Full moons aren’t as rare as you might think!

Full moons appear in the night sky once a month. If you’re familiar with the phrase “once in a blue moon,” well, those are pretty rare. That’s when there are two full moons in a single month. But in a calendar year, there is typically only one full moon per month.

How it works, astrologically speaking:

Each month, the new moon begins a two-week initiating phase that builds up to a full moon, when we reap what we started at the new moon.

So there is a six-month buildup between new and full moons.

Each new moon falls in a specific zodiac sign.

Six months later, a full moon occurs in that same zodiac sign.

So why would I care about this new and full moon cycle?

Remember, energy awakens at the new moon, then peaks two weeks later at the full moon. Following a moon cycle is a great way to set goals and reap benefits.

Think of it as a check-and-balances for your life goals in six month chunks. Less pressure than making those annual New Year’s resolutions!

Full moons are ideal times for completions, emotional outpourings, and seeing projects come to fruition. They’re also your cue to cash in on anything you started at the corresponding new moon six months earlier.

You can:

Ask yourself: What have I been building toward? Full moons act as cosmic spotlights, illuminating what’s been hidden. Take stock of your efforts and change course at the full moon.

Perform a full moon ritual. This can help you harness the energy of a full moon and personally realize its benefits.

Trivia! In many cultures, farmers harvest by the full moon (what has typically been planted at a corresponding new moon).

full moon calendar 2021 — Photo by pawel szvmanski on Unsplash

Full moon calendar for 2021

Here are all the full moons for every month of 2021 and their zodiac signs:

January 28, 2:16 p.m., Leo full moon
February 27, 3:17 a.m., Virgo full moon
March 28, 2:48 p.m., Libra full moon
April 26, 11:31 p.m., Scorpio full moon
May 26, 7:13 a.m., Sagittarius full moon
June 24, 2:39 p.m., Capricorn full moon
July 23, 10:36 a.m., Aquarius full moon (first of two in 2021)
August 22, 8:01 a.m., Aquarius full moon (second of two in 2021)
September 20, 7:54 p.m., Pisces full moon
October 20, 10:56 a.m., Aries full moon
November 19, 3:57 p.m., Taurus full moon
December 18, 11:35 p.m., Gemini full moon

So what’s a Strawberry moon or a Wolf moon I’m always reading about?

As noted above, farmers plant and harvest by the moons. Many farmers use the full moon names given by Native American tribes to describe what was blooming or being harvested (plants and flowers!) and what was prowling or being hunted (animals!)

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon calendar with their most common Native American names (and now will know what they mean!)

January: Wolf Moon, named for the presence of wolfs around this time of year.
February: Snow Moon, because the heaviest snow falls during this month.
March: Worm Moon, called so because the earth begins to thaw and there is presence of worms for spring’s robins.
April: Pink Moon, named literally for moss that appeared pink at this time of year.
May: Flower Moon, because flowers are plentiful this time of year in most places.
June: Strawberry Moon, for the fruit that ripens this month (and some swear the moon appears pinkish in June)
July: Buck Moon, named so for the spring bucks whose antlers develop typically around this time.
August: Sturgeon Moon, called this mostly by fishing tribes during this month when these fish were plentiful
September: Harvest Moon or Corn Moon, named literally because this is when corn was harvested (among other crops).
October: Hunter’s Moon (or Blood Moon), called so because animals by this month were often hunted to feed for the winter.
November: Beaver Moon, for the time of year these animals were harvested for their pelts.
December: Cold Moon, to reflect the long, cold nights of winter taking hold.

Was I born during a full moon?

See if you were born during a full moon — do your birth chart now!

You’ll need your exact time, date and place of birth to do an accurate chart to see if you were born during a full moon. Ask your parents if they remember your birth time, if you don’t have your certificate. If your birth time is unknown, use noon to calculate your chart.

do a free astrology chart with the astrotwins

You might be wondering:

What’s it mean if I’m born during a full moon?

Because a full moon is the peak point of a moon, people born during a full moon are often inspired and full of energy especially for their most passionate pursuits.

Does that mean I’m boring if I wasn’t born during a full moon?

Of course not! You may have a birthday that falls on a full moon in a calendar year. But we all benefit from the energy of a full moon at any time in our lives.

But wait, there’s more!

You can use our moon calculator to see moon positions on your birth day or any point in time.

What if I was born during a blue moon?

What’s that even mean?

A blue moon occurs when there is a second full moon in a single calendar month. In 2021, there are two full moons back-to-back in Aquarius, but because the first one is in July and the second one is in August, it’s just a rare occurrence (still cool!), but not a blue moon.

Rituals are an easy way to harness full moon energy

The word ritual can conjure up some Hollywood-esque ideas (hello, Charmed), but rest assured, our rituals are things you can do in daily life that are good habits or acts of self care–they simply direct your intentions. No potions, just motions!

And we have full moon rituals that correspond to the full moon calendar for 2021.