Did you go outside and look at the moon last Saturday? If you didn’t, you should have! On Saturday the world was treated to a big, beautiful full moon. It just so happens Saturday’s moon was also the pink moon. What is the pink moon? Does it have any astrological significance? Read on to find out!
Folk Names for Full Moons
I’m going to rip this bandaid off right away: the pink moon isn’t actually pink. (Maybe, if you didn’t see it, that’ll come as a relief to you! It means you didn’t miss anything out of the ordinary.) Rather, the pink moon is the folk name given to each year’s April full moon by the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Almanac claims to get its full moon nicknames from sources like European settlers and Indigenous tribes, all of whom supposedly used the nicknames to help track the seasons. Is that origin story 100% true? I don’t know. But the nicknames, wherever they came from, have been recorded and are now in common use.
Here are the most common full moon nicknames:
January: Wolf Moon
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon
April: Pink Moon
May: Flower Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Buck Moon
August: Sturgeon Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Hunter’s Moon
November: Beaver Moon
December: Cold Moon
You can see it, right? Like, it makes sense that December would have the Cold Moon. If July had that moon I might scratch my head a little.
Why is April the pink moon, though? According to the Almanac, “This full Moon heralded the appearance of the “moss pink,” or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring wildflowers.” So the word pink doesn’t refer to the actual color of the moon itself, but rather the earth underneath the moon. That makes sense! Some alternate nicknames for the April moon are the Frog Moon, Sucker Moon, and Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs. You can see how giving the moon a nickname might help people keep track of what to expect each month before they had the Internet.
What the Current Moon Tells Us
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a connection between the pink moon’s folk nickname and your horoscope for this month, you’re not going to find it. Folk nicknames and astrology are two completely different systems. However, you can still learn a lot from the April full moon! This year’s pink moon was in Libra, the sign that governs balance, harmony, and justice. It was also in the 11th house, which governs friends, platonic relationships, and community. This lunar month, you can use that information to look at your relationships. Where are things harmonious, and where are they out of whack? Do you owe anyone an apology? Are you holding any grudges? Now is a great time to clear the air, or celebrate relationships that are strong.
Happy Pink Moon 2022!
(image: Getty Images)
