A Full Moon is considered “blue” when it’s the second Full Moon in a month, a phenomenon occurring approximately once every two to three years, which may or may not be rare enough to deserve its cliche, “once in a blue Moon.” You won’t find much lore about Blue Moons in ceremonial history. That’s because they’re man-made, not Moon made. Luna has never given us two Full Moons in one cycle and never will. Blue Moons are simply a gift (or curse) of the Western calendar, which is alas, disconnected from the natural cycles of the Sun and Moon.
It’s a modern Moon holiday that actually arose out of a misunderstanding. One of the first to write about Blue Moons was James Hugh Pruett, who defined them in a 1946 article in Sky & Telescope as the second Full Moon in a month. The trouble is, his source was the Maine Farmers’ Almanac, which when fact-checked by Phillip Hiscock for a 1999 Sky & Telescope piece, revealed that Pruett had gotten it wrong. The Maine Farmers’ Almanac used the term to describe the fourth Full Moon in a season. This is a different celestial event. At least this definition is based on the natural calendar. Although I’m still not sure what we should make of having four Full Moons in a season instead of the usual three.
Honestly, the only reason I think the culture still cares about Blue Moons is that hauntingly beautiful Elvis song. If there’s a sacred ceremony that’s appropriate for this lunar holiday, it should definitely include sitting in moonlight while playing that Elvis song. (And now, with so many digital resources, you have no reason not to.)
So, of this confused modern thing called a Blue Moon, you can make whatever you want. It’s a great excuse for a Moon watching party. Just remember–the best way to make this or any Full Moon special is really quite simple. Just give yourself and the Moon some time and honest attention. If you missed the first Full Moon of this month, you get another chance to nourish yourself tonight. And that may be an especially good idea with Venus retrograde. Passions and confusion are easily roused these days.
The Moon is Full and Venus is retrograde—the perfect time to connect with your inner goddess. Try my “Your Venus Unleashed” report! I’m running a retrograde special for $10 off 50+ pages about your Venus. To get the discount, after you submit your name and birth data, you’ll reach the payment page. Select the $35 “Venus report for a friend” payment button on checkout. Click here!
I was wondering about that- thank you for sparing me the guilt of having wasted another “once in a lifetime chance”! In fact, thank you for everything you say and the life you’ve lived behind it- you are my soul heart hero Dana!