This post is in honor of tonight’s Blue Moon! A Blue Moon does not actually mean that the moon is blue! The Blue Moon is the second full moon in one month. It is quite a rare event, and there will not be another one until 2015! Read on to find out about the lunar phases, and how you can easily know if a blue moon will be happening in a certain year.
We love our Lunar Phase Calendars for brightening up any space and keeping track of the moon! Did you know that the moon affects the tides and also the motion & orbit of the earth? The moon doesn’t orbit around the center of the earth either, they both revolve around the center of their masses. The way we view the moon depends on the angle in which the light from the sun hits the moon, not because of the earth blocking the sun’s rays!
There are many mythologies, superstitions, and religious beliefs surrounding the moon and its phases. There are eight distinct lunar phases. Our 2013 Lunar Calendar shows the phase of the moon for each day in an easy to interpret visual style. Below are the eight phases along with some feelings people tend to have during that time, as well as the seasonal changes the phases relate to.
New Moon: new beginnings, fresh start, self-centered, question the status quo – Winter Solstice
Crescent Moon: intention, wishes, new ideas, impulses
First Quarter Moon: challenges, decisions, action, exert all effort to achieve goals – Spring Equinox
Gibbous Moon: adjust, redefine, analyze, edit, crave perfection
Full Moon: completed, aware of your effect on others, objective – Summer Solstice
Disseminating Moon: gratitude, sharing (especially knowledge), enthusiasm
Last Quarter Moon: release, forgiveness, “tearing down the old to prepare for the new” – Fall Equinox
Balsamic Moon: rest & recuperate, feeling alienated, strike out on your own
Many people are unaware that some of the holidays we celebrate are based on the ancient Lunar Calendar. For example, Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox. The holy month of Ramadan begins at the sighting of a new crescent moon.
We love watching the moon as it changes from night to night, and often feel its energies. Do you ever notice that animals start acting crazy around the full moon? Studies show that this happens to people as well, as hospital emergency rooms get a LOT of business when the moon is full.
Keep track of the moon and its phases with a lunar calender, and see how it affects you and the people and critters in your life! It could be enlightening!
