
appear, heraldin the return of the robins. The more northern
tribes knew this Moon as the Full /row Moon, when the cawin of
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crows sinaled the end of winter0 or the Full /rust Moon, because
the snow cover becomes crusted from thawin by day and free1in
at niht. The Full Sap Moon, markin the time of tappin maple
trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as
the #enten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of
winter.
( FULL PINK MOON ) April This name came from theherb moss pink, or wild round phlo, which is one of the earliest
widespread flowers of the sprin. ther names for this month's
celestial body include the Full Sproutin 2rass Moon, the " Moon,
and amon coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the
time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.
( FULL FLOWER MOON) May +n most areas, flowersare abundant everywhere durin this time. Thus, the name of this
Moon. ther names include the Full /orn 3lantin Moon, or the Milk
Moon.
( FULL STRAWBERRY MOON) *une This name was
universal to every Alon!uin tribe. &owever, in "urope they calledit the 4ose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for
harvestin strawberries comes each year durin the month of
*une . . . so the full Moon that occurs durin that month was
christened for the strawberry5
( TE FULL BU!K MOON) *uly *uly is normally themonth when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their
foreheads in coatins of velvety fur. +t was also often called theFull Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most
fre!uent durin this time. Another name for this month's Moon was
the Full &ay Moon.
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( FULL STUR"EON MOON ) Auust The fishintribes are iven credit for the namin of this Moon, since stureon,
a lare fish of the 2reat #akes and other ma6or bodies of water,
were most readily cauht durin this month. A few tribes knew it
as the Full 4ed Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears
reddish throuh any sultry ha1e. +t was also called the 2reen /orn
Moon or 2rain Moon.
( FULL !ORN MOON or Full &arvest Moon )September This full moon's name is attributed to Native Americans
because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most
often, the September full moon is actually the &arvest Moon, which
is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn e!uino. +n two
years out of three, the &arvest Moon comes in September, but in
some years it occurs in ctober. At the peak of harvest, farmers
can work late into the niht by the liht of this Moon. Usually the
full Moon rises an averae of 78 minutes later each niht, but for
the few nihts around the &arvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise
at nearly the same time each niht9 6ust $7 to :8 minutes later
across the U.S., and only ;8 to $8 minutes later for much of/anada and "urope. /orn, pumpkins, s!uash, beans, and wild rice
the chief +ndian staples are now ready for atherin.
( FULL UNTER#S MOON OR FULL BLOO$MOON) ctober This full Moon is often referred to as theFull &unter's Moon,
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with special honor, historically servin as an important feast day in
both =estern "urope and amon many Native American tribes.
( FULL BEA%ER MOON) November This was the time
to set beaver traps before the swamps fro1e, to ensure a supply ofwarm winter furs. Another interpretation suests that the name
Full ecember >urin this month the winter cold fastens its
rip, and nihts are at their lonest and darkest. +t is alsosometimes called the Moon before -ule. The term #on Niht Moon
is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter niht is indeed
lon, and because the Moon is above the hori1on for a lon time.
The midwinter full Moon has a hih tra6ectory across the sky
because it is opposite a low Sun.
*anuary9 ?=olf Moon? @this is the name of >ecember in
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Auust9 ?/orn Moon?, ?Stureon Moon?, ?4ed Moon?, ?2reen
/orn Moon?, ?2rain Moon?
September9 ?&arvest Moon?, ?Full /orn Moon?,
ctober9 ?&unterGs Moon?, ?ifficulty,
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few. +n addition, Native American tribes often used moon phases
and cycles to keep track of the seasons and ave a uni!ue name to
each recurrin full moon. The full moon names were used to identify
the entire month durin which each occurred.
Althouh many Native American Tribes ave distinct names to the
full moon, the most well known names of the full moon come from
the Alon!uin tribes who lived in the area of New "nland and
westward to #ake Superior. The Alon!uin tribes had perhaps the
reatest effect on the early "uropean settlers in America, and the
settlers adopted the Native American habit of namin the moons.
They even invented some of their own names that have been passed
down throuh time.
The names iven below arenGt the only ones that have been used.
"very full moon, with one eception, had variations on its name
amon various Alon!uin tribes, not to mention other tribes
throuhout North America.
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Snow slowly beins to melt, the round softens, and earthworms
show their heads aain and their castins or fecal matter can be
found. ther sins of sprin ave rise to other variations9 the
cawin of crows @the /row MoonB0 the formation of crusts on the
snow from repeated thawin and free1in @the /rust MoonB0 and the
time for tappin maple trees @the Sap MoonB. /hristian settlers also
called this the #enten Moon and considered it the last moon of
winter.
April9 The 3ink Moon
Flowers bein to appear, includin the widespread rass pink or wild
round phlo. ther variations indicate more sins of full sprin,
such as Sproutin 2rass Moon, " Moon, and Fish Moon @common
amon coastal tribesB.
May9 The Flower Moon
Flowers come into full bloom and corn is ready to plant. Also called
the /orn 3lantin Moon and the Milk Moon.
*une9 The Strawberry MoonStrawberrypickin season reaches its peak durin this time. This
is one of the few names that was universal to all Alon!uin tribes.
*uly9 The
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Moon. ther names included the 2reen /orn Moon and the 2rain
Moon.
September9 The &arvest Moon
Many of the Native American tribesG staple foods, such as corn,
pumpkins, s!uash, beans, and rice, are ready for atherin at this
time. The stron liht of the &arvest Moon allowed "uropean
farmers to work late into the niht to harvest their crops. The
&arvest Moon does not always occur in September. Traditionally,
the name oes to the full moon closest to the autumn e!uino,
which falls durin ctober once or twice a decade. Sometimes the
September full moon was called the /orn Moon.
ctober9 The &unterGs Moon
After the fields have been reaped, the leaves bein to fall and the
deer are fat and ready for eatin. &unters can ride easily over the
fieldsG stubble, and the fo and other animals are more easily
spotted. Some years the &arvest Moon falls in ctober instead of
September.
November9 The ecember9 The /old Moon
=inter takes a firm hold and temperatures plummet at this time.Sometimes this moon is also called the #on Niht Moon as the
winter nihts lenthen and the moon spends more time above the
hori1on opposite a low sun. The full moon name often used by
/hristian settlers is the ?Moon before -ule?.
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=hile names from the FarmerGs Almanac were
larely in use in "nland and the /eltic lands,
these are not the only names in use in thoseareas.
Many people think all Native Americans followed
the same traditions and implemented the same
names and sinificance across the board to
aspects of life. =hile there is a lare similarity between American
tribes and nations, they are not all the same. The /herokee Nationheld different names in part because they overned over the lands
of the south from what we know as Jirinia south to Florida.
=hile youGre doin your own research you miht find additional
name sets. Try to verify the source of those sets, were they used
in a specific reion or Kindom, perhaps they were used in the
north, while you miht find other sets used in the same culture inthe south. =ere they >ruidic vs. ShamanisticL r were they
influenced by pantheons or altered by other reliions that invaded a
land and bean a conversion. All these events will have an affect on
cultural names.
The followin is a list of a few of these cultural name sets. +Gll try
to add more as + come across them durin research. This by no
means is meant to be an inclusive list.
ThomasGs ld Farmers Almanac@founded in ;%$B.
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The almanac is larely based on "uropeans who came to the
Americas and settled in the colonies. These names were widely used
in Scotland, +reland, "nland, France and most of their territories.
The >eborean /lan
The >eborean /lan is a combination of /eltic and /herokee
cultures. This name set mered names from these two cultures
toether either by influence or out of a desire to represent both
spiritual perspectives. No one is sure when this name set was
established, but itGs fair to assume it bean around the time the
/lan itself was established between ;8 and ;88.
The =iccan Tradition
+tGs fair to say that 2erald 2ardner based his name set on a
variety of sources. =icca itself is a culmination of his previous
participations with many craft traditions such as the Fellowship of
/rotona, rdo Temli rientis and even the 2olden >awn had itGs
influence on his creation.
The Alon!uin Tribes
The Native American nations from New "nland on west to #ake
Superior had their list of full moon names.
ThomasGs ld Farmers Almanac circa ;%$
*anuary &uner moon
>urin this month the wolves once roamed the countryside,thus suestin the name wolf moon. +n cold and temperate
climates of the Northern &emisphere, it was difficult to find
food durin *anuary, thus the name huner moon. This is a
ood time for plannin your year from a spiritual perspective.
=hat do you want to accomplish this year. =hat do you
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#deboreanhttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#wiccanhttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#algonquinhttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#deboreanhttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#wiccanhttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#algonquin -
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?huner? forL Set some oals and plan how to achieve them.
February Snow moon
+n certain parts of the world, snow is usually the deepest in
this month, thus the name snow moon. This is a ood time to
focus your maik on home, hearth and family.
March Sap or worm moon
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is ready for pickin at that time. A ood time clean and clear
up the issues of life. A ritual for healin old wounds,
emotional and physical, forivin transressors and yourself. A
?lettin o? time. -our harvestin the abundance of your soul
and your rowth, so et rid of that old stuff and make room
for the new enlihtened you5
ctober &unterGs moon
The huntin season beins in ctober, thus the name hunterGs
moon. This is a ood time to alin yourself with nature and
conductin maikal rituals concernin animal issues, such asfindin your personal animal uide, totem or relatin to your
birth totem.
November
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The >eborean /lan circa ;8;88
*anuary =olf Moon
The =olf is the embodiment of the 2reatSpirits to >eboreans.
The year starts with the outlook of takin the first step of the
year on the riht path of spirit and alon side the wolf.
February Snow Moon
+n the south eastern portion of the U.S., February is often thesnowiest month. +tGs often seen as a time to snule toether
around the hearth and share stories, enlihtenment and
toetherness.
March =orm Moon
The world beins to thaw and the round is cultivated by the
return of the worm in the round. The birds return and feast
the bounty of the early sprin.
April 4ain Moon
The early sprin rains awaken the plants and trees. And
brinin forth the renewed life of nature and spirit.
May Flower Moon
The world eplodes in color, showin the beauty of the
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2reatSpirits and the natural world around us.
*une Strawberry Moon
The ardens are burstin with berries. #ettin us know life is
full of sweet flavor.
*uly >eer Moon
Moose are etremely rare in the southeastern U.S. 3erhaps
for this reason the early >eboreans call this the >eer Moon,instead of the
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ctober &arvest Moon
The harvest of ardens and fields are in full swin under the
&arvest Moon. A special orane low illuminates this moon 6ust
as the trees decorate the world with beautiful fall color.#endin a reminder to take stock of oneGs winter pantry, life
and spirit as the cold winter makes itGs way into the year.
November &unterGs Moon
"arly >eboreans supplemented their harvest stores with meat
from forest animals durin this month. "nsurin their familieswere well prepared for the barren months of winter.
>ecember /old Moon
+n the southeast, >ecember is the first of the wintry cold
months. The fires are bla1in day and niht, and the warmth of
family and friends are kept close at hand. 4emindin us all that
we are not alone as the year comes to a close.
The =iccan Tradition circa ;%7:;%7D
*anuary /old Moon
February Puickenin Moon
March Storm Moon
April =ind Moon
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May Flower Moon
*une Sun Moon
*uly
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March Full =orm Moon
+n this month the round softens and the earthworm casts
reappear, invitin the return of the robins. The more northern
tribes knew this as the Full /row Moon, when the cawin ofcrows sinals the end of winter, or the Full /rust Moon
because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawin by day
and free1in at niht. The Full Sap Moon, markin the time of
tappin maple trees, is another variation.
April Full 3ink Moon
The rass pink or wild round phlo is one of the earliest
widespread flowers of the sprin. ther names were the Full
Sproutin 2rass Moon, the " Moon, and amon coastal
tribes the Full Fish Moon, when the shad came upstream to
spawn. This is also the 3aschal Full Moon0 the first full Moon
of the sprin season. The first Sunday followin the 3aschal
Moon is "aster Sunday.
May Full Flower Moon
Flowers are abundant everywhere. +t was also known as the
Full /orn 3lantin Moon or the Milk Moon.
*une Full Strawberry Moon
Known to every Alon!uin tribe. "uropeans called it the 4ose
Moon.
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*uly Full
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pumpkins, s!uash, beans, and wild rice the chief +ndian
staples are now ready for atherin.
November Full ecember is usually considered the month that the winter cold
beins to fasten its rip.