The Corn Moon
To continue
the Moons of the Year series, here is the installment for the month of
September, “The Corn Moon.”
The full moon for the month of September
is known as the Corn Moon, as well as the Harvest Moon. This is the time of the
year when many planted crops, including corn, are harvested.
In researching the moon for this month, I
had read that it was the Harvest Moon. This is normally the case for the month
of September. However, this year is different; October will instead be named the
Harvest Moon. The website Space.com offers insight into this change….
“Usually,
the full moon in September is known as the Harvest Moon, but this year that
name is reserved for October's full moon. That's because the Harvest Moon is
the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox, which occurs on Sept.
22 this year.”
The Newsweek website also addressed this
change in the names of the lunar lineup:
“A
full moon will be visible in the night sky on Wednesday, for the last time
before the fall equinox. The full moon is known as the "full corn
moon" because it traditionally occurs during the time of year when corn is
harvested. For this reason, it often gets the name 'harvest moon,' but
2017 is a little different. The harvest moon is always the full moon closest to
the fall equinox, which takes place on September 22. Because October’s full
moon will arrive closer to this date in 2017, it will instead be this year's
harvest moon.”
The website In Pure Spirit offers
different names for the Corn Moon:
“It’s
known often as the Wine Moon as it is through this is when grapes are plump and
ready for collecting. It’s called the Singing Moon as the festivals held to
mark it would involve signing – it is the last full moon before Halloween. The
moon has been called the Elk Call Moon too. The native American tribes may call
a Harvest Moon that rises in September the Full Corn Moon and some European
people may refer to it as the Gypsy Moon. The Chinese call the moon the
Chrysanthemum Moon because of the illusion of the colour change. The Celts
would use the Harvest Moon to mark the time before Samhain and considered it a
blessing. It would be a time of crop collection but also of large parties;
signing, dancing and drinking. The
Norse noted that the Harvest Moon was often the first full moon after the first
frost of the winter seasons. They considered it to be the most powerful moon of
the year and associated with the trickster god Loki.”
Loki the trickster god
Tonight's full moon will be a rare celestial event. The Inverse explains:
“There’s
a lot of unusual stuff going on around tonight’s full moon. First, it will rise
to appear situated in the constellation of Aquarius. Second, and it will find
its trajectory passing near Neptune as the blue planet will have been sitting
in opposition on Tuesday evening; the point at which the planet will have
appeared brightest in our sky. To see the full moon and Neptune at the same
time, you’ll need to have a telescope, or at least binoculars, because far-away
Neptune isn’t visible to the naked eye. According to Space.com, the moon and
Neptune will pass within 0.73 degrees of each other around 1 a.m. Eastern on
Wednesday, with Neptune hanging out just to the northwest of the moon."
“…the
Corn Moon is all about laying the groundwork for things to come. In the same
way that corn must be planted and cultivated in order to grow, you must set
your intentions and see them through before you can reap the benefits of your
work. It might not be the most fun ritual imaginable, but now's the perfect
time to think about the tasks and decisions you've been putting off. Anything
that you might call a sacrifice now will pay off later in the year. This month
could see you tackling an unpleasant assignment at work or addressing a
relationship that's recently become difficult. Think of it as a chance for some
late-summer cleansing.”
In closing, do not Loki trick you into inaction. Begin working on the things you have been meaning to do. If there’s
a project you would like to take on, now is the time. Do not let the next full
moon come without taking action on something you would like to accomplish. Do it now. Start today.
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