Here’s everything you need to know about each Full Moon's name from an Astrological and spiritual lens.
“What’s with all these Full Moon names?! Harvest Moon, Buck Moon, Pink Moon, why are these lunar events called that?!”
Full Moons have a variety of names that can through people off, primarily if one of the lunar events is associated with a color.
But these lunations were given notable names due to occurrences during the given month. Through observations of ancient, native, and colonial tribes, these Moons were named based on the events of those 4 weeks.
Also, these lunar events bring a spiritual tone.
Energetically, some people unconsciously flow with the Moon cycles while others set intentions around these periods.
For this reason, these lunations can take on a spiritual feeling and represent specific shifts in our life.
Individuals who unconsciously go with the Moons cycles, and special events, feel more instinctively guided to make these changes.
Those who set intentions around the times of lunar events and notable names can act and adjust to ensure they stay in the flow of what they’re trying to manifest. Also, because they are conscious of what’s occurring, they can easily let go of what doesn’t serve their highest good.
Throughout this article, I will explain the spiritual meanings, the Zodiac Signs associated with these events, and how the Full Moons got their names.
January’s Wolf Moon
Capricorn Season ushers in a new year and a lunar event called the Wolf Moon.
Due to Capricorn’s Cardinal nature, we’re at the start of a season. This Sign is about surmounting difficulties so we can be victorious. With Capricorn, we look at how we can create a new cycle that helps us work through limitations and gain mastery of our lives.
Because there is no Fire Signs energy to bring in passion, enthusiasm, and warmth, this can be a bland time.
The first Full Moon of the year got this name because more wolves were out during this period. Because of the abundance of these animals in packs, their howls filled the night in ancient times.
Winter is typically a dry season, so these wolves howled out of hunger due to insufficient resources. Of course, this makes sense, considering winter is a barren time when nothing is growing and other animals are hibernating.
Since this lunar event is related to needs, you could be assessing what nourishes you.
From a spiritual perspective, this could be when you’re beginning to take stock of what brings you safety, sustenance, and comfort. It’s crucial to consider what starves you and drains your resources.
Therefore, this could be a time to ensure stability and to set boundaries around individuals or circumstances that drain you energetically, emotionally, or physically.
February’s Snow Moon
Winter weather-wise, the most precipitation we get tends to happen around February during Aquarius Season.
Aquarius is a Fixed Sign which puts us smack dab in the middle of a season, so we are entirely in the peak of winter. We look at how we can improve our circumstances during these periods. We could be looking for alternatives and ways to shake up stale situations in our lives.
Native and ancient societies gave Snow Moons their name since February is a busy month for flurries, blizzards, and storms. February is undoubtedly the most wintery month with snow than usual. As a result, this Moon’s name is highly literal, which occasionally happens with these lunations.
On a spiritual level, this might be when you reach the midpoint of a difficult task that still takes patience on your part, but you will finally emerge from this chilly period. Even though things are difficult, spring will soon arrive; therefore, there is eventually light at the end of the tunnel.
March’s Worm Moon
The lunation in March is known as a Worm Moon and occurs during Pisces Season.
Pisces is a Mutable Sign which is about an end of a season. During these periods, we transition from one weather pattern to another. Pisces is a Sign of intuition and trust in the unseen, so our instincts guide us during these periods. Also, we feel more hopeful that things will eventually improve because we believe it will.
This is the last of the Water Element until the end of June, so this could feel like a period to really go deep and be reflective emotionally.
Ancient/Native cultures would notice worms finally emerging from the ground during this Moon, denoting the start of a new planting cycle. Around March, the seasons shift, and things emerge from the chilly, lifeless winter.
The end of winter becomes evident over this period, and we get the first indications of spring slowly popping up.
Additionally, this marks the time when we prepare to till the soil in our gardens to plant seeds for a new planting cycle.
Regarding your spiritual life, this can indicate when you’re emerging from a stagnant phase and prepared to begin experiencing progress. Whatever prevented you from blooming will soon be in the past. Also, you begin to see signs that things are finally looking up.
April’s Pink Moon
At this Full Moon, we are at the Equinox point, which brings in another Cardinal Sign, Aries.
The Cardinal nature of Aries brings in a new season, so this is a period of initiating something exciting. Aries is a lively spring sign and is all about the joy of feeling free from what burdens us from starting a new adventure.
During the spring, we don’t have Water Signs, so this could be a period where we might not be as emotionally reflective.
The lunar phenomenon in April is known as a Pink Moon.
The Moon won’t be that color, of course. It was given the name Pink Moon because, in ancient and native cultures, it was seen as a sign of the beginning of spring and the blooming of new flowers. This brought in an optimistic tone about all the new possibilities before us.
Spiritually, this can represent a noticeable upswing in your life after a period of stagnation. During this time, you could feel reinvigorated to get things back on track and to begin something you’ve put on hold. This lunar event is a time to embark on a new adventure.
May’s Flower Moon
The Flower Moon occurs during Taurus Season.
Taurus is a Fixed Sign that puts us in the peak of springtime and is about bringing forth the beauty of this season because we get a concentration of plants and flowers. Taurus brings consistency to our lives, so we feel at ease again and not so hasty. During these moments, we need to soak up life’s pleasures and stop and smell the roses.
This lunation derives from its connection to flourishment. The name of this Moon comes from the observation made by indigenous and historical cultures that flowers were in full bloom during this periodic cycle.
A Flower Moon may symbolize a period of progress in your spiritual life. So, this can be when you start to witness the results of your labor. We could feel more stable and like things are finally taking shape. As a result, we have a more positive outlook on where we are going and can ultimately rely on our resources.
June’s Strawberry Moon
June offers us the Strawberry Moon during Gemini Season.
Gemini is a Mutable Air Sign marking the end of spring. During these periods, we have a wide variety of options, are more flexible, and preparing to transition to a new season.
During this period, we are at the last Air Sign until the end of September, so our ability to operate in a more matter a fact way will soften after this.
This lunar event got its name due to observing fruits beginning to blossom by native tribes. Strawberries were some of the earliest fruits of the year to become ripe and would occur right around the time of this Moon. So, it makes sense why this berry is associated with the 3rd Full Moon of the Spring Season.
Energetically, this could be a period when your goals start taking shape. Even if they aren’t quite ready, this could be a time when you notice there is more confirmation that everything is beginning to ripen for you.
July’s Buck Moon
The Full Buck Moon occurs during the Cancer Season.
Summer opens up with the Zodiac Sign of the Crab, which happens to be Cardinal energy. What this means is Cancer Season kickstarts a time when we want to gather with friends and family through summer activities. We also look at how we can create more emotional security in our lives.
We don’t have Air Signs at this period, so things we could operate from our intuition more easily.
Native/prehistoric tribes noticed events during lunations, and this particular lunation was due to the prominence of buck’s antlers. This is how the full Moon in July received its name. As a result, during this lunar month, you may notice new growth coming into their antlers.
Spiritually, you might observe something in your life that is now more noticeable than before. In other words, if you’ve been making the necessary efforts to advance in your life, now can be when things start to change.
August’s Surgeon Moon
We had the Sturgeon Moon during Leo Season.
Leo is our Fixed Fire Sign that holds space for the peak of summer. Through Leo, we seek ways to utilize this time to immerse ourselves in the season. We connect with our bold and creative side and look for unique ways to stand out. This is a time for fun vibes and self-expression.
Native Tribes and ancient people who observed an abundance of these fish in lakes and rivers during this time of year gave August’s Full Moon its name. For tribes and others residing in these areas at the time, it was comparable in many respects to a tremendous number of fish to be harvested during this peak season.
Spiritually, this can be when things are easier for you to gather.
To put it another way, if you’ve been waiting for anything to come in for you, this could be when you gain an overflow of what you were anticipating. Therefore, some payout could come in as accumulated interest if a situation got delayed.
September’s Harvest Moon
Virgo Season brings in the Harvest Moon.
During this period, we wrap up summer under this Mutable Earth Sign because this energy is about gathering resources in preparation for Autumn. Virgo helps us clean up our act, get into a routine, be more prepared, and strip away what’s unhealthy. In Virgo, we harvest the best things for our bodies to ensure nourishment.
This Earth Sign will be the last we get until the end of December, so it’s our last month to have a pronounced tone of resourcefulness.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time for the Fall Autumnal Equinox.
The Harvest Moon can appear around the end of September or the start of October, depending on the Moon’s orbit. But in this case, we’re looking at the 9th month of the year. We enjoy equal amounts of day and night because we are at the Equinox point, giving us 12 hours on either side.
We also reap the harvest of the seeds sown in the spring, as indicated by the name of this type of Moon. Another name for this lunation is the Corn Moon, which refers to a period when farmers gather their harvest.
Spiritually, this can be the period when you finally see the results of the work you started. Therefore, if you’ve made plans and taken action to achieve your objectives, this could be the time to take advantage of the opportunity and relish the results of your efforts.
October’s Hunters Moon
The Hunters Moon arrives during Libra Season.
Libra is our Cardinal Air Sign, which helps us see the benefits of having others in our lives. Through this period, we initiate balance. We also cultivate close one-on-one relationships to get us through. We know we can’t do it all by ourselves in Libra, so creating harmony with others is crucial.
There are no Earth Signs at this time, so we tend to move through the world in a less grounded fashion.
A Hunter’s Moon denotes acquiring the resources you need to survive. Before the appearance of hibernation, the Hunters Moon was used annually as a time for hunting to ensure there would be enough food for the winter.
Spiritually, this is when you understand what it takes to ensure security and comfort in your life. One of the moods for this Moon is about organizing your affairs and getting ready to refuel.
November’s Frost Moon
The Frost Moon arrives during Scorpio season.
Scorpio Season ushers in mid-Fall, a time to take things seriously, even if it seems intimidating. We learn the importance of securing the items in our lives. This is time to commit to something, someone, or even yourself. With this season, we learn that things can be harsh, so it’s crucial to ensure our survival.
This lunation, also known as the Frost Moon, gained its name from Native tribes who observed beavers setting up their dams for a long, hard winter. At this time of year, things begin to frost over at night; if you’re still growing certain plants and veggies, it’s time to cover or bring them in because the cold will shock them. Hence another reason this lunar event got its name.
Spiritually, it’s a time to reevaluate what’s necessary for your comfort over the long term because this is the top of the lunar cycle when we deal with what needs to go and what we can carry with us. This Moon is about ensuring you have the essentials to go through difficult times to feel emotionally and financially comfortable while stripping away what bogs you down.
Cold Moon December
The final Full Moon of the year, known as a Cold Moon, occurs during the Sagittarius Season.
After all the hard work, we’re prepared for winter, so it’s time to have some fun before we become cooped up. Sagittarius offers a time to do expansive things before we shift into winter.
Being a Mutable Fire Sign, it’s the last bit of warmth we have until March, so we might as well enjoy this last bit of heat and throw a shindig.
This lunation is named “The Cold Moon” because it coincides with the longest night of the year, which can be freezing and teeming with the first signs of winter. Also, because this specific lunation typically occurs a few days before or after Christmas at the Winter Solstice, it goes by “The Moon Before Yule.”
Spiritually, even if you feel abundant, this is a time to be still mindful of the energy exerted. Use this Moon to set aside what you can have fun with but try to avoid frivolousness. Despite some of the other positive influences, scarcity could be an issue if we squander our time and resources.
After all, there are no Fire Signs in winter, so limits may need to be established.
Mark these events down in your phones, calendars, or notepads, because it’s an excellent way to be in sync with the lunations.
If you enjoyed this blog post, a fresh cup of java would be greatly appreciated; thanks again!! 😺☕😻
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