Full Moon Names

 

Although early Gardnerian and Alexandrian covens did not use special names for each of the full moons, it has become common practice among many Wiccans to do so. This allows us to mark each full moon in the year as unique, and relates it to the season in which it occurs.  In this way, we may better attune ourselves to the cycles of the year.

An ancient method of assigning names is based upon the seasons of the year.

The following table is used in determining the names of the full moon that we use in our coven.  There are many lists of names available.  The ones used here are probably the ones most commonly used in the Wiccan and Pagan community.

 

Time of year Moon Name
WINTER SOLSTICE
Early Winter Wolf
Mid Winter Storm
Late Winter Chaste
VERNAL EQUINOX
Early Spring Seed
Mid Spring Hare
Late Spring Dyad or Flower
SUMMER SOLSTICE
Early Summer Buck or Mead
Mid Summer Wort
Late Summer Corn
AUTUMN EQUINOX
Early Autumn Harvest
Mid Autumn Hunter's
Late Autumn Cold

Blue Moon:  The term “blue moon” refers to an extra moon in a season:  if a season has four full moons (rather than the more common three), then the third of the four moons is known as a blue moon.  

A mistaken definition, that the second full moon in a calendar month is known as a blue moon, became common during the second half of the twentieth century due to a misinterpretation of the Maine Farmers’ Almanac in the March 1946 Sky & telescope magazine; this was corrected in 1999.

Since there are 12.37 full moons in a year, a “blue moon” must occur on the average every 2.7 years.

Create Your Own Website With Webador