"The Hunter's Moon"
You don't have to be an astrologist or crystal-worker to know that tonight's moon is pretty important. Let me explain why ...
There are usually 13 Full Moons each year, which is probably the reason most of us respond with a lacklustre “Oh yeah?” when somebody points them out. But this month has the Hunter’s Moon and this year it could be quite important (and not in a woowoo/crystals/energy kind of way), let me tell you why.
What Is The Hunter’s Moon?
The Hunter’s Moon is the first Full Moon after the Harvest Moon, which is the closest Full Moon to the Autumn Equinox. This year (like most years) this means the Hunter’s Moon falls in October.
Both the Harvest and the Hunter’s Moons appear larger and earlier than most other Full Moons in the year. They rise about half an hour earlier and appear ‘full’ a few nights either side of the night of the Hunter’s Moon itself.
Great, A Big Moon, Who Cares?
Well, before the modern era the Hunter’s Moon was quite important for everyone and not just hunters.
Think of it this way. What happens after the harvest? The open spaces are cleared of their crops making animals more visible. What’s more, it’s autumn time so animals are fattening up in time for winter and the leaves are starting to fall in the forests, making them more visible still. So, what the Hunter’s Moon brings to the table is a few nights of good light at exactly the right time when animals are stalking the now-open areas. Great news for communities wishing to stock up on protein and fur for the winter.
But we can order whey protein any time of year, in the West we have more of a problem with too many calories than too few and wearing fur is rightfully looked down on nowadays. What significance could the Hunter’s Moon possibly have for us?
Seasonal Changes Are Important (And Not Just For Preppers)
I’m not about to start waxing lyrical on how “We’re all animals” and “it’s Dog-Eat-Dog out there” because frankly you’re more likely to find me under a blanket with a book than roasting game under the stars. What I am going to do is try to raise (my own) awareness of the importance of changing seasons.
Places that are used to air-conditioning and central heating tend to overlook the changing of seasons since they live in ‘modern societies’ but people are still fairly ‘not modern’ when it comes to a lot of things.
We still love many of the personal and communal facets we most often associate with pre-industrial societies. We love telling stories and listening (or watching) them too. We love to sing communally (think football matches or what happens after drunkenly shouting “I love this song!” in a bar). We’re transported back to childhoods (good or bad) by the smell of food and we love nothing more than being warm and safe when the outside feels cold and dangerous. I don’t think any of this is all too controversial, even in a society where we’re all encouraged to be ‘unique’.
You’re Unique, Just Like Everybody Else
This title is most often grunted by cynical elders these days but they are as wrong and right as those people who refuse to see similarities in any two people.
You don’t have to be a bow-hunter to understand migratory changes in autumn/winter just as you don’t need to be an astrologist to understand why the Hunter’s Moon is directly connected with melancholy.
The days are getting shorter (for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere) and colder. In that respect, we’re not new, we’re not perfect and we’re going to get grumpy and melancholic at times and that’s alright … so did every other bloody human in the history of our species!
Sure, we’re faced with modern problems that are unique from those of ‘primitive humans’ and sure, each of us is facing our own personal problems that might be wildly different from their neighbours’ next door. But that’s the funny thing about everyone being unique … you find you’re part of quite the weird club.
We’re going into Winter and the people we’ve put in charge seem more inclined to want to bash each other’s heads in and hide the best millet for themselves than actually look after the tribe. Like it or not, we’re going to have to turn inwards and look after each other.
So, wherever you are, look up tonight! You’ve got access to the most accurate “moonrise” information ever known to humankind. Use it and take a look at the Hunter’s Moon. Imagine setting yourself up for a difficult winter (by all accounts, however you’re envisioning those difficulties, you’re probably right) and brace yourself. Embrace someone else and, with any luck, in a few months we’ll be chatting about what it’s like to be horny in Spring!