Tonight is the Hunter’s Moon. The first full moon after the autumnal equinox is called the Hunter’s Moon. It is also the first full moon after the Harvest Moon which we had in September. The Hunter’s Moon can either occur in September or October, and this year, it comes in October. It’s called the Hunter’s Moon because the time of darkness in the sky is less than other times of the year and thus, hunters have more time to search for prey. Native Americans used the extra time to stray further from their homes and hunt for meat for the long winter ahead.
The lore of the moon is very intriguing and I love to read about the interesting beliefs of our ancestors. It’s also interesting that a lot of the things that were believed by our ancestors have panned out to not be superstitions but true, scientific facts such as the Hunter’s Moon. It is now known that the Hunter’s Moon does rise to visibility in the sky earlier in the evening because of the way the Earth is tilted this time of year and thus, the placement of the moon on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere is different.
My #2 son went out with his friends last night and had to come back in to call my attention to the moon. Said it looked bigger and brighter. It really isn’t brighter this time of year, but it really did look awesome hanging there. Get out tonight and enjoy it.
And, one last thing, I can’t talk about the Hunter’s Moon without a mention of my favorite Victoria Holt book, On the Night of the Seventh Moon. Yeah, I know, it doesn’t say Hunter’s Moon, but for some reason, this book reminds me of a fall Hunter’s Moon- maybe because it occurs in the area that would become a united Germany- The Black Forest- there is a hunter’s cottage that plays an integral part in the story and when I think of that area of the world, I think of Oktoberfest (which really occurs in September now) and I’m reminded of fall and all its beauty. Anyway, the brain and its inner workings is a fascinating story for another day. For now, I’ll shut up.
Jillian Chantal 