What Is a Blue Moon?
This article originally appeared on Yoga Journal
Throughout history, the full Moon has served as more than merely a shimmering spectacle. The monthly occurrence has served as a functional and mystical marker of nature’s ebbs and flows. Thanks to the regularity of the lunar rhythm and its correspondence to nature's current mood, communities were able to time their planting and harvests with practical precision and anticipate the changing of seasons. But the far more infrequent blue Moon is distinct from the typical full Moon.
In the grand scheme of the cosmos, the blue Moon is a lunar anomaly, a brief yet beautiful moment, an enigma that invokes mystery and rarity and reminds us of the need for reflection, connection, and intention.
What Is a Blue Moon?
Contrary to its name, a blue Moon rarely exhibits a cerulean hue. Rather, its allure lies in its infrequent occurrence. This particular type of full Moon occurs due to the misalignment between the lunar month and the calendar month. A lunar month, which is the time it takes for the Moon to complete its transition through phases, lasts approximately 29.5 days. This means most calendar months have enough space for only one full Moon.
However, since the lunar month is slightly shorter than the average calendar month, every few years, we're gifted with a second full Moon within a calendar month. This is a blue Moon.
That is the most commonly referenced interpretation. The other definition also references an "extra" full moon. When an astrological season--defined as the time between solstice and equinox or vice versa--atypically includes four full Moons rather than three, the third full Moon of the season is called a blue Moon.
Why Is It Called a Blue Moon?
The term “blue Moon” originated with the sixteenth-century phrase “when the Moon is blue,” which had meant something impossible. However, during the aftermath of the Krakatoa volcano eruption in the Indonesian islands in the 1880s, reports of peculiarly hued sunsets and a blue-tinged Moon surfaced due to lingering particles in the atmosphere that scattered certain types of light. This occurrence reshaped the expression “once in a blue Moon” to signify rarity rather than impossibility, forming the basis for the term’s modern colloquial usage.
The notion of a seasonal blue Moon appears to have originated with the Maine Farmer’s Almanac. The challenge posed by the unexpected 13th full Moon within a year would disrupt the established schedule of church festivals, which relied on the Moon’s phases to determine the precise dates for observances, including Lent and Easter. This also inspired the unlucky stigma association with the number 13.
The interpretation of a blue Moon as the second full Moon within a calendar month can be traced to a misinterpretation of the seasonal blue Moon by astronomer James Hugh Pruett from a 1946 edition of Sky & Telescope magazine. This misconception was accepted as truth until recently.
When is the Next Blue Moon?
The next monthly blue Moon will occur on August 30, 2023. The following seasonal blue Moon will take place on August 19 or 20, 2024, depending on your time zone.
What Does a Blue Moon Mean in Astrology?
Every full Moon carries potent energy, often signifying completion and culmination. But the blue Moon, with its exceptional status, is believed to bless us with a touch of luck and enchantment. This cosmic rarity is often linked to heightened clarity and a profound connection to the divine, a window into the ethereal where our intentions can thrive.
While the spiritual correspondences and intentions associated with the blue Moon can differ based on various traditions, certain themes often emerge across cultures. It typically resonates with the concept of growth and wisdom, a time of second chances and embracing renewed opportunities, a cosmic "bonus round," if you will.
This is also the time to set goals and intentions, leveraging the already amplified energy of the full Moon. Many spiritual practitioners believe that intentions crafted during the blue Moon are so potent that their intensity extends to the next one, which sometimes years in the future, making it idyllic for setting long-term goals.
One powerful ritual for a blue Moon is manifestation journaling. Sit in a quiet space under the moonlight, armed with a journal and a pen. Reflect on your aspirations, dreams, and goals. Write them down with clarity, in the present tense, infusing your intentions with the energy of the Moon. As you write, imagine your desires coming into existence and feel as though it's already a fact. Allow the lunar occurrence to focus your intentions and set yourself on a course of fulfillment.
Whether you engage in manifestation journaling, yoga, meditation, or other self-awareness practices, the blue Moon offers a celestial stage for you to script your desires and dreams.
By celebrating the blue Moon, we honor ancient wisdom, embrace celestial beauty, and create moments of awe and inspiration that bridge the gap between the heavens and Earth.
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About Our Contributor
Sierra is a writer and modern witchy woman living in Oregon. She's been practicing yoga for nearly a decade and completed her teacher training in 2018. She writes and teaches about connection--connection to the body, to nature, and to the powerful energies of the universe. In 2017, she founded her media brand, The Local Mystic, an educational hub devoted to mindful, mystical living for women. Sierra loves to guide people to their witchy side by helping them deepen their spiritual studies and ritualize their lives. Through The Local Mystic, she's written books, plus hosted women's circles and wellness retreats worldwide. For free yoga and witchy wisdom, find Sierra on Instagram @thelocalmystic and on YouTube. And check out her book, Your Year of Magic.
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