"It is no secret that the moon has no light of her own, but is, as it were, a mirror, receiving brightness from the influence of the sun." - Vitruvius
There are many moons in the solar system, and, although Earth's moon may not be the biggest or most active, it is still mystifying and beautiful. Every night, we have the privilege of looking to the sky and seeing the moon. Not every night shows the same parts of the moon, though. Naturally, the moon goes through phases; from new to waning crescent, to third quarter, to waning gibbous, to full, to waxing gibbous and finally getting to waxing crescent before starting the cycle over every month.
The moon represents our emotions, fears, and desires. During a full moon, the sun is completely illuminating the moon because they are directly opposite each other. This phase is a time of heightened emotions and the desire to use creativity to express oneself. Each full moon has a different name, different attributes and a different zodiac sign.
September 14th, Harvest Moon
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The Harvest Moon rises on the night of Friday the 13th and reaches its peak at 12:33 a.m. EDT on the 14th. Since Friday the 13th only happens 1 to 3 times a year, it's not often for a full moon to line up with it exactly. The last time we saw a full moon on Friday the 13th was in January 2006, which happens to be 13 years ago! The next won't occur until August 2049.
This Harvest Moon also happens to be a micromoon; meaning the moon is at its furthest point from Earth. This causes it to look about 7% smaller and 15% dimmer than usual. Septembers full moon is in pisces, while the sun is still in virgo. This is an interesting pairing, considering virgo likes to make clear and distinct seperations between all things, while pisces is quite the opposite.
October 13th, Hunters Moon
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The Hunters Moon is one of two full moon names that are not tied to a specific month; the other being the Harvest Moon. It is said that this full moon is called Hunters Moon because it signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for winter. The 2019 Hunters Moon will reach peak fullness on Sunday, October 13th at 5:08 p.m. EDT. It will be visible right aorund sunset and will set at sunrise the next day. This is the only night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long.
Because the Hunters moon rises from the horizon at sunset, it will look much more orange - and much bigger- than it really is. This full moon will be in aries, meaning it is one that builds towards a dramatic finish. Aries are known for being firey and dramatic.
November 12th, Beaver Moon
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The Beaver Moon recieved its name due to the fact that November used to be the month to set beaver traps before swamps and rivers froze. The beaver fur would be used to stay warm for the coming winter. This Beaver Moon is in taurus; it intends to illuminate the hidden aspects of your life and self. Find time for reflection, introspection and recuperation.
December 12th, Cold Moon
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This Cold Moon is in gemini, meaning there is a culmination of energy that has been swirling through your social circles all month. It maximizes the importance of not letting things go on too long without clearing them up. On rare occasions, the full moon in December will occur on the winter solstice. This year is not one of those times; the next will be in 2094!
