The Naming of the Moons

Today I finished an excellent book called, The Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen.  I meant to read her earlier books, Garden Spells, and The Sugar Queen, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I quite enjoyed this book, so it gives me more motivation to go back and read her others now.

In the back of the book is a description of the Native American lore around each monthly full moon. I got the following info from the Farmers' Almanac.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year.

November is called the Full Beaver Moon.

Beaver traps were set during this time, before the waters froze, so furs would be in abundance for the cold months ahead. For some people, the full Beaver Moon is the last chance to do something they've wanted to do but put off, before the heaviness of winter settles over them.

When I went to check when the full moon was this month, I discovered it was today! What a coincidence.

So this is a good reminder to stop putting off something important or something you want to do and get it done. I know I tend to be lazier during the winter months because it's just so darn dark (and cold).