Esbats

Since today is a full moon day, I wanted to talk to you guys about the importance of the full moon in this month, January. But first I thought I should introduce you to the Esbats general meaning.

What is an Esbat all about?

For us the Wiccans or pagans, the Esbats or Full moons, are way to celebrate the cycle of nature, the Goddess and the Moon, as one.  They relate the advancing seasons with the magic of moonsheen. Even though the full moon rises at sunset on the opposite horizon from the sun, her mood reflects the seasons without being completely tethered to them. The Sabbats have their traditional purposes but the Esbats can run free. The energy is vibrant. Esbats are a time to laugh from the belly and dance like there is no tomorrow. It is a time of meditation and prayer. Just a time to enjoy what you been given and gave thanks. A time to get in touch with your inner self.

To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with the nature of the activity that took place at that time.  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.  

The names of the 13 moons

Wolf Moon - January

Storm Moon - February 
Chaste Moon - March 
Seed Moon - April 
Hare Moon - May
Dyad (pair) Moon - June
Mead Moon - July
Wyrt (green plant) Moon - August
Barley Moon - September
Blood Moon - October
Snow Moon - November
Oak Moon - December
Blue Moon - variable