August’s sturgeon full moon embodies the final wisps of summer days and the start of harvest season. As the leaves turn orange and autumn sets in, anticipation stirs deep within us. You know you can feel it; a quickening just beneath the surface, in your spirit.
With the full sturgeon moon in the sky, you’ll notice the days growing shorter and the sunlight weakening. The final summer days as August heat swelters around us remind us of pumpkin spice lattes and sweater weather. Time’s up for our growing crops and it’s harvest time. This could be literal or metaphorical for us.
However, we need to be patient for a little longer as our hard work fully culminates. Every full moon has a name, depending on the month and season it appears in. Names for each full moon, like full sturgeon moon, allow us to reflect on each season. How that season affects us and the natural world around has to be part of that contemplation.
There’s definitely variations to the names of these full moons on account of their different origins. Some names have roots in European and Native American history, for example. Below is a guide to the full sturgeon moon and its meaning.
Full Sturgeon Moon Meaning
So what is a full sturgeon moon, really? A full sturgeon moon symbolizes the easily caught freshwater fish, the sturgeon. The sturgeon is a fish most commonly caught during the hot summer month of August in North America.
Sturgeons are an archaic fish; they’re very old as a species. Gray-green in color, their ancestry is traceable all the way back to over 200 million years ago! The fish themselves grow to impressive sizes of 6 to 10 feet in length. Some of them even live to be at least 100 years old. Their numbers dropped due to overfishing for their meat and eggs in the 19th century. Later, conservation efforts helped their population increase again.
August’s sturgeon moon gives you the opportunity to align your spiritual intentions with the strong sturgeon. That’s what the sturgeon moon symbolism is for; so you can invoke your own power and resilience. Such power and resilience is inherent in the nature of the sturgeon fish, as proven by its survival for millions of years.
So when the harvest season closes in, what does full sturgeon moon mean? The significance of sturgeon moon is something you can understand when you learn what the full sturgeon moon means. Like the sturgeon, you can adapt and persevere through any of the many challenges of life.
Did you have big ambitions last winter or spring that you really want to see accomplished? The full sturgeon moon of August has the energy to encourage you to leap through the hurdles to that. It’s really okay to admit you’ve fallen off track and dust yourself off. After that, you’ll definitely try again with renewed vigor and better understanding of where you went wrong the first time.
Sturgeons
To better understand the nature of the sturgeon moon, it will probably help to know its namesake. The sturgeon is a North American fish that looks rather prehistoric. That’s because it is; the sturgeon species dates back to over 136 million years ago! Creatures like them earned the nickname “living fossils” in the paleontological community.
Time seems to move a lot slower for their species in the way of reproduction. Female sturgeons take about 20 years from birth before they’re capable of reproducing! Even then, they can only reproduce every 4 years from conception. Don’t worry about this seemingly slow birth rate, though. Sturgeons can live up to 150 years each!
Today, there are about 29 known species of sturgeon around the world. Examples of such species include the lake sturgeon, which lives in the Great Lakes of the USA. Others vary in size from ones akin to a bass to monster sturgeon as large as a Volkswagen!
Despite being such a noble species that survived the test of time, sturgeon populations were in decline. Sadly, the decline was because of humans overfishing them during the 19th century. Pollution and habitat damage also contributed to this. Fortunately though, their populations are growing again because of conservation efforts.
Spiritual Meaning
When a sturgeon moon is up in the sky, its spiritual meaning is much clearer. Among its meanings and intentions are gratitude and reaping the harvest. A flourishing harvest and life accompany the intention of more gumption. More intentions like perseverance under future moons are also part of the sturgeon moon spiritual meaning.
Remember that the sturgeon moon heralds the coming of autumn and the end of summer. Seeds of potential that you planted spiritually or literally in the spring are set to bloom into the harvest. Everything that you prepared during the summer is ready for you to harvest, and the benefits are sweet as fruit.
As you witness the full autumn moon rise, breathe in and out. Recall all the struggles you went through in the past month as you planted the seeds of potential. Every intention you planted and every action you made is about to show its fruits. Sweet are the fruits you’ll harvest, both spiritually and physically.
Ultimately, the spiritual meaning of the sturgeon moon is the claiming of a more fruitful life. When you think about the autumn harvest, what do you think about? Do you think about the sweet fruits that you harvest with others in the fields? How about the fullness of your heart as you spend time with your friends and family?
Enter the autumn season with a grateful heart and with a determination to persevere. That way, you can best reap the sweet beneficial fruits of the sturgeon moon. Let your gumption drive you to take the initiative and make it a great lunar cycle for you and everyone else!
Other Names for the Sturgeon Moon
The sturgeon moon has many other names, owing it to essentially being a harvest moon in August. One name is the Flying Up Moon, which is a Cree term referring to when young birds learn to fly. The Cree are a very large North American indigenous tribe that primarily live in Canada.
As a hunting tribe primarily, the Cree gave the name in reference to the nature that they frequently partake in. They mark the harvest moon of August with a name for a time of growth. Like the first time a bird ever learns to fly, the potential of their wings finally seeing fruit.
Another name for the sturgeon moon is the Corn Moon. That name comes from the Algonquian tribe. This populous indigenous tribe hails upriver from Montreal. The Algonquian tribe had a specific market advantage as fur trader intermediaries. They named the sturgeon moon the Corn Moon to commemorate the harvest of corn in August.
Harvests are a key part of the sturgeon moon’s meaning and the time it appears. Naturally, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a lot of the other names for it carry “harvest” references. For example, the Assiniboine tribe named it the Black Cherries Moon. The name refers to the time when the chokecherries ripen for their tribe to harvest. Assiniboine tribesmen are famous for their horsemanship. They also equally involved their women in community life as hunters.
All of these names carry the essential meaning of the sturgeon moon: gratitude for a time of plentiful harvest. When the full moon of August rises, it signaled to indigenous people that it was time for the harvest soon. This came naturally to them as people who were in touch with nature and the spiritual forces within and without.
August Moon Phases
Lunar phases vary as time passes, so it’s important to know when certain moons arrive. That way, we can best take advantage of the spiritual energy that the moon brings. New moons are times that signal the planting of new seeds and the preparation of potential. This is because they signify the beginning of a new lunar cycle
Because of this, new moons are a great time for you to plant the seeds of intention. The new moon for August 2021 will rise in the sky on August 8, 2021 at 9:50 PM. At this time, perform New Moon Rituals and prepare yourself for an exciting new lunar cycle.
The first quarter of the moon will come out on August 15 at 11:21 PM. First quarters are a good time to examine the progress of the seeds of intentions you planted. How is your progress in working towards your goals? Are you working hard enough or do you need to plod on with more determination?
The full moon for harvesting your potential fruits will come on August 22, 2021 at 8:02 PM. Sturgeon moons like this are a great time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, so enjoy them happily! Of course, if you don’t harvest a great deal, recheck how you handled the days prior. Did you plant enough seeds of potential and intention? How about the work you put in to make them fruit?
Finally, the last quarter of the August moon will appear in the sky on August 30 at 3:15 AM. Last quarter moons symbolize letting go and forgiveness. Think about all the negative things that you experienced. Help yourself forgive these negativities, lest they become grudges that weigh you down.
Moon Folklore
The moon was such an important part of indigenous folklore and custom. Tribesfolk would make their decisions depending on the celestial bodies they saw. Stars and the moon were some of the bodies they used to decide things like when to harvest crops.
In light of that, some indigenous tribes developed folklore around activities done during the full moon. Ever hear that you shouldn’t break mirrors or you’ll have bad luck? This is like that; they believe that clothes washed for the first time under a full moon won’t last long.
Another piece of folklore about moons they hold is about the new moon. Supposedly, if you happen to see the new moon after looking over your right shoulder, good luck is coming. The energy of potential planting is also strong with the folklore about starting your projects on the new moon.
Projects that begin on the new moon are more likely to prosper or succeed as an endeavor. So if you want your creations to succeed, start them specifically on the night of the new moon. For this year, that means August 8, 2021. Don’t worry if you missed it! There will be other new moons.
Finally, full moons symbolize a full harvest and great fruits. Because of this, folklore about births during the full moon abound. Babies that are born a day after a full moon are likely to enjoy auspicious success and endurance in life.
All of these pieces of lunar folklore originate from various indigenous tribes in North America. With the myriad tribes, the lunar folklore may be consistent between some and wildly different from others. Whichever it is, enjoy the fruits of the harvest moon and the energy of the resilient sturgeon this autumn!