The Cold Moon

To continue the “Moons of the Year” series, I now present the final installment, “The Cold Moon.”

The name of the full moon for the month of December is the Cold Moon. For those of us who live in the northern part of the United States, the reason for the name is abundantly obvious. December is the first of the winter months, which can be one of the coldest of the season.

Another name for the December moon is the “Long Nights Moon.” The days are shorter, the nights are longer, and light is sparse. Early Christian settlers to the shores of America called this moon “The Moon Before Yule”, or the Christmas holiday.

This last full moon of the year does have greater significance in that it will be a Super Moon, the closest one the entire year. What is a Super Moon? It is when the moon appears larger in the nighttime sky.

The website Space.com goes into greater detail on the phenomenon:

“Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon's perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual.”

https://www.space.com/34515-supermoon-guide.html

The Earth Sky website offers more insight into the full moon:

“It’ll shine all night long, starting around sunset on this night. Although the calendar gives December 3 as the full moon date, the exact clock time (and possibly the date) of the full moon varies by time zone. Very likely, no matter where you reside worldwide, the moon will appear plenty full to the eye both tonight and tomorrow night….The full moon, our nocturnal sun, stays out throughout the night, and then sleeps in during the day. The December full moon, like the June sun, climbs up high as seen from the Northern Hemisphere sky. A full moon near the winter solstice travels a high path across the sky and stays in the sky for all hours of the night. From the Southern Hemisphere, where the days are long and the nights are short, the December full moon follows the low path of the winter sun. After all, it’s the hot season in that hemisphere now. From the Southern Hemisphere, the December full moon hangs low, mimicking that hemisphere’s June sun.”

http://earthsky.org/?p=199041

The National Geographic website offers insight into the orbit of the moon:

The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle but is somewhat elongated. That means the moon changes its distance to Earth by a few thousand miles over time, reaching a closest point (perigee) and a farthest point (apogee) in any given month… Technically, this will be the fourth supermoon of the year, but it’s the only one we’ve been able to see with naked eyes. That’s because the other three supermoons of 2017 coincided with new moons, when the lunar disk shows a totally darkened face.”

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/how-to-see-brightest-supermoon-2017-december-space-science/

The Elephant Journal website has an article discussing the astrological significance to this moon:

“…from an astrological perspective, each Full Moon falls into one of the 12 astrological signs of the zodiac named for a constellation. This Full Moon falls into the sign of Gemini. This is a time of super-charged energy with the sun and moon in opposite signs of the Zodiac. The sun, which represents us—our character and essence—is now in Sagittarius. The moon, which represents our emotional needs—all that we need to feel safe and secure—is in Gemini. The sun and moon being in opposite signs creates a yin and yang of solar and lunar harmony. During the previous New Moon we may have conceived of ideas or become vaguely aware of our desires. In fact, we may have had miraculous epiphanies of the things we wanted to accomplish.”

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/12/december-full-moon-gemini-ignites-the-fires-of-intimacy-with-words-of-love/

The website Hello Giggles offers new insight into the full moon, from another astrological point of view:

“The sun is currently in Sagittarius, the sign of the archer, and a fire sign known for its vibrant, progressive, forward-thinking energy that’s expansive much like the bow and arrow the archer holds. This is paired with the moon being in air sign Gemini, the twins, which is the communicator of the zodiac. Gemini are dreamers and visionaries who are multifaceted, always thinking about what’s next. Let this full moon highlight your brightest and boldest visions. We already have our eyes set for the new year, and you’re allowed to as well. Use the kinetic energy of Sagittarius to shine a light on your ideas, and use the communicative energy of Gemini to weave these into reality. Let the air and fire of these signs spark something in you, and follow them wherever they lead. Gemini also reminds you of your dualistic nature, encouraging you to merge different aspects of yourself to be as whole as possible in everything you do.”

https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/december-full-cold-moon-supermoon/

The website Refinery 29 offers their insight into the meaning of the full moon:

“Winter hasn't quite arrived yet (the seasons officially change on December 21), but the temps are falling and the sun's going down long before we leave the office. If you're already sinking into a slump that only your duvet comforter and Netflix subscription can cure, you're in for a treat this weekend — the Long Nights Moon actually encourages us to hunker down. Fix your sleep schedule, tackle those holiday shopping lists you've carefully crafted (or, alternately, start crafting said lists), and call that relative you love but didn't get to see at Thanksgiving. This full moon period is a perfect time to address those minor tasks that, no matter how small they are, have a huge impact on your sense of comfort. That said, between power naps, be sure to take a moment for some big-picture reflecting, too. Last month, the moon's energy grounded us in a somber — yet spiritually fulfilling — mindset. We pinpointed losses endured in the past year, mourned them, then let them go. Now, under this month's full moon, set your sights on goals for new gains. But, if such low-key activities aren't quite your style, don't fret. Imbued with some of the same energy as the winter solstice, this lunar phase is also great for stoking the holiday spirit. Host a candlelit cocktail party or have a couple friends over for an intimate potluck. Anything that welcomes warmth and good company into your home will serve you this time of year — and remind you that, even when the outside work is at its darkest and coldest, there are ways we can create our own light.”

http://www.refinery29.com/2017/11/183222/full-cold-moon-december-spiritual-meaning

This concludes the Moons of the Year series. If you have missed any of the previous months, links to the posts are below.

When starting this project, it was my goal to publish every month’s post on the actual date of the full moon. I am happy to say that I accomplished my goal. It has been a wonderful year of learning for me, learning about the different cultures, stories and legends that made up every name of every moon of the year. Thank you for accompanying me on the journey.

Sincerely,

-Esperanza Habla, Indigo Poet of the Moon

January: The Wolf Moon

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-wolf-moon.html

February: The Snow Moon

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-snow-moon.html

March: The Lenten Moon

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-lenten-moon.html

April: The Pink Moon

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-pink-moon.html

May: The Flower Moon

http://letrasalaluna.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-flower-moon.html