Want to know your Beaver Moon from your Buck Moon? Your Strawberry Moon from your Hay Moon?
Then you are in the right place! We’ve decoded all the elements around the Moon Calendar so you know exactly what you’re looking at and what all the images and names refer to.
We’ll take you through every special Moon of the year, what they’re called, where they got their names from and when they occur.
We’ve even gone so far as to let you know all about Super Moons, Void Moons, Black Moons, Blue Moons, Moonbows, Meteor Showers and Eclipses - everything you need to know about the special Moons and celestial events in one place!
Keep on reading, have your Moon Calendar close to hand and get ready to attune to the Moon!
Moon Phase Studios, 2026 Moon Calendar.
Traditional Full Moons
Full Moons have been given different names by many cultures, including Celtic and Native American tribes who both used the phases of the moon to keep track of the seasons.
To mark the year and the special context of each, unique names were given to Full Moons to identify different months throughout the year, all of which have relevance to the seasons as well.
Through our products, we have gone through and deliberately chosen the best titles of each moon to fit our aesthetic and designs.
January - Wolf Moon
This moon was named Wolf Moon as it is said that villagers could hear the wolves howling with hunger during the cold snowy weather. It is also referred to as ‘The Moon after Yule’.
February - Snow Moon
As February traditionally has the greatest snowfall, this Full Moon is known as the Snow Moon. Others call it the Hunger Moon, due to the snow making it difficult to hunt for food.
March - Crow Moon (Worm Moon)
This is the last Full Moon of Winter. It is named after hearing the crow caw to signal the end of winter. It signifies exploration and discovery. It is also known as the Worm Moon because of the worm trails that can appear as the ground begins to thaw.
April - Seed Moon (Pink Moon)
This moon's name is derived from pink wildflowers that grow every Spring. It is also known as the Seed Moon as it is the time when the winds are beginning to pick up and seeds are blown around in the breeze spreading from one area to another. This moon represents the promise of new growth.
May - Flower Moon
Named after the beautiful blooms that occur during May, the Flower Moon is associated with healing as lots of Native traditions use flower remedies to heal.
June - Strawberry Moon
This is the peak harvesting season for strawberries in North America. It is one of the few Full Moons whose traditional name is universal. This moon is a time for growth and new beginnings.
July - Hay Moon (Buck Moon)
Named after the July hay harvest period, it’s also known as the Buck Moon, deriving from male deer shedding their antlers at this time.
August - Lightning Moon (Sturgeon Moon)
During the summer heat, electrical storms can be seen, hence the name Lightning Moon. It is also known as the Sturgeon Moon by North American fishing tribes due to the large numbers of freshwater fish that can be found in lakes and rivers at this time. This Full Moon signifies the ending of summer.
September - Harvest moon
This falls around the time of the Autumn Equinox, and is the time of year to gather crops. This bright Full Moon allows farmers to continue to harvest into the night.
October - Black Moon (Hunters Moon or Blood Moon)
This moon is popularly referred to as Hunters Moon, a time when deer and foxes would be hunted in the now bare fields. Like the September Harvest Moon, it is a very bright moon allowing hunters the opportunity to stalk their prey at night. It is also known as the Blood Moon due to it having a reddish hue.
November - Tree Moon (Beaver Moon)
The origin of the Beaver Moon comes from the setting of beaver traps when beavers are busy building their winter dams.
December - Moon Before Yule (Cold Moon)
This moon precedes the winter solstice and is also known as the ‘Long Night Moon’ for this reason.
Super Moons
A Super Moon is when a Full Moon is at its closest point to Earth, it will appear slightly bigger and brighter than a regular Full Moon. The energy at a Super Moon is always high and the effects are felt much more powerfully.
Void Moons
A Void Moon makes no aspect (or angle) to a planet so is said to be “void of course”. A Void Moon can slow things down so it’s a good time to recharge/brainstorm rather than starting something new. A time to be cautious with big decisions or deals! A Void Moon can last a few minutes or a few hours and can happen multiple times in a week.
Blue Moons
A Blue Moon rarely occurs. It happens when we have a second Full Moon in the same calendar month. It only happens once every 2.72 years hence the saying ‘Once in a Blue Moon’. When this happens we have 13 Full Moons in a year rather than 12. Once every 19 years there can be two Blue Moons in a year. This will happen in the January and March of the year when there is no Full Moon in February. A Blue Moon is associated with mystery and temptation.
Black Moons
A Black Moon can have several meanings. It can be a month when there is no New Moon in February or a month when there is no Full Moon, again in February.
A Black Moon can also be when, within a season, there are four New Moons rather than three. In this case it is the third New Moon of the season that is referred to as the Black Moon.
Meteor Showers
What is a meteor shower? …A meteor shower is caused as the Earth passes through debris left over from a passing comet. Most of this debris is no bigger than a grain of sand, but when this debris enters the atmosphere, it disintegrates leaving a display of bright trails in the sky. All meteor showers are marked on the Moon Calendar. To enjoy watching a meteor shower check on the Moon Calendar when it will be at its most active and find the darkest part outdoors. You will need to give your eyes around 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Then sit/lay back, keep watch and enjoy!
Eclipses
An eclipse occurs when one celestial object passes into the shadow of another. There are two types of eclipse: lunar and solar. The times and dates of each eclipse are marked around the edge of your Moon Calendar.
Total Solar Eclipse
A Solar Eclipse is when the sun is obscured by the moon and only happens during the New Moon phase of the lunar cycle. As the moon blocks the light of the sun it casts a shadow on part of the earth.
This shadow creates a path as the earth rotates and is called the ‘path of totality’. To experience total darkness during an eclipse you have to be in the path of totality. A total solar eclipse occurs approximately once every 18 months and will last for around 5-7 minutes.
Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse takes place when the moon and sun are not perfectly aligned, giving the sun a crescent shape. The amount of sun which will be obscured by the moon will depend on where you are viewing.
Total Lunar Eclipse
The lunar eclipse only happens during a Full Moon when the sun, moon and earth are in one straight line, while the moon passes through the darkest part of the earth’s shadow blocking the light of the sun shining on the moon. A total lunar eclipse occurs twice a year and lasts for around an hour. A lunar eclipse can be seen in many more places than a solar eclipse.
Partial Lunar eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only part of the earth's shadow covers the Moon. The Earth moves between the sun and moon but they do not perfectly align. A small part of the moon's surface is covered by the darkest, central part of the Earth's shadow called the umbra. The rest of the moon is covered by the outer part of the Earth's shadow called the penumbra.
Moonbows
A moonbow is known as a lunar rainbow. The light reflects from the surface of the moon rather than from the sun. For a moonbow to be created rain must fall opposite the moon. Moonbows are always in the opposite part of the sky from the moon. The ideal time to view a moonbow is around a Full Moon. There are only a few places in the world where you might see a Moonbow - Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border and Cumberland Falls near Corbin, Kentucky, USA.
Mercury Retrograde
A planet in retrograde means it appears to be moving backwards in orbit although this is just an illusion. As Mercury rules, amongst other things, travel, communication and technology, Mercury Retrograde is commonly viewed as a time period when things can go wrong. A retrograding planet always comes with the flavour of the sign that it is retrograding in.
