The June Full Moon (called the Full Strawberry Moon) got its name from the Algonquin tribes who recognized its timing as a signal.
Due to fires burning dangerously close by, the smoke in the air here in Taos tonight and tomorrow, will almost certainly turn this full moon a shade of red, but fire is not the reason for its name, and the signal to the North East tribes had nothing to do with smoke.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac founded in 1792 during George Washington’s presidency, says that June’s full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because it signaled to some Native American tribes that it was the time of year to gather ripening wild strawberries during their relatively short growing season.
It has also been known for centuries, as the Honey Moon, the Mead Moon or the Full Rose Moon in various parts of Europe. The Strawberry Moon is also called Hot Moon and Hay Moon because it’s the time of the first hay harvest. Roses are at their peak this month and honey is dripping from the hives. Summer has arrived.
For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the moons (months) after nature’s planting and harvest cues.
When America was Colonized, the European immigrants adopted many of the original Native American names, incorporating them into the modern, Gregorian calendar.
Skywatchers will enjoy a double treat tonight and early tomorrow morning, thanks to the Strawberry Moon and our closest view of the ringed planet Saturn, this year.
The Strawberry Moon also happens to be the most colorful of the year because it takes a low, shallow path across te sky.
The low arc of the June full moon means moonlight must travel through more of the Earth’s atmosphere, which gives it an orange or yellow tint. Here in Taos compounded by the smoke in the air, it promises to appear a fiery moon indeed.
Astrologically, this full moon falls at 6º Capricorn, meaning its energy is extremely focused and has a huge drive to succeed. It is very ambitious.
Full moons are also associated with purging and this one is a particularly good one for laser focused weeding-out of undesirable elements in your life. Not only is this Moon in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, but it is also conjunct Saturn, making it a great night for star gazers.
The last full moon of Spring and the annual one for June, the Full Strawberry Moon, will hit full phase on Thursday, June 28 and should make for some good skygazing for the next couple of nights.
“Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, June 27 to 28, 2018, the bright planet Saturn, nearly at its brightest and closest to the Earth for the year, will appear below the full Moon,” NASA, the U.S. space agency reports.
“The pair will appear at their closest at around 11 PM EDT.” NASA’s spokesperson said. “The time of this full moon will be just after midnight on Thursday morning, June 28, 2018, at 12:53 AM EDT.”
For more information please visit the sites linked below.
Full Moon shots by Derek Hart
