Blue Moon

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Oct 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

New River	27 Oct 2001
My moon calendar says that the moon is full and in taurus for Samhain. this would make it the second full moon this month. my grampa always told me that the second full moon in a month was called a blue moon. recently, someone told me that this wasn't true and that a blue moon was something else, but i can't remember what. i've loaned out my Living by the Moon book so cannot look it up. does anyone have info on this? even if it's not a blue moon does the second full moon in a month carry magical significance? thanks in advance for your help with this. love, light and magic, New River

Jeanette	27 Oct 2001
I think you are right, 2 full moons in a month mean the second is a "blue moon." But I don't know this as a fact, maybe someone else does!

Strange2	27 Oct 2001
According to the Sky & Telescope magazine website, at: http://www.skypub.com/sights/moonplanets/9905bluemoon.html "A Blue Moon occurs when a season has four full Moons, rather than the usual three. This type of Blue Moon is found only in February, May, August, and November, one month before the next equinox or solstice. According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full Moon in a calendar month. This type of Blue Moon can occur in any month but February, which is always shorter than the time between successive full Moons." "When a season contains four full Moons, the third is called a Blue Moon. Why is the third full Moon identified as the extra one in a season with four? Because only then will the names of the other full Moons, such as the Moon Before Yule and the Moon After Yule, fall at the proper times relative to the solstices and equinoxes." Here's another interesting article on Folklore of the Blue Moon: http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSBlueMoon.html

jade	28 Oct 2001
what great info. thanks!!! :-) jade ps a full moon for my daughter's birthday! how magical :-)

nexyjo	28 Oct 2001
technically, the blue moon occurs next month in november. the full moon on samhain is after midnight, so in effect, it's really on the 1st of november. there's a second full moon on november 30th, which is the blue moon. luv and light, nexy

jade	28 Oct 2001
good point nexy, the moon is full for three nights, but the actual night of the full moon is 2nd night. love and light, jade

New River	29 Oct 2001
Thank you all! this is just the kind of info i was craving. i knew people here would be able to help me. could i say, people like you come along once in a blue moon! love, light and hope, New River

nexyjo	29 Oct 2001
sheesh, i'm not thinking three dimentionally - sorry. actually, it's only on the east coast, and east of here to the international date line, that the blue moon falls in november. for those west, the blue moon is on samhain, just before midnight. doh! luv and light, nexy

mystic	30 Oct 2001
Talk about the moons the blue.....November 2001 will have 2 full moons. On the 1st of November the moon will be 99.7% full and on the 30th it will be 99.9% full. Use them wisely!!

coldsuns	04 Jun 2003
Ah..so interesting! Can someone tell me when is the next Blue Moon? Or..what special moon will be the next coming up?

Pollux	04 Jun 2003
I supposed we just had one in May honey ;)

Astraea	04 Jun 2003
Here's a link to an interesting page exploring the definitions of the Blue Moon: http://wilstar.net/bluemoon.htm

The Blue Moon thread was originally posted on 27 Oct 2001 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.