Birth of the Hunter's Moon
September 28th, 2019
Eighth month of the Roman calendar, from Latin octo, or eight.
Octobris (October) was originally the eighth month of an ancient Latin calendar.
The full moon that appears in October is called the Hunters Moon. The Hunters Moon of October is sometimes referred to as the Blood Moon or Sanguine Moon, as the Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. Other names for this full moon include the Travel Moon and the Dying Grass Moon.
Here nor there, the Hunter's Moon is the first moon after the Harvest Moon and was so named as the preferred month to hunt summer-fattened deer and fox unable to hide in now bare fields. Like the Harvest Moon, the Hunters Moon is also particularly bright and long in the sky, giving hunters the opportunity to stalk prey at night. Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunters Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes. Note that some years the Harvest Moon falls in October instead of September.
The full moon that appears in November is called the Beaver Moon. There is disagreement over the origin of November’s beaver moon name. Some say it comes from Native Americans setting beaver traps during this month before the swamps froze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Other say that the Beaver Moon comes from the heavy activity of beavers building their winter dams.