Lifestyle

The Spiritual Meaning Of The Strawberry Moon Will Sweeten Your Sky With Summer Vibes

by Roya Backlund

Whenever I think of summer, thoughts of hot, sunny afternoons spent cooling off with a bowl of fruit come to mind. Sweetness spreading throughout your mouth, juice tinting your lips red, and the feeling of your thirst being quenched is a priceless sensation. There's nothing that captures the feeling of summer more, which is why it makes so much sense that the full moon in the month of June is known as the Strawberry Moon. I don't know about you, but the name conjures images of a bright and vivid moon casting its sugary glow across meadows full of ripening strawberries. I promise, the spiritual meaning of the Strawberry Moon is just as satisfying. Is the melody of "Strawberry Fields Forever" currently playing in anyone's head?

As fanciful as the name "Strawberry Moon," might sound, it has its roots in a long line of cultural tradition. Since ancient times, Native Americans have given a descriptive name to each full moon out of the year, according to Timeanddate.com. The name is always inspired by the state of the natural world often associated with the month in which the full moon takes place. As European colonists settled in North America, the two cultures merged, and what remains to this day are lunar titles such as the Strawberry Moon.

While our current society uses the 365-day Gregorian calendar to decipher what time of year it is, the majority of ancient societies abided by the lunar cycle to understand the changing seasons. The shifting shapes of the moon are a constant source of wonder and a reliable way to trace the passing of time. A full moon lights up the night sky every 28 days, flooding our world with light, magic, and power. Granting each full moon with a specific name allowed ancient societies to remember the season in question and ponder its effects on the natural world.

June is the month where strawberries are finally ripe enough to be picked, according to Farmer's Almanac. Starting as light green and tasteless, they overtime form plump, juicy, sweet, and reddened berries that are just begging to be eaten. If there's anything that gets you more excited for the month of June than the idea of eating fresh strawberries, I don't know what it is.

If the name "Strawberry Moon," wasn't sweet enough already, there are even more names associated with the June full moon. Because not all regions grow strawberries during this time of the year, it's additionally known as the "Rose Moon" and the "Hot Moon" in certain places. June, the month that marks the culmination of spring and the launch of summer, is when roses are finally able to bloom in their fullest glory, spreading their velvety and perfumed petals wide open for the admiring. Since this is also the month in which the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, takes place, it makes perfect sense that it would also be known as the Hot Moon. With the sun lingering in the sky, the temperatures are rising and the weather is scorching. You know how summer goes.

Rising at 12:53 a.m EST on June 28, 2018, this year's full Strawberry Moon will bring the sweet and sugary vibes of summer straight into your night sky. There's no better way to become acquainted with the changing seasons than by setting aside time to ponder its glimmering glow and absorb its power.

Since the full moon of June is almost always in Capricorn, it will be a time to reflect on how seriously you've been focusing on making your dreams of wealth, happiness, and success a reality. Like finally allowing yourself to indulge in some well-deserved strawberries, it will also be a night to reap the rewards of your hard work.