As we spin around the sun; and the tides, the moon, and our emotions continue to ebb and flow, it is the rituals we bring into our lives that can help us create meaning, and remind us to celebrate the richness and blessings we receive. Each and every full moon is an opportune moment and powerful opportunity to check in with yourself; to let go of what is no longer serving you, and to set your intentions for the remainder of the lunar cycle. The full moon illuminates a time of heightened emotions and potent creativity.
Each month Samsara Wellness will host a Full Moon yoga practice and meditation at 8 pm – 9:30 pm GMT:
The practices which include breathwork will focus on aspects of the specific moon and what it brings for us. Let us tune in to our bodies, clear our minds, and become inspired by what we love. A simple question—What can I release?—will keep your intuition sharp during this time.
Bring a yoga mat and a comfortable cushion, a journal and a pen, a glass of water and a crystal of your choice as we explore the attributes of the full moon and how we can link in to her energies and set our intentions for the month.
Registration: Samsara Website
Cost:
Each session is £11
Book all ten sessions for £99
Dates:
- Pink Moon – Thursday 6 April
- Flower Moon – Friday 5 May
- Strawberry Moon – Sunday 4 June
- Buck Moon – Monday 3 July
- Sturgeon Moon – Tuesday 1 August
- Blue Moon – Thursday 31 August
- Harvest Moon – Friday 29 September
- Hunter’s Moon – Saturday 28 October
- Beaver Moon – Monday 27 November
- Full Cold Moon – Wednesday 27 December
There is a profound and spiritual connection between the full moon, the tides, and our emotions.
The full moon is often experienced as a time of deep emotional intensity. Just as the full moon pulls on the tides and creates more dramatic tidal changes between highs and lows, some people experience the same in their emotional lives. Bringing awareness to the lunar cycle and preparing yourself through meditation and scheduling (perhaps the full moon is not the best time to have that big and possibly contentious talk with your partner) can go a long way in avoiding the emotional roller coaster that some people experience with this phase.
Offer yourself a healthy dose of compassion and some extra self-care during this time of the lunar cycle.
How to create a Spiritual Practice for the Full Moon
Creating a journaling practice with the lunar cycle offers insight into how you respond and feel the effects of each phase.
With the full moon, try this contemplative practice, and adjust to allow it to serve you in the best way possible for your growth.
- Gather a journal, pen or pencils, and anything you need to be comfortable
- If possible, spend some time in contemplation outside, under the light of the full moon. This is known as moon bathing. Open yourself up on an energetic level to the light of the moon and feel how your whole being comes alive in response.
- When you have completed your moon bath contemplation, sit with your journal where you have enough light to see.
- Begin by drawing or writing about your experience in the moon bath. Make note of any emotions that came up and any physical sensations you experienced. Also write down any ideas that popped into your mind.
- Write the words, “I am grateful for” and let yourself free-write anything that comes to mind, no matter how big or small. Keep going for as long as it feels natural. Don’t push yourself or bring any sense of strain to this exercise. Just let it flow.
- Start a fresh page and write the word “intentions” at the top. Cycle through the areas of your life as they pop into your mind, and write a simple intention for each one. This is a commitment to take action or give attention to these parts of your life. The energy of the full moon will act as an exclamation point, drawing these intentions to life in you.
- Use affirmations for each full moon…..
I connect with…
I feel…
I am inspired to/by…
I love…
I speak…
I sense…
I am welcoming…
Grounding practices such as breathwork exercise, proper nourishment, rest, and creative pursuits allow us to tune in to our bodies, clear our minds, and become inspired by what we love. A simple question—What can I release? —will keep your intuition sharp during this time.
There are four supermoons in 2023, on the following dates:
- July 3 – Buck Moon
- August 1 – Sturgeon Moon
- August 30 – Blue Moon
- September 29 – Harvest Moon
What is a Supermoon
A supermoon is a rare and impressive lunar event that you will only glimpse a few times a year. When that happens, the sky is filled by a bright and large Moon that will ‘wow’ anyone gazing up.
A supermoon is a combination of two different astronomical effects. It is when a new or full Moon coincides with a perigee – the Moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. A Moon has to come within 90% of its closest approach to Earth to be formally defined as a supermoon. That means the Moon needs to come within 224,865 miles of Earth and be a full Moon to boot. First, you need a full Moon, which is when the Moon is fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective. For that to happen, Earth needs to be located between the Sun and the Moon. That means we’re seeing the entire full face of the Moon lit up by the Sun. Although the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, it doesn’t create an eclipse because the Moon’s position relative to our home planet is slightly skewed. And for a supermoon, the Moon has to be in the correct position in orbit around Earth. The Moon has an elliptical orbit, and it isn’t always the exact same distance from Earth. Its closest point is called the perigee, and its farthest is the apogee. With a full Moon at the perigee, you get a Super Moon and with a full Moon at the apogee, you get a Micro Moon. Supermoons are relatively rare, occurring just three or four times in a single year because you need a full Moon to occur alongside close to the Earth’s orbital positioning.
PINK MOON – THURSDAY APRIL 6, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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There are 13 full moons in each lunar cycle, and each moon was given a name to reflect relevant seasonal events in nature. This is a Native American tradition as naming moons allowed them to keep track of the seasons, and at this time of year in April, the full moon heralds the season of spring……….rebirth and renewal.
It is a time of shifting into spring, when the ice begins to truly melt. We are much more connected to these seasonal rhythms than we realize, and we may find that there are streams within us that are, at last, becoming navigable again.
The Pink Moon is not named because of its colour. It is called a ‘Pink Moon’ because at this time in North America, a native herb known as ‘creeping phlox’ is coming into its pink bloom. The Pink Moon is the first full moon of the spring season. It welcomes Spring and is an awakening and rebirth after the winter. The Pink Moon is also called a Paschal Moon as Easter is nigh.
Use the Pink Moon this month to awaken and rebirth yourself and connect with nature and recharge yourself. What are you seeking? What changes would you like to make to improve yourself? What can you release?
FLOWER MOON – FRIDAY MAY 5, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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“Turn what’s holding you back to ash. Drink in the blossoming energy of the full Flower Moon”
There are 13 full moons in each lunar cycle, and each moon was given a name to reflect relevant seasonal events in nature. This is a Native American tradition as naming moons allowed them to keep track of the seasons, and at this time of year in May, flowers bloom in unison.
The full moon of May is called the Flower Moon because it is the time of year with the densest bloom. It marks a unique time of the year when the earth is fertile and everything is in bloom. The Flower Moon signifies that summer is approaching and temperatures are rising.
In North America, bluebells, violets, and phlox cover the lush green land, making it bold and vibrant. The name stems from various northern hemisphere cultures and tribes as across this segment of the globe, colourful blankets of flowers take over in May.
According to Native American tribes, this is the best time of year to plant corn, and May’s moon was often referred to as the Planting Moon. As well as planting corn, squash and beans are also planted too so that they will be ready in time for harvest in the autumn.
STRAWBERRY MOON – SUNDAY JUNE 4, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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There are 13 full moons in each lunar cycle, and each moon was given a name to reflect relevant seasonal events in nature. This is a Native American tradition as naming moons allowed them to keep track of the seasons, and at this time of year in June let us enjoy the fruits of the land.
The Strawberry Moon does not get its name from the colour that the moon will appear to be. The Strawberry Moon takes place during a lunar eclipse—when the Earth moves between the moon and the sun—and the moon appears reddish. This occurs because the Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue wavelengths of sunlight streaming through it, allowing only red to pass through, which turns the moon a faint scarlet. A Strawberry Moon, meanwhile, will be the same colour as the moon ordinarily appears; only its size and luminosity will change. The Strawberry Moon gets its name from the Algonquin Native American tribe, who named the supermoon that occurs in June, after the brief strawberry harvesting season that happens at the same time of year.
To tap the sweet and spiritual meaning of the Strawberry Moon.
- Practice pleasure. What would give your body the simple experience of enjoyment?
- See the good. What do you have to be proud of? Even small things matter
- Eat the berries. Eat the foods that are locally in season in your area in order to draw these energies into your body.
- ⦁ Smell the flowers. Get outside and take the time to receive the beauty of the natural world, feel the sun, and smell the flowers.
- Meditate with your body.
June is a month to enjoy the natural world, our own bodies, and the ripening of whatever we have been working on. The spiritual meaning of this month’s Strawberry Moon calls you to enjoy what has been cultivated and let go of what isn’t working anymore.
BUCK MOON – SUPERMOON MONDAY JULY 3, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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A full supermoon is a full moon that nearly coincides with the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its orbit, called perigee. The moon has a larger-than-usual appearance when you look at it.
The July’s full Moon is referred to as a “Buck Moon” by the Algonquin Native Americans of what is now the north-east United States. This is because it appears when new antlers appear on buck deer.
Europeans call it the “Hay Moon” because of haymaking at this time of year.
July also marks the Guru Full Moon for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains which is celebrated as a time for clearing the mind and honouring the guru or spiritual master.
A month of intense, stormy emotions—big feelings can surface, and arguments might be more common. We may feel that we have to have an easy breezy summer attitude when that’s not truly how we feel. We can get overheated, frustrated, and explode into emotional electricity, just like a summer thunderstorm.
Activate points on your hands for reflexology:
- Solar plexus
- Heart
- Amygdala
STURGEON MOON – SUPERMOON TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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So, what is a full sturgeon moon, really? A full sturgeon moon symbolizes the easily caught freshwater fish, the sturgeon. The sturgeon is a fish most commonly caught during the hot summer month of August in North America.
Sturgeons are an archaic fish; they’re very old as a species. Gray-green in colour, their ancestry is traceable all the way back to over 200 million years ago! The fish themselves grow to impressive sizes of 6 to 10 feet in length. Some of them even live to be at least 100 years old. Their numbers dropped due to overfishing for their meat and eggs in the 19th century. Later, conservation efforts helped their population increase again.
August’s sturgeon moon gives you the opportunity to align your spiritual intentions with the strong sturgeon. That’s what the sturgeon moon symbolism represents; so, you can invoke your own power and resilience. Such power and resilience are inherent in the nature of the sturgeon fish, as proven by its survival for millions of years.
The significance of the sturgeon moon is something you can understand when you learn what the full sturgeon moon means. Like the sturgeon, you can adapt and persevere through any of the many challenges of life.
Did you have big ambitions last winter or spring that you really want to see accomplished? The full sturgeon moon of August has the energy to encourage you to leap through the hurdles to that. It’s really okay to admit you’ve fallen off track and dust yourself off. After that, you’ll definitely try again with renewed vigour and better understanding of where you went wrong the first time.
When a sturgeon moon is up in the sky, its spiritual meaning is much clearer. Among its meanings and intentions are gratitude and reaping the harvest. A flourishing harvest and life
Remember that the sturgeon moon heralds the coming of autumn and the end of summer. Seeds of potential that you planted spiritually or literally in the spring are set to bloom into the harvest. Everything that you prepared during the summer is ready for you to harvest, and the benefits are sweet as fruit.
As you witness the full autumn moon rise, breathe in and out. Recall all the struggles you went through in the past month as you planted the seeds of potential. Every intention you planted and every action you made is about to show its fruits. Sweet are the fruits you’ll harvest, both spiritually and physically.
Ultimately, the spiritual meaning of the sturgeon moon is the claiming of a more fruitful life. When you think about the autumn harvest, what do you think about? Do you think about the sweet fruits that you harvest with others in the fields? How about the fullness of your heart as you spend time with your friends and family?
Enter the autumn season with a grateful heart and with a determination to persevere. That way, you can best reap the sweet beneficial fruits of the sturgeon moon. Let your gumption drive you to take the initiative and make it a great lunar cycle for you and everyone else!
Often, we hold parts of ourselves at bay, thinking them to be terrifying beasts, too big for us to hold, unmanageable. Rather, they are often tender, vulnerable parts of us that have been frozen in the past until it’s time to rise to the surface and be held with gentleness.
We are working with a double light: the intensity of the summer sun and the peak of the moon’s illumination. If our inner sea monsters are coming to the surface now, let’s greet them with kindness and listen for what they may have to teach us, rather than trying to force them back down into the dark. This doesn’t have to be a struggle. We can allow this time of stirring up to be medicinal.
BLUE MOON – SUPERMOON THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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A Blue Moon is a rare occurrence when you get a second full moon in a calendar month.
It has nothing to do with the colour of the moon, but is exciting nonetheless.
You usually only get a Blue Moon every two or three years – although you can get two in a year in rare cases (like 2018 and 2037). Hence the phrase ‘once in a Blue Moon’.
We all want to indulge our most innovative ideas and find creative ways to express our individuality. With the Blue moon, we can break free of outdated traditions, make adjustments to the rules we choose to follow (and the ones we want to break), and revisit the plans we made earlier in the summer with a more fearless and forward-thinking perspective. A time to illuminate our hopes and wishes for the future, so it’s a great time to meditate on personal intentions.
This is the time to emphasise the power to change things for a better, fairer, more efficient future. This is our opportunity to reset, release, and renegotiate how we are in our lives and in our society. This is our time to release old patterns and try to implement new ones.
HARVEST MOON – SUPERMOON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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The Harvest Moon is so called because the full moon takes place closest to the autumn equinox. This means that the Harvest Moon can fall any time between September and October. In the past, this allowed farmers to extend their working day and work by the light of the extra-bright Moon, gathering crops to prepare for the winter months – hence ‘harvest’. Sometimes the Harvest moon looks like a deep orange.
What is the equinox?
The Equinox is when the Earth’s equator is almost directly in line with the centre of the sun. This takes place twice a year – around late March (spring equinox) and late September (autumn equinox).
We have an opportunity to let go in a powerful and direct way, as we shift our energies from the extroverted, social, and physical spring and summer seasons to the more introverted, spiritual, and intellectual fall and winter seasons.
Gather these items for a ritual:
- A fresh seasonal fruit or vegetable, like a pumpkin, zucchini, apple, or ear of corn, ideally acquired locally
- A leaf that has begun to change colour that you gathered from somewhere close by
- A candle
- Pen and paper (optional)
- Salt or chalk (optional)
HUNTER’S MOON – SUPERMOON SATURDAY OCTOBER 28, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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The Hunter’s moon usually appears in October, except once every four years when it does not appear until November. The name dates back to the First Nations of North America where animals were hunted to stockpile food for the coming winter.
Be mindful of both the transitioning seasons as well as the shifting balance between dark and light. We are entering the dark months; appreciate the full moon as a consistent source of light to guide us through the dark. Let it be a beacon that reminds us of the natural cycles
Things are beginning to wind down. We have worked hard and seen our intentions and goals come to fruition, and now we start to turn inward again to refocus and rest, just as the Earth does to prepare for new growth in spring. Be sure to reflect on your accomplishments, even if the victories are small.
Now is also the time to start planting the seeds for next year, both physically and spiritually. A time full of intense, sometimes aggressive energy. Be mindful of this energy and try to channel your hunting mode appropriately. Focus your energy on the right target.
BEAVER MOON MONDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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The Beaver Moon is the name for the full moon in November. The name is commonly used in the northern hemisphere and relates to seasonal occurrences with beavers. Beavers inhabit many countries in the northern hemisphere, and November is a critical time for both beavers and humans.
The beaver moon obtained its name for two main reasons:
- In North America, it was referred to as the beaver moon as it was the time of year where beavers started to hibernate. Beavers have their stock of food ready for the winter, and they begin to take shelter.
- The other reason is for their fur. During the time of the fur trade in the US, the Beaver Moon indicated it was time to trap beavers for their thick, warm pelts. Traps would be laid to catch the beavers at this time of year as they are fully grown. This meant that more fur could be taken from the beavers if caught compared to any other time of the year.
This was due to survival as it was necessary to catch the beavers for fur and meat. Beavers were one of the last animals caught before the winter for both food and fur resources. The moon signalled the last opportunity to catch beavers before the winter was in full swing. The Algonquin tribes would set traps to ensure they could catch enough beavers to survive the winter.
The Beaver Moon name is not the only name given to November’s full moon. Across the northern hemisphere, it can also be called the Frost Moon or Freezing Moon. Naturally, this name came from the change in seasons and marked the beginning of winter. The frost comes, and everything slowly begins to freeze. This would have been an indicator to start preparing for the harsh winter ahead. Other less familiar names are the Digging Moon or Scratching Moon. This name came about due to the many animals digging around the fallen leaves to find nuts. It indicates the last chance to forage anything before the winter comes.
A time to finish tasks or put them away until the seasons shift again. This is a good time to practice internal healing work, focus on family life, and build a spiritual connection to our communities and to nature.
FULL COLD MOON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27, 2023 8 – 9:30 pm GMT
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The full moon in December will be on Tuesday December 26, 2023 at 7:33 PM EST or December 27, 2023 at 12:33 AM UTC. The December 26th full moon will be the thirteenth and last full moon of 2023 and the full moon in Cancer.
In December, winter sets in and the full moon is called the Cold Moon. It is also called Long Nights Moon, the Oak Moon and the Moon before Yule. The Full Cold Moon is a fitting name for a moon given how the temperatures get colder with the official start of Winter.
The energy of the Cold Moon and the winter solstice can be balanced with warm connection, candlelight, and nourishing food, along with plenty of rest and quiet. When we honour this energy in balance, we spend more time sleeping, reflecting, and dreaming. We dedicate more time absorbing information from our elders, spending time with the ones we love the most, and sharing food, stories, and our learnings. This energy can feel quieter and gentler than the warmer days of the year.
