October’s Full moon
October’s full moon is often referred to as the hunter’s moon.
October was traditionally a very good time for hunting meat to store during the
cold days ahead. The last of the harvest had been gathered so our
hunter-gatherer ancestors could turn their full attention to hunting. With all
the crops cut down and the laves falling from the trees, hunting was much
easier at this time of year as the prey had less places to hide.
Like the September full moon the hunter’s moon is a particularly
bright one and lingers in the sky for longer. When a full moon occurs close to the autumnal
equinox, the moon rises only about 30 minutes later daily for several days
before and after the full Harvest moon. This is because the elliptic, or
orbital path, makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon around the time of
the autumn equinox. The narrow angle of the ecliptic results in a shorter than
normal rising time between sunset and moonrise. This meant that there was a
longer time for the hunter’s to make the most of the brightness and catch the
food that would be needed.
The
Blood Moon may take it’s name from hunting or harvest sacrifices. In fact,
October or Octem, was the eighth month in the oldest Roman calendar. It marked
the of the custom of killing and
salting down livestock before the winter months made it impossible to feed all
of them. Only the best stock was saved for next year and for breeding thus
there would have been a lot of killing at this time on the full moon calendar.
This Moon has also been
known as the Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon, Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Moon of
Falling Leaves, Moon When the Water Freezes, Blood Moon, Leaf Fall Moon, Basket
Moon, Big Wind Moon, Blood Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming),
Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Ten Colds Moon and the Moon of the Changing
Seasons.
The Cherokee name for
the October full Moon was Dunin(i)di. This is the time of the “Harvest Festival”
Nowatequa. The tribes give thanks to all the living things of the fields and
earth that helped them live, and to the “Apportioner” Unethlana. Cheno i-equa or “Great New Moon” Festival is customarily held
at this time. Ritual fasting would be observed seven days prior to the festival
and then a feast would take place with friends and family to celebrate this full
moon.
Other names for the
October full moon concentrate on events happening in the natural world at this
time. Thus we see names such as leaf fall moon as the trees lose their leaves,
and Moon when the water freezes as this is often the first moon in the year
that sees temperatures drop below freezing.
Wonderful and informative post, Alison! Being that part of my heritage is Cherokee, I loved learning what they called the October full moon...thank you~~~
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Jan
Wow lucky you to have such a wonderful heritage, love hearing about the tribe, we can learn a lot from their closeness to mother earth and understanding of her xxx
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