'Full moons come,
Full moons go,
softening nights
with their silver glow.
They pass in silence
all untamed,
but as they travel
they are named.'

Rhyme from 'When the Moon is Full' a book for young children by Penny Pollack (pub. Little Brown0
 

    Now, I hate to disappoint - but ......  .it's simply not possible to give a definitive, single list of folk-names that you might use for the Full Moons. Nope - not even a faery magic like Muddypond Green - not even The Lord of the Greenwood could do it - not for sure. 

Illustration by Florence Harrison from 'Elfin Song' Blackie & Son c 1912

Since time immemorial - since it was possible to form a name, from all over the Northern Hemisphere tribal wise ones gazed at the Moon in awe. As their seasons circled by, labels gradually evolved. Some suited the weather in that place, some the activities - hunting, harvests - some the plants, birds and animals of the season. In most cases, they weren't full moon names at all, but lunar months (moonths).

   Here are some problems to consider - there are normally THIRTEEN full moons in any one year. But in your (human) calendar - there are TWELVE months. 

Illustration by Kay Nielsen 'Pop .. out flew the Moon' from 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon' 1914

     The Native American Indian tribes, who gave us so many of their wonderful names, named by the thirteen moons and the seasons.

They also began their year and their Moon names - as should we - with the first Full Moon after the December solstice - December 21st - the shortest day of the year.

  In many countries with documented ancient moon traditions, the calendars have since radically changed.
 Remember, in Britain for example, where the original Celtic and Ogham names were generated, the calendar changed from the Julian to Gregorian in 1752   - moving old dates by 10 days - so that old moon names, still used today - seem sometimes out of kilter with their seasons.

  The romance of the Moon names is a folk-romance - passed like faery-tales by word of mouth, and changed to suit the needs and dreams of the peoples, generation by generation.

 

     

   You might like to use some of the best known names from the Native American Tribes:

Jan	Old Moon,    Wolf Moon,    Ice Moon,     Moon after Yule,      Winter Moon
Feb	Hunger or Starvation Moon,      Storm Moon,     Trapper's Moon,    Moon of Ice,     Tree Moon
March	Crow Moon,     Sap Moon,   Worm Moon,    Moon of Winds,    Fish Moon,   Chaste Moon,    Death Moon
April	Egg Moon,    Seed Moon  ,   Frog Moon,   Pink Moon,     Awakening Moon
May	Flower Moon,     Milk Moon,      Hare Moon,       Grass Moon
June	Strawberry Moon,    Planting Moon,      Green Corn Moon,
July	Hay Moon,      Summer Moon,      Thunder Moon,     Buck Moon,
Aug	Sturgeon Moon,      Corn Moon,      Green Corn Moon,    Dog Days Moon,     Lightening Moon
Sep	Singing Moon,     Barley Moon,
Oct	Travellers' Moon,      Blackberry Moon
Nov	Frosty Moon,    Beaver Moon,     Dark Moon,     Tree Moon,      Snow Moon
Dec	Cold Moon,    Long Night Moon,

  
  
    Or these - special ones from the Siouan (Assiniboines) Tribe, Montana ....  the March 'Sore Eye Moon' comes from long days watching the glare of the sun on the snow - and 'Gophur Looks Back' from the little Gophur looking behind him at lost summer days.

	Jan	Hard Time Moon
	Feb	Long day Moon
	March	Sore Eye Moon
	April	Frog's Moon
	May	Idle Moon
	June	Full Leaf Moon
	July	Red Berries Moon
	Aug	Black Cherries Moon
	Sep	Yellow leaf Moon
	Oct	Gophur Looks Back Moon
	Nov	Frost Moon
Photo: E. Curtis, US Library of Congress	Dec	Younger Hard Time Moon

 

 
   
    How about these - from the Inuit peoples of Northern Canada? ............

Jan	Dwarf Seal Moon
Feb	Seal Pup Moon
March	Snow Bird Moon
April	Snow Melt Moon
May	Goose Moon
June	Hunting Moon
July	Dry Moon
Aug	Swan Flight moon
Sep	Harpoon Moon
Oct	Ice Moon
Nov	Freezing Mist Moon
Dec	Dark Night Moon	Photo: Inuit Library of Congress, Alaska

Reference for the Siouan and Inuit moon names above :
 'Native Heritage: personal accounts by American Indians, 1790 to the present' by Arlene B. Hirschfelder

      
   

    Here are the old Celtic and Medieval names attributed to Britain ...

	Jan	Wolf Moon,  Stay Home Moon,  Moon after Yule
	Feb	Storm Moon,  Ice Moon,  Snow Moon
	March	Plough Moon,  Wind Moon,  Lenten (lengthening) Moon
	April	Budding moon,  New Shoots Moon,  Seed Moon
	May	Mothers' Moon,  Bright Moon,
	June	Mead Moon, Horse Moon, Dyan Moon,  Rose Moon
	July	Claiming Moon,  Wyrt or Herb Moon,  Mead Moon
	Aug	Dispute Moon, Lynx Moon, Grain Moon
	Sep	Wine Moon, Song Moon, Harvest Moon
	Oct	Hunter's Moon,  Blood Moon.  Seed Fall Moon
	Nov	Mourning Moon,  Darkest Depths Moon,
	Dec	Oak Moon,  Full Cold Moon

 

    
    Then, there are the beautiful and ancient names for their much celebrated Moons, given by the Chinese people ....

	Jan	Holiday Moon
	Feb	Budding Moon
	March	Sleeping Moon
	April	Peony Moon
	May	Dragon Moon
	June	Lotus Moon
	July	Hungry Ghost Moon
	Aug	Harvest Moon
	Sep	Crysanthemum Moon
	Oct	Kindly Moon
	Nov	White Moon
Photo: Dr Ho -© Q T Long @ .terragalleria.com	Dec	Bitter Moon

 

  

In the Indian calendar, the Full Moon (Purnima) shines at the exact middle of each month. The months of the Indian almanac don't fit into the Western month pattern, but straddle two - beginning and ending at New Moon. In the Hindu religion, each Purnima has its own festival name and seasonal traditions, in tune with planting, harvest, return of longer days - some being celebrated more prominently in different regions of the sub-continent.   

  You might enjoy looking at Muddypond's pictures and account of the November 'Kartik Purnima' Festival 2011, held in Varanasi    on the banks of the Ganges.  Entries for Nov 23rd (sunrise) and Nov 25th (sunset).

Western Month	Celebration Name		Indian    Lunar Month
Dec - Jan	Shakambhari Purnima, Paush Purnima		Paush
Jan - Feb	Magh Purnima		Magh
Feb - March	Holi Purnima, Phalgun Purnima		Phalgun
March - April	Hanuman Purnima,  Chaiatra Purnima		Chaitra
April - May	Buddha Purnima, Vaishakh Purnima		Vaishakh
May - June	Vata Purnima, Jyeshtha Purnima		Jyeshtha
June - July	Guru Purnima,  Vyas Purnima		Ashadh
July - Aug	Narali Purnima,  Rakhi Purnima , (Coconut Day)		Shravan
Aug - Sep	Bhadrapad Purnima		Bhadrapad
Sep - Oct	Sharad Purnima, Koiagiri Purnima		Ashvin
Oct - Nov	Kartik Purnima, Tripurari Purnima		Kartika
Nov -Dec	Margashirsha Purnima,	Photo: © Margaret Bourke White @ oldindiaphotos	Margashirsha

 

  

 What do we do then - us respectable hedgerow and wood faeries about our Full Moons? 

'Hurry up for the last train to fairyland!' - Mabel Lucie Attwell - Postcard 1923

 

 

Do we celebrate them? Oh yes - believe me we do!  

Crystal spring water, Mead and Blackberry or Primrose Wine are drunk depending on the season. Flat mossy stones are decorated - scrying performed - thanks given - needs asked for - dances danced.

   We find two solutions - use the old Ogham Tree names from the ancient Ogham Lunar Month Calendar (see more in my Ogham pages here). 

 

Or?  Or - we simply make up our own!  Below the list of  Ogham Tree names you will find mine ..........

Ogham Lunar Month Dates	Ogham Tree for Lunar Month	Old Ogham Name
24th Dec - 20th Jan	Moon in Birch	Beith
21st Jan - 17th Feb	Moon in Rowan	Luis
18th Feb - 17th March	Moon in Ash	Nion
18th March - 14th April	Moon in Alder	Fearn
15th April - 12th May	Moon in Willow	Saille
13th May - 9th June	Moon in Hawthorn	Huath
10th June - 7th July	Moon in Oak	Duir
8th July - 4th Aug	Moon in Holly	Tinne
5th Aug - 1st Sep	Moon in Hazel	Coll
2nd Sep - 29th Sep	Moon in Bramble	Muin
30th Sep - 27th Oct	Moon in Ivy	Gort
28th Oct - 24th Nov	Moon in Reed or Wheatstraw	Ngetal
25th Nov - 22nd Dec	Moon in Elder	Ruis
23rd Dec	Moon of Mistletoe

 

 

  Here are Muddypond's Faery Moon names -

	Wolf Moon	Dec 21st - Jan
	Icicle Moon	Jan - Feb
	Snowdrop Moon	Feb - March
	Waking Wood Moon	March - April
	Birthing Moon	April - May
	Moon of White Petals	May - June
	Wild Cherry Moon	June - July
	Dancing Delight Moon	July - Aug
	Blackberry Harvest Moon	Aug - Sep
	Chestnut Moon	Sep - Oct
	Moon of the Wild Hunt	Oct - Nov
	Mistletoe Moon	Nov -Dec

Illustrations - Tree heading and Faery above by Franke Rogers - from 'Tree Fairies' pub. Hutchinson 1945

 

 

  The Moon Calendar of Cat
    One of my black cats - let's see - it could have been Mister Bo Jangles, or was it Black Pepper?  Could've been Jim. Anyway, he slipped me a small note, considerably tattered round the edges, with HIS list would you believe? ! .......

    The captivating picture below is by Canadian artist Shelagh Duffet - you can visit her online shop
to browse, or to buy prints and originals.

Jan		Airing Cupboard Moon
Feb		Frozen Paw Moon
March		Preparing Claw Moon
April		Early Mousing Moon
May		Small-small Rabbit Moon
June		Fence Sitting Moon
July		Lazing In Sun Moon
August		Fine Bright Fighting Moon
Sept		Late Mousing Moon
Oct		Resting Moon
Nov		Howling Moon
Dec	Illustration © Shelagh Duffet Used here with her kind permission.	Cushion by Log Fire Moon