Today is a New Moon, so we are waxing toward October's Full Blood or Hunter's Moon, which will occur on Wednesday, October 8th. October's Full Moon is called both the Hunter's Moon and the Blood Moon.
It is called the Hunter's Moon because it was during this Full Moon that the hunters would go out to hunt their game for stockpiling up for the winter season.
The Full Blood Moon refers to the color of the Moon at this time of year. It is quite often an orange-red due to the elevation of its rise through the atmosphere. The Blood Moon is the Full Moon after the Harvest Moon, which is the closest Full Moon to the Autumn Equinox. The Blood Moon may occur as late as November, but usually it is in October.
While Samhain, the Witch's New Year, is considered the time that the Veil is thinnest and contact with those who have passed is easiest, it is also believed by some that this Full Blood Moon is when the Veil is the thinnest. I find this more likely to be historically correct. Our ancestors worked and lived by the sun and moon. Planting and harvesting by the sun, and hunting by the moon, thus Blood Moon would have been more likely to be the sign they would've looked for as the "right time" for the Veil to be its thinnest.
Regardless of when you honor your ancestors, at Samhain or the Blood Moon, know that the Veil is beginning to thin now, from this New Moon and will continue to do so for the next 6 weeks (this year). Begin now to plan for what sort of ritual you will do to honor those who've passed before you. Simply lighting a candle and a moment of reminiscing is more than enough to acknowledge them. Or you could plan a full ritual. Even a Dumb Supper might be something to consider! (here is an excellent article on the subject)
This is a very powerful time of year so don't let it pass you by without acknowledging it in some way. Go outside and enjoy the cooler weather, the changing colors on the trees, watching the squirrels horde their nuts for the winter, notice the color of the light as the day wanes. There are an unlimited number of things you can do!
Why not consecrate a bottle of water under the New Moon, leaving it out until the Full Moon. Use this sacred consecrated water in a ritual for your Loved Ones. The blessings of Sister Moon and Mother Earth can help send love and any necessary healing to those who have passed and those left behind. When the ritual is completed, then either keep the water in a bottle on the altar until next year's Blood Moon (or Samhain), or pour it out on the ground as an offering of thanks.
Whether simple or elaborate it doesn't matter...but do something to honor your ancestors this beautiful Autumn Season!
New Moon Correspondences
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Phase:
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Attribute:
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Intents:
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Time:
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New Moon
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Beginnings
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Beginnings, Creation, Examine what’s hidden,
Purity
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New Moon to 3½
days after
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October:
Names:
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Blood Moon, Falling Leaf Moon, Harvest Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, Shedding Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Winterfelleth, Windermanoth
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Deities:
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Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi, Mercury
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Nature Spirits:
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Frost Faeries, Plant Faeries
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Element:
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Air
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Herbs:
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Angelica, Apple Blossom, Burdock, Catnip, Mint family, Pennyroyal, Sweet Annie, Thyme, Uva Ursi
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Trees:
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Acacia, Apple, Cypress, Yew
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Flowers:
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Calendula, Cosmos, Marigold
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Scents:
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Apple Blossom, Cherry, Strawberry
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Stones:
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Amethyst, Beryl, Obsidian, Opal, Tourmaline, Turquoise
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Colors:
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Black, Dark Blue-Green, Purples
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Animals:
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Elephant, Jackal, Ram, Scorpion, Stag
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Birds:
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Crow, Heron, Robin
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Energy:
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Artistic works, Balance, Creativity, Harmony, Inner cleansing, Justice, Karma, Legal matters, Mental stimulation, Partnerships, Reincarnation, Uncover mysteries or secrets
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