By Rebecca Taaffe
This Harvest Full Moon is one of our favourites at Celtic Wind. It is a time for us to finally celebrate the harvest of our hemp crops. All our farmers and engineers have tirelessly worked hard from day one of the sowing season that we have in May/April, also maintaining the fields throughout spring/summer to finally harvesting the beautiful hemp crop we grow here in Ireland.
The Harvest Full Moon usually occurs during either September or October. It depends on how close it is to the September equinox. This Harvest Full Moon (also known as the Corn Full Moon) occurs on the 20th September; however, it is in October once every three years.
Why is September’s Full Moon called the Harvest Moon?
The Full Moon occurring in September was named as the Harvest Moon since farmers would work the fields and harvest their crops for a longer period of time in the evenings.
This is because the Moon rises about 50 minutes later every day in a lunar month, which is the time it takes the Moon to travel through all of its phases. However, for a couple of days around the Harvest Moon, the Moon rises less than 50 minutes later than the day before.
Since in the old days, farmers relied on natural light to begin their works. They would work for as long as there was enough light for them to see.
Like in most cases, the effects are reversed in the southern hemisphere. There, the seasons are opposite, and thus the September equinox is the vernal equinox.
The Moon thus rises more than 50 minutes later than in the previous days around the Harvest Moon, and as such, the Harvest Moon effect is experienced by people around the March equinox.
Different meanings of the Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon, and thus the September equinox, occurs simultaneously with many cultural events, customs, and religious beliefs.
The Harvest Moon is celebrated in China through the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as the Moon Festival. This harvest festival is celebrated by the people of Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Many people across the US celebrate the Harvest Moon through festivals. These festivals consist of farmer markets, beer and wine tasting, craft fairs, concerts, and other entertainment forms.
Other names for the Harvest Moon
Among the most common Native American names for the September Full Moon is Full Corn Moon, or Barley Moon. These names don’t actually vary with the equinox.
Regardless, most of the Moon names associated with the September Full Moon are related to crops, since it corresponds with the time of harvesting corn.
Some other Full Moon names include Autumn Moon, Child Moon, Falling Leaves Moon (since it is the nearest Full Moon to the autumnal equinox), Leaves Turning Moon, Mating Moon, Moon of Brown Leaves, Rutting Moon, or Yellow Leaf Moon, among many others.
In the southern hemisphere, the Harvest Moon is known as Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, or Sap Moon, among other names.
What does the Harvest Moon symbolize?
The Harvest Moon symbolizes exactly what its name implies, the opportunity to reap the rewards which were achieved since the summer solstice.
This Moon was particularly important for the ancients since they had more time to reap what they sow, as the light was an important factor to them.
Because of this, the ancients gave great importance to this Full Moon, dedicating festivals to it, associating it with a religious connotation, or in different tales.
What is the Spiritual Meaning of the Harvest Moon?
The spiritual meaning of the Harvest Moon is associated with cleansing. According to astrologists, this is the perfect time to let go and release something which you no longer wish to take with you in the new season we embark.
This is when unresolved or even unexpressed emotions should be rectified, as it is a period when everyone reaps what they sow. Resolve your feuds and rejoice with your loved ones, with what you have and what you strived to achieve.
We easily view life as a burden, and we forget to live it at its fullest, but during the Harvest Moon, maybe we should enjoy the simple fact that we are alive, just as the ancients did.
The Harvest Moon’s energy is exceptionally intense. So, place your crystals, crystal jewellery, gemstones, spiritual tools etc out under the open sky to cleanse them and allow them to soak in this full moon’s majorly mystical mojo. (Especially your moonstones!)
Brightest blessings on this magical night.
Did You Know?
- A popular computer game was named after this Moon, and it is simply known as Harvest Moon.
- The 1992 Album and song – Harvest Moon – by Canadian musician Neil Young is also somewhat dedicated to this Moon.
- The name Harvest Moon was made popular in the 20th century by the song Shine on Harvest Moon by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth in 1903.
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