By
the Light of the Silvery Moon...
By Katharine Clark
She's up there, alright. Smiling down at us from the beginning, her full, luminous face inspiring lovers, dreamers, poets, even scientists. Despite the footprints of astronauts, and the “leavings” of various Apollo missions (like golf balls, lunar rovers, and such), the moon has lost none of her mystery and allure. She waxes full every 29.5 days, roughly once a month, the focus of farmers, witches, ocean waves and werewolves (Hey, you never know!).
Each time the full moon appears, she bears a different name. At Midsummer, for instance, she could be called Rose Moon, Green Corn Mon, Horse Moon, Planting Moon, or Mead (honey) Moon. In other traditions, July is the Mead Moon. “Honeymoon” isn't the month when marriages take place, although June is a popular month for nuptials. When a couple were wed, by tradition they were given a month's worth of mead (honey wine) – thus, a honey “month” or “moon”. June (or July) is called Mead Moon because this is the time when honey is harvested to make the wine.
From the Native Americans to today's Pagans, that fine shining lady of the night sky bears many monikers. Below is a sampling of those from Native American (NA) cultures, and Medieval English (ME) tradition. This is in no way an exhaustive list--there are many more!
JANUARY: (NA) Wolf Moon--a time when the cries of wolves sing out in the cold air. (ME) Wolf Moon--Looks like those wolves got everywhere!
FEBRUARY: (NA) Snow or Hunger Moon--not only a month that saw the most storms, but also the month when winter supplies would dwindle. (ME) Storm Moon--Those Winter storms got around, too!
MARCH: (NA) Worm Moon--when the earthworms would come to the surface. (ME) Death or Chaste Moon--Those same earthworms would finish off the now defrosted bodies of the creatures that died during winter. However, Nature was renewing itself, fresh and “chaste.”
APRIL: (NA) Pink Moon--named in honor of the pink moss (phlox), one of the first flowers to bloom. (ME) Seed Moon--the time to start seeds, now that the last frost has passed.
MAY: (NA) Flower Moon--when all types of flowers bloom in a riot of color. (ME) Hare Moon--a time of the goddess of fertility, symbolized by those wrascally wabbits.
JUNE: (NA) Strawberry Moon--the very first fruit harvest, strawberries, begins this month. (ME) Dyan Moon--for the twin stars seem in the night sky. “Dyan” means “pair”, and also represents the pinnacle of life (Midsummer – the longest day) ready to start the slow decline towards Autumn.
JULY: (NA) Buck Moon--the time when antlers appear on the foreheads of the bucks n the forest. (ME) Mead Moon--the making of honey wine begins.
AUGUST: (NA) Sturgeon Moon--when this fish is plentiful. It may also be called Red Moon because the summer haze makes the rising moon appear red. (ME) Corn Moon--This moon sees the ripening of the corn crop (actually wheat in Celtic and British lands).
SEPTEMBER: (NA) Harvest Moon--a time to bring in the crops. It's also called Grain Moon for the same reason. (ME) Barley Moon--one of the first crops to be harvested. The moonlight was so bright, at this time of year, the farmers could work all through the night. Shine on, harvest moon!
OCTOBER: (NA) Hunters Moon – a time to hunt fox and deer, when the foliage was thin and the prey easy to spot. (ME) Blood Moon – for the same reason as above...a bit blunt, but accurate.
NOVEMBER: (NA) Beaver Moon--a time to hunt beaver for the warm pelts needed for the coming winter. Also, the beavers are busy making their own preparations for the coming cold! (ME) Snow Moon-- the start of the storm season.
DECEMBER: (NA) Cold Moon--the true start of Winter. (ME) Oak Moon--The oak was a symbol of endurance and survival, characteristics need to weather the winter.
Finally, there is the Blue Moon. Every two years or so, there is a 13th moon in the year. This is the “Blue Moon”. The origins of the name are unknown, but today the Blue Moon is the second full moon in any given month. This tradition is only about 50 years old, however. Originally, the Blue Moon was the third full moon in a season containing 4 full moons. (Yeah, the new way is easier...)
No matter what her name, or when she appears, the moon teaches us to accept constant changes in life, the dark and bright sides of our own spirits, and the wax and wane of Nature.
May her “silvery beams” continue to inspire our dreams.