In the beginning, the Moon’s cycles were the only way to measure time. Since each New or Full Moon — collectively known as lunations — occurred in special relationship to the four corners of the year (the equinoxes and solstices), each lunation took on unique characteristics. Many of an individual New or Full Moon’s qualities emerged out of seasonal changes occurring in the natural world at that time.

Watching the transformation of the Moon, growing first from a tiny sliver to a large full disc, then shrinking all the way down to nothing, was the work of star gazers and priests of antiquity. Moon sightings helped contribute to the timing of rituals and celebrations, both in ancient pagan cultures as well as in modern religions.

Tuning in to the individual nature of each New and Full Moon is a way of resetting your internal clock to natural rather than manmade time. Manmade time is anything that relies on constructed measurements of time and includes our modern Gregorian calendar and clocks. Taking note of when sunrise and sunset occur in your local area, and noticing how these times change as the seasons shift, is a great way to acknowledge the natural passage of time via the Sun’s yearly movements. You’ll especially notice the changing length of days in relation to the equinoxes and solstices, with days and nights about equal length around the equinoxes, and extreme contrasts between night and day at each solstice.

Natural cycles and time

There are approx 29.5 days from one New Moon to the next, though for ancient cultures, it was often easier to measure time by the emergence of the crescent Moon a couple of days after the New Moon itself, or by counting the days from one Full Moon to the next. Crescent and Full Moons can be seen, whereas at the New Moon no Moon light is visible. As it is more visible, most of the Moon themes discussed are tied to the Full, rather than the New Moon.

Monthly cycles are tied to the Moon, whilst the seasons, which form the yearly cycles, are tied to the Sun. It’s the same principle, just on a larger scale. You might think of the Summer Solstice as akin to the Full Moon – where the Sun is at its peak, like the Moon is at the Full Moon. The Winter Solstice is like the New Moon, where the Sun is at its weakest, as hidden as it gets, just the way the Moon is invisible at the New Moon.

Therefore, one unit of “long” time, the year, was measured from one Summer Solstice to the next, while one unit of ‘short’ time, the month, was measured from one Full Moon to the next. An even shorter measurement of time was the day – from the beginning of dark one evening to the beginning of dark the next evening.

You may notice that these ancient measurements of time are based on repetition. An event is noted – dawn, the Full Moon or the Summer Solstice, and a unit of time is said to have passed when that event repeats. This gives three different units of time to measure varying lengths of time, based on different natural events.

In any given 12-month period — that is, the modern year — there are either 12 or 13 New Moons. The New and Full Moons that occur just before or right after the equinoxes and solstices are said to have more power. This includes any New or Full Moon that falls between:

• March 7 and April 4 (around the equinox of March 20)
• June 7 to July 4 (around the solstice of June 20)
• September 7 to October 4 (around the equinox of September 20)
• December 7 to January 4 (around the solstice of December 20)

Remember, the exact date for an equinox or solstice can vary by up to two days from one year to the next. Some years the March equinox is on the 21st, others on the 22nd. Also take into consideration the seasons of the hemisphere in which you live — the March equinox represents the autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere, but correlates to the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere.

Metonic cycle

An ever longer measurement of time is that of the Metonic cycle. This is a 19-year cycle measuring the time it takes for a Full Moon in a specific part of the sky to repeat. For instance, the New Moon on July 11, 2010 (which happens to be an eclipse), occurs at the part of the sky known as 19 degrees Cancer. Nineteen years later, on July 11, 2029, there is another Full Moon at exactly this same space — 19 degrees of Cancer. It’s within this longer Metonic cycle that the annual solar cycle harmonises almost perfectly with the monthly lunar cycle. Calendar years in which there are 13 New or Full Moons — the Blue Moon phenomenon — help to bring this back into balance.

Regardless of your beliefs about astrology, its zodiac represents an effective tool for marking out different sections of the sky. The zodiac measures segments on the celestial band known as the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the path of sky through which the Sun, Moon and other planets move.

Tuning in to the individual nature of each New and Full Moon is a way of resetting your internal clock.

If there is a New Moon on your birthday this year, and there is if you are born on July 12, August 10, September 8, October 8, November 6 or December 6, 2010, there will also be a New Moon on your birthday 19 years from now. It also means that on your birthday 19 years ago a New Moon occurred. The same cycle applies to Full Moons.

Having a New Moon fall exactly on your birthday shows the year ahead to be a year of significant new beginnings. If you have a Full Moon on your birthday, which you will if your birthday falls on July 26, August 25, September 23, October 23, November 22 and December 21, 2010, expect a year full of illumination and insight, where you may be more sensitive than usual. The New Moon is a time to focus on your self, while the Full Moon is a time to focus more on others.

Blue Moon

The modern definition of a Blue Moon tells us a Blue Moon occurs when there are two Full Moons in one calendar month. Many pagans consider this to be a gift moon — where the cosmos blesses humanity with extra insight and illumination, the gifts of the Full Moon. Traditionally, with time being measured on seasonal factors, the Blue Moon occurred when there were four, rather than the usual three, Full Moons in a season (quarter year period).

Some groups debate the importance of a Blue Moon based solely on its modern definition, given that calendar months are manmade constructs of time. Needless to say, whenever one occurs (usually every 2–3 years), you’ll read a lot about it — Blue Moons always help stimulate lots of magical discussion.

Full Moon

A Full Moon is hard to miss and was regarded by traditional cultures as a thing of beauty. As such, each Full Moon is given a unique quality or set of characteristics. While the Moon itself looks full for two to three days each month, the peak of the Full Moon occurs for but a moment. Here is a list of the Full Moon dates and times for the rest of 2010. Times listed are AEST and local for Sydney, Australia, with seasonal references for the southern hemisphere.

• July 26, 11.36am — mid-winter Full Moon
• August 25, 3.04am — late winter Full Moon
• September 23, 7.17pm — early spring Full Moon
• October 23, 11.36am — mid-spring Full Moon
• November 22, 3.27am — late spring Full Moon
• December 21, 6.13pm — second late spring Full Moon (traditionally, this would be a Blue Moon, as the solstice doesn’t occur until shortly after this Full Moon, meaning there are four, rather than the usual three, Full Moons through spring).

Many of humanity’s oldest cultures lived in the northern hemisphere, so to get the full meaning of these Full Moon themes, you may need to consider their climate. A major Farmer’s Almanac publisher states that these Full Moon themes came from Native American tribes, who used the unique qualities of each Full Moon as a way of keeping track of the seasons. These Full Moon themes highlight a theme relevant to traditional life on the land through each of the seasonal periods/calendar months. Full Moon themes are typically listed in farmers’ or gardeners’ almanacs and are often drawn on by wiccans and pagans in ceremonial rites.

Full Moons are times of illumination and insight. As the cosmic light shines its brightest, it’s said your own light burns brightly, too. This can help bring clarity or insight around current events, though it’s also likely to bring emotions and feelings to the surface. Since we live in a society where function is valued more than feeling, the illumination offered by the Full Moon is rich, but sometimes initially overwhelming. Without Full Moon insights, you may never become clear on the whispers in your soul.

Seasons

Historically, the annual year was broken into four seasons, each linked to either a solstice or an equinox. Based on northern hemisphere seasons, spring began with the equinox around March 20 and ran until the solstice around June 20. Summer began at the June solstice and continued until the equinox around September 20. Autumn (fall) began at the September equinox and ran until the December solstice. Winter began on the December solstice, around the 20th and continued through to the equinox in March.

In fact, many parts of North America still define the seasons accordingly, whereas in Australia and New Zealand we tend to begin seasons on the first day of the calendar month. You will need to reverse the dates above for southern hemisphere seasons. In Australia and New Zealand, the approximate solstice and equinox points are as follows:

• September 20 equinox — spring
• December 20 solstice — summer
• March 20 equinox — autumn
• June 20 solstice — winter

Seasonal correlations below are based primarily on the southern hemisphere. Within each seasonal block, Full Moons were noted for their individual nature. Hindu, Buddhist and Native American cultures have all put their own spin on each of the Full Moons occurring within a season, with the Buddhists especially considering Full Moon days to be sacred.

Spring

The first Full Moon after the spring equinox, linked to the early part of spring, reflects the new beginnings in the natural world. It goes by the names of Egg, Fish, Seed, Pink and Waking Moon. Hindus refer to this Full Moon as the hanuman jayanti, while the Buddhists refer to it as bak poya. This Full Moon usually occurs between September 20 and late October.

The New and Full Moons that occur just before or right after the equinoxes and solstices are said to have more power.

The mid-spring Full Moon typically falls in November, but can fall towards the end of October. This Full Moon links to the quickening of new beginnings and goes by the name of Corn, Milk, Flower or Hare Moon. Buddhists term this Full Moon the vesak poya; the Hindus refer to it as Buddha poornima. It is a celebration of Buddha’s birthday as well as his enlightenment and passing away. As this celebration is tied to northern hemisphere seasons, you’ll find the date for vesak often occurs in May.

The last Full Moon of spring generally occurs through late November or December (before the summer solstice around December 20). Known as the Strawberry, Honey or Rose Moon, it signifies the lushness of natural fertility and often occurs as spring flowers bloom to the fullness. Seasonal planting is often well underway in rural cultures, so this is sometimes called the Planting or Hot Moon. Buddhists refer to this as the poson poya Full Moon while the Hindus name it wat poornima.

Summer

The first Full Moon after the summer solstice, the early Summer Moon, reflects the height of life. Generally it falls in January, but it can occur late in December, right after the summer solstice. It goes by the names of Hay, Buck, Thunder and Mead Moon. The first harvests from early spring plantings are ready and temperatures reach their peak. Hindus celebrate the guru poornima, while Buddhists celebrate the esala poya.

The mid-summer Full Moon typically falls in February in the southern hemisphere, but can occur in late January. Reflecting themes of abundance, it goes by the names of Grain, Sturgeon, Red, Wyrt, Corn, Dog or Barley Moon. Hindus celebrate raksha bandhan — a festival honouring brothers and sisters at this time. Women are bound to blood or symbolic brothers for protection. Buddhists celebrate nikini poya.

The final Full Moon of summer, late in the season, is known as the Harvest, Corn or Barely Moon. Many agricultural societies celebrate the harvest around the autumn equinox. The harvest Moon is whichever Full Moon falls closest to the autumn equinox and will sometimes be the late summer Full Moon, and in other years will be the first Full Moon in autumn. Whether the Harvest Full Moon falls in late summer or early autumn, due to the tilt of the earth, it often appears to be larger and more colourful than other Full Moons. Buddhists celebrate binara poya and the Hindus celebrate the birthday of Ganesha at this time, known as bhadrapad poornima.

Autumn

The Full Moons of autumn are considered extra special, as they are some of the most visible and colourful Full Moons of the year.

Having a New Moon fall exactly on your birthday shows the year ahead to be a year of significant new beginnings.

The first Full Moon of autumn is referred to as either the Harvest or Hunter’s Moon, and appears brighter and more vibrant than other Full Moons. Its reddish tinge, courtesy of the earth’s tilt at this time of year, also gives it its name of Blood Moon. Technically, the Hunter’s Moon is the Full Moon immediately after the Harvest Full Moon, which means it can be the first or second Full Moon in autumn, depending on when the Harvest Moon occurs. It’s said to offer needed light to late-season hunters stocking up on food for the harsh winter ahead. For Buddhists, it’s the time of vap poya and for Hindus it’s sharad poornima when the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped.

The mid-autumn Full Moon is known as either the Hunter’s, Beaver or Frost Moon. It is a time for preparing for survival for the winter months ahead. In the southern hemisphere, this Full Moon usually falls in May, but can occur late in April. Hindus celebrate kartik poornima and the Buddhists il poya.

The final autumn Full Moon is the Oak or Cold Moon, symbolising the drop in temperatures and barren nature of the natural world. The upcoming winter solstice, or yule, is a major seasonal turning point and this Full Moon is sometimes referred to as the Moon before Yule or Long Night’s Moon. It’s symbolic of the cold, dark period ahead and is significant, as, due to a much longer night than day at this time of year, the Moon “rules over earth” for more time than usual now. Typically, this Full Moon falls in June, before the Winter Solstice itself (December in the northern hemisphere), but it can occur late in May/November.

Winter

The first Full Moon in Winter is known as the Wolf, Old or Ice Moon. Occurring just after the winter solstice, this Full Moon marks the coldest, darkest period of the year. It is sometimes referred to as the Moon after Yule — the pagan name for the end-of-year winter solstice celebrations. In Hindu culture it is paush poornima and to the Buddhists, duruthu poya. The first winter Full Moon falls between June 20 and July 20 in the southern hemisphere.

The mid-winter Full Moon is known as the Snow, Storm, Hunger or Wolf Moon. As it falls in the middle of the darkest time of the year, wolves were often heard howling close to the camps of Native Americans. Food was scarce and the wolves would venture closer to human camps than normal. In the northern hemisphere, the mid-winter Moon generally falls in February — the time of the heaviest snowfalls and storms. In the southern hemisphere, the Storm Moon generally falls in August, but can occur in late July. For the Buddhists, this is the navam poya and to the Hindus this Full Moon is magh poornima.

The end of winter Full Moon represents the end of the cold period and heralds the changing of the seasons. It goes by the name of Worm, Lenten, Crow, Sugar, Chaste or Sap Moon. It is a time of seed planting for the new year. The Lent connection reflects that for Catholics, this time of year often coincides with their pre-Easter fasting. The sap/sugar connection comes from maple trees letting down their sap to be made into sugar and syrup products. For the Buddhists, it is medin poya and at this time the Hindus celebrate the upcoming spring with the basanta purnima.