full moon names and their meanings

7/24/2019 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.
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#almanachttp://www.paganspath.com/magik/moonnames.htm#almanac


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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.

full moon names and their meanings

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