The Full moon is when we can see the moon at its’ brightest in the Lunar Cycle. It happens when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth and the Moon is fully illuminated in the Night Sky.
Full moons have always inspired traditions, activities and have driven the rhythmical cycle of many cultures. Those connected with the soil use it to dictate activities like planting crops. Hunter- gatherers use it for planning their hunts and foraging.
Stories, song and celebrations across the world happen around the time of the Full Moon. The significance of which can be tied to religion, faith and many cultural traditions – with international and individual traditions – home by home.
Festivals, fasts and celebrations all connect with the Full Moon. It is of huge significance to many cultures.
The Full Moon is part of the lunar cycle as it travels around the Earth. This orbit take about 28 days. The position of the Moon relative to the Earth, controls and effects our tides.
We have a low tide and high tide, twice in most days. At Full Moon and New Moon; there is a higher, high tide and a lower, low tide.
The Full Moon can be a heightened time for emotions, creativity, instability and many people are affected by it.
You are mostly water remember – and the Moon is moving tides! Perhaps the Moon moves something within you?
Perhaps you sleep less or have a heightened emotional state?
The first thing to do – is notice with the passage of the Moon over the month – if and how it affects you.
Once you notice the patterns of what’s happening – then you can support the changes to remain balanced.
What do you do to counter balance these patterns?
Everyone is different in their needs and there is no one way that is going to suit everyone. It depends on- if and how the Moon affects you.
Regardless of what you do at Full Moon – this can be a great time to just reflect on your life and make changes for your balance in your life.
Many people use this time to reflect on how they have been since the previous Full Moon.
You can use ritual to support you.
The Full Moon for many can be seen as time to let go.
What do you need to let go of, that is no longer serving you?
Release the stagnation in your life in whatever form it is occurring.
The Full Moon can allow you to shine a light in what’s not serving you anymore.
Whether it – is a physical clear out of stuff in your life, relationships to let go of, habits to reevaluate, your thoughts or your emotional tendencies.
Everything can come under review at this time.
You get to choose what it is.
This doesn’t mean being regimented, forceful or being hard on yourself.
Practice this with kindness and compassion.
If you are not ready to let go of something – whether it is an object, an idea, a habit, a relationship- you don’t have to. No matter how big or small.
Can you hold it more gently? Give it more space?
Give yourself a different perspective on it.
Can you hold yourself gently for not being able to let it go?
Can you treat yourself with kindness and compassion for being so very human?
Especially with stuff that may have served you very well in the past but maybe isn’t so much now – and yet your afraid to let it go. It’s like a security blanket…
That’s ok – you will let it go – Only IF & WHEN you are ready to let it go – & NOT Before!
Maybe you’ll never let it go – can you hold it less tightly?
In the meantime, reevaluate your relationship with it and see how things constantly change in your life.
See if you can use it in a different way to support you now or give yourself some distance to gain perspective.
It’s not all about letting go of everything in one go. Do what you need to for today. That’s the Work.
There is no destination – when everything is sorted and finished and balanced. This is an ongoing process with constant reevaluation for your needs.
Some activities that might help you do all of this could be;
Write your list of things that you are letting go of.
Put the list in a fire and watch it transform.
If it supports you – use the ashes from that fire and place them under a plant or seeds – allow the transformation of all of that to take place.
Watch in front of you as the plant grows and changes- to remind you how things are constantly changing and to not have a fixed idea of how things are or should be in your life.
Gain new perspectives; through reflection and new insights might arise through meditation, journalling, art, yoga, goal setting or visit a different place.
Take a different route to work or go by a different mode of transport. Shake up your routine and give yourself space for something new to come in.
Allow yourself time alone to do all this – to assess What do I need this month?
Feel gratitude for all the blessings in your life – no matter how small. Make a gratitude list. Start a gratitude journal.
You can invent your own rituals to support yourself at this time.
Spend time in nature to connect with it and yourself. This will support you.
Connect with the water element to help ground yourself. Have a bath, swim in the sea to connect with nature.
Tap in to your creativity – draw, paint, garden, sing, dance or use fashion or makeup – whatever aspect you express your creativity in!
Create a list of the things you would like to manifest in your life. How will you cultivate and support this?
Have fun while you do this – remember it’s a journey not another “to do list”! What do you want to do? Give it time and energy – that’s it!
One Moon, Many Names.
Each Full Moon in the year has different names and stories behind the name.
They are all connected with nature and the Season.
The stories of the name origins differ, depending on cultural references, the geographical area and it may be called different names.
Most Moon names listed here are by the Celts or Native American people. There are many more names!
The lunar cycle is 28 days and the roman calendar is fixed in length, this means that depending on the year – Full Moons fall in a different month and some months might have 2 full moons within it.
For 2023 these are the Full Moon dates, names and some meanings.
January 6th- Wolf Moon – Celtic in origin and named after the howling wolves in Winter.
February 5th- Snow Moon – named after the abundant snowfall, prevalent in this period.
March 7th – Worm Moon – Spring time – the time of movement in the Earth, when the worms start to move after Winter.
April 6th- Pink Moon- named after the flower pink Phlox which blooms in early Spring.
May 5th- Flower Moon – named after the abundance of flowers in bloom.
June 4th- Strawberry Moon- Strawberries start to ripen at this time.
July 3rd- Buck Moon- called after the antlers that begin to grow on Buck deer.
August 1st- Sturgeon Moon- called after lake sturgeon that appear in large numbers in the Great Lakes.
August 31st – Blue Moon – The second Full Moon in the same month is called the Blue Moon.
This year there is an extra Full Moon due to differences in the Lunar Cycle and calendar year. The Blue Moon name origins are shrouded in mystery – from meaning something rare, to mistaken astronomic interpretations. There was no Blue Moon in 2002.
September 29th- Corn Moon- named after the Harvest time for Corn.
October 28th- Hunter’s Moon- named after the time to go Hunting in preparation for Winter. Every three years it is called a Harvest Moon.
November 27th- Beaver Moon- named after the Beavers which can be seen at this time of year preparing for Winter.
December 27th- Cold Moon- Winter time, Winter Solstice and the cold part of the year.
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