by Conscious Reminder
The Full Moon in Aquarius has several pros, but being called the ‘Sturgeon Moon’ is definitely not one of them.
Add to that the fact that this Full Moon might actually end up ruining the Perseid Meteor Shower, and you have enough reasons to get mad.
It is a sad travesty that the shooting stars were heavy on 12th and 13th August, but the visibility was extremely low due to the high illumination of the Moon.
Yet, many were still able to watch the dazzling display in the sky without any extra equipment. Astronomers had informed that the Perseid meteor shower would create a lot of big, red, and fiery balls of debris that would glow as they crash through the Earth’s atmosphere.
And those who witnessed them in the last couple of days would agree. Star-gazers went to open areas outside cities, where they enjoyed the view beyond the Moon.
This August Full Moon is going to start rising up in New York at around 8 in the morning on Thursday. But unless it rises in the sky to the East at around 8.30 pm at night, we wouldn’t be able to view it.
Now, while the Full Moon officially takes place on a Thursday, you would also be smart if you looked at the skies on Wednesday and Friday, for the Moon would be Full on those days too.
But why does it have such an offbeat name?
The history of the term is a fascinating story in itself. The name ‘Sturgeon Moon’ was fixed by the Native tribes in North America who found that the sturgeon fish grew in bountiful during the August Full Moon. This is why they called this Moon the Sturgeon Moon. And even after colonization and independence, the name stuck.
Sturgeons are gigantic fish which can weigh up to 200lbs.
Some more tribes also call it the ‘Green Corn Moon’, because this was also the time for corn harvesting in several areas of the Americas. This makes sense as many tribes also organize several green corn ceremonies in August that are dedicated to building the community. The ceremonies are believed to bring forth a spirit of brotherhood and are celebrated by thanking the Gods for a good harvest, and generally having a good time.
Some other names for the August Aquarius Full Moon, as given by the Old Farmer’s Almanac, are ‘Blueberry Moon’, ‘the Moon when all things ripen’, and ‘Wheat Cut Moon’. All of these names come from a huge range of traditions that have their roots in the era before the Europeans decided to venture into the Americas.
Considering the importance of the Sun and the Moon in Native American society, it goes without saying that most of their agricultural or hunting practices would focus on the movement of the Moon, and the light shining from it.
Even in Almanacs, there are rivalries. And hence the Farmers’ Almanac has a better name for the August Full Moon, which is ‘Full Red Moon’. This is due to the color of the Moon on the August Full Moon.
And the author of the Almanac certainly believes his nickname to be better than the ‘Sturgeon Moon’. But, to his dismay, the tribes still continue to use the ‘Sturgeon Moon’ as their favorite and desired name.
Even if you missed the meteor shower, look ahead to the beauty of the Aquarius August Full Moon now!
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