Last month (August 2012) we looked up at a "Blue Moon," now defined as a second Full Moon in a single month. One month is supposedly based on one cycle of a Full Moon--one Full Moon equals one month--but the measure is so rough that we get that extra Full Moon, the Blue Moon, every three years.
Ancient Europeans and--especially--Native Americans in Northern America typically came up with names for all the Full Moons of the year, names which most often matched. So, if you want to know your Birthday Moon, check the list. It's no doubt more meaningful than your astrological sign, because this would be the month when you first experienced the world and its weather, hot or cold, in diapers or snowsuit.
BIRTH MONTHS:
January: Wolf Moon--Named because people listened to far off hungry wolves howling against their winter fast.
February: Snow Moon--also known as the Hunger Moon because of the difficulty of hunting in winter snows.
March: Crow Moon--when thawing snows revealed worms for the loud crows to eat. Also known as the Snow Crust Moon, because the snow surfaces thawed during the day and refroze at night to form a crust. Also known as the Worm Moon and the Sap Moon, when sap started running in the trees--yum, maple syrup.
April: Pink Moon--when the earliest colorful flowers appeared. Also known as the Grass Moon, and the Fish Moon, when fish spawned in the rivers.
May: Flower Moon--when flowers became abundant. Also known as the Milk Moon (?).
June: Strawberry Moon--when the short-seasoned strawberries (and raspberries) ripened, no doubt a special treat to all concerned. Also known as the Rose Moon.
July: Thunder Moon---named after frequent storms. Also known as the Buck Moon, for when deer sprouted antlers and hunters could provide good food. Also, the Hay Moon.
August: Red Moon--named for the haze at moonrise in the Great Lakes region, which reddened the moon, aka, Sturgeon Moon and Grain Moon..
September: Hunter's Moon--because when snow fell early, the still active wildlife could be spotted easily against the white background. Also known as the Corn Moon.
WE ARE HUNTER-GATHERERS, AND THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE HUNTERS OF OUR SPECIES START DEPENDING ON THE GATHERERS
October: Harvest Moon--marking a season of abundance in the fields. Crops are ripe and ready to eat, corn and grains are preserved and everyone celebrates--just like pumpkin pie. Also known as the Frosty Moon--and the Blood Moon, for the frantic last chance to find game on the hunting grounds.
November: Beaver Moon--no doubt a Northeast Native American moniker, because it was the best time to trap and wear beaver furs, as beavers ran around all month chewing trees in preparation for winter.
December: Cold Moon--yu'think? Also known as the Long Night Moon because darkness in December is very long each day.
We're in September, so, if you're looking for Spring, for the time of the Pink Moon--
YOU MUST WAIT SIX MOONS.
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