Full Blue Moon Mania!

This Friday, August 31st, 2012, we will see a rare 'blue moon'.  So what is a blue moon? A blue moon occurs when there is an extra moon in a season. Typical years usually have 12 full moons that occur approximately every 28  days. In addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains roughly eleven days more than the lunar year. The extra days add up, so every two or three years, there is an extra full moon, which is called the blue moon.

This month the Full Moon is in Pisces, the fish, and occurs this Friday, August 31, at 9:58 am (EST). Pisces is associated with psychic ability, contacting other planes, spirituality, past lives, karma, discovering secrets, examining the hidden, mental health, working with oils and incense, and secret societies. Use this Moon to work on developing psychic talents, perform divination such as Tarot or pendulum work, and to contact spirit guides. Basically, any sort of spell work is appropriate, especially since Pisces rules all magic-including high magic. 

The full moon is always, always, always an opportune time of the month for purging. This is also an excellent time for reorganizing, smudging, and physical and spiritual house-cleaning since Pisces rules those actions as well. The light the full moon offers illuminates those things that are interfering with our spiritual development. Once we have become aware of the things that are blocking us, the easier it is to let go of them. The full moon is ideal for rituals releasing or ridding ourselves of the things in our lives that no longer serve us, such as addictions (like certain foods, overeating, drugs, sex, or just for relinquishing the pain of a hurtful or ended relationship, and for discharging physical and emotional pain.

The full moon also tends to have an aura of mystery and magic about it. Not only is it tied to the ebbs and flows of the tide, but it is also tied to the cycle of a woman's body....the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Full moon mysteries cross every culture and continent, and celebrations and ritual involving the full moon go back beyond recorded time. Pretty cool and fascinating stuff, hunh? 

For example, in many cultures, the full moons of each month are named. The names often correspond to important events. In August, the Celtic tradition of the Full Moon is called the Salmon Moon. In Celtic Lore, the salmon, called Bradan, is the oldest of all animals. Bradan feasted on the hazelnuts that fell from the trees surrounding the sacred Well of Segais.  A small boy, set to guard the cooking pot of the great Bradan, stuck a finger in his mouth that had been splashed by the hot liquid, and was thus imparted all knowledge and wisdom. This small boy then became the great Fionn mac Cumhail of Irish legend.* In Native American culture, the August Full Moon is called the Sturgeon Moon, named for another great fish that is subject of many myths and legends.  

Everyone have a wonderful and blessed full blue moon.