The Emotional Meaning Of The Harvest Moon Will Help You Realize How Much You've Accomplished

Summer has come and gone, and although it was a wild and exhilarating adventure, the cycle of the four seasons prove that all good things must come to an end. Although many of us will miss summer with aching hearts, it's time to let the sunshine go and embrace the cold, creeping arms of autumn. As dismal as the shift sounds, autumn never arrives too late or too early. Mother Nature always has a plan in mind, and when she feels summer has reached its end, it's time to trust her judgement. If you don't believe me, then the emotional meaning of the Harvest Moon 2018 proves that the natural world is always guiding you towards a greater truth.

Scheduled to rise 10:52 p.m. EST on September 24, 2018, according to TimeAndDate, the Harvest Moon arrives just in time to infuse the transition from summer to fall with deeper significance. Occurring just two days after the autumn equinox announces the next seasonal chapter on September 22, the Harvest Moon sends autumn's spiritual and emotional effect straight into your soul. What is the point of autumn? Why does it occur right after the liveliest season of all? If you're searching for answers to these questions, look no further than the emotional meaning of this month's full moon.

First of all, where does the Harvest Moon get its moniker? Well, according to TimeAndDate, the poetic titles that adorn all the full moons out of the year are rooted in American history. In fact, ever since ancient times, both European and Native American tribes have adorned full moons with a name that invokes imagery from the current season. For example, last month's Sturgeon Moon was named after the large population of sturgeon fish swimming through the Great Lakes. July's Thunder Moon was named after the intense thunderstorms occurring all across the country during the summer months.

As these cultures mixed over the course of history, these full moon names are what remains from an age-old calendrical system. While we now use the 365-day Gregorian calendar, societies of the old relied on the lunar cycle to recognize the passing of time. And, with a full moon named after the harvest, can you guess what this upcoming lunation signified?

The summer months are when nature is at its most nourishing, making it the perfect time to cultivate crops and nurture agricultural developments that began as mere seedlings in the spring. However, due to the nature of mortality, growth eventually reaches a point of steady decline. When the autumn equinox arrives, it's time to harvest all that has been growing from the earth, stocking up on food for the long and difficult winter months that lie ahead.

The Harvest Moon always occurs somewhere between two weeks before and two weeks after the autumn equinox, according to Farmer's Almanac. However, the Harvest Moon's significance runs even deeper than that. Normally, the moon rises around 50 minutes later each day. According to TimeAndDate, this is how the moon travels through each and every phase in the lunar cycle. Deviating from the norm, the moon rises less than 50 minutes later during the days surrounding the Harvest Moon. As reported by TimeAndDate, this makes the Harvest Moon an incredibly fortunate time for farmers, as the early moonrise gave them more time to harvest crops.

To make the Harvest Moon even more special, it always occurs in the fiery, energetic, and fearless zodiac sign of Aries. Since this full moon is meant to be a spiritual time in which you harvest the results of the intentions that you set way back in spring, the courage from Aries will help you conquer the fears that are still holding you back from success.

It's time to take a long look at how far you've come, at how your current focus is enriching your life. If you're unhappy with the outcome of your year, be brave enough to let go of what's no longer working for you. However, if it's clear that you're on the right track, the full Harvest Moon in Aries is here to give you the motivating push to keep going.