Blooming Moon / Flower Moon
May 26th 22:02 CDT / May 27th 04:02 BST
Hello All,
I hope spring has brought you some lovely weather, wherever you are receiving this. It is hard to believe we have already moved into the final month of the season. According to my 2025 lunations calendars this lunar month brings us the Blooming Moon in the North American version; also known as the Berries Ripen Moon, the Green Corn Moon, the Strawberry Moon, and the Hot Moon - and the Flower Moon the UK version; also known as the Rose Moon, the Planting Moon, the Dyan Moon, and the Mead Moon. All of this to say that the Northern Hemisphere is in full-on growing mode.
American History
As the Blooming Moon suggests, the world around us is in flower. Plants are very important to the Anishinaabeg and they have many stories about them, including many stories about flowers. One such story tells of the year the roses died. It is told how many creatures relied upon the roses for survival. The bees took their pollen, the butterflies laid their eggs in them and the caterpillars ate their leaves, the rabbits ate their stems, and the birds ate their seeds. One year no roses grew and the creatures all blamed each other for the obliteration. The creator saw what had happened and decided he would bring the roses back, but with one change - they would now have thorns to make the creatures think twice about taking from them so casually. In this way the rose teaches balance and respect for the limited gifts from nature.
British History
The Flower Moon’s name gives us an idea of the extent of the transformation of the landscape that our predecessors witnessed at this time of year. While we still see it today, it must have been a much grander experience then: to witness the blossoming of the countryside after the long barren months prior. The flowers that bloomed in the wild would have not only been a visual feast for the eyes, but also an olfactory one.
Also importantly, a flower is often a promise of fruit to come, and at times a medicine. Yarrow, elderflower, St. Johns wort, borage, and mugwort (just to name a few) were all offered up in abundance by the earth. For little work, their nourishment and healing powers were there for the taking. It must have seemed a great gift to receive spring’s bounty after the seasonal dearth of forageable goods. In a time when all the things we need are waiting for us, year-round, on a shelf at the store, we have little idea what it would have been like to watch the raw materials for food, medicine, perfumes, and decoration suddenly exploding from the landscape all around you.
Sometimes a lunar month was named for the difficulty that the time presented, and other times it was for the thing that was most anticipated.
Lunar Science
Mankind has seemingly always believed, or at least suspected, that the lunar phases affect both our mental and physical health. Even as we have largely lost touch with the natural cycles of our world, we still often hear people talking about the full moon sending us a bit wild. Is there anything to it?
Concerning our circadian rhythm and, more specifically, sleep, a 2013 Swiss study points to there being truth behind this idea. The study looked at data taken from subjects who slept in a controlled lab setting, away from visible light variations caused by the changing moon phases. It found that around the time of the full moon, deep sleep decreases by 30%, the amount of time it takes to fall asleep increases by 5 minutes, and total sleep duration is reduced by 20 minutes. Melatonin levels go down, and sleep quality decreases.
A hypothesis around this research suggests that this is an inherited adaptation from pre-industrial times, when we relied on moonlit nights that enabled activities otherwise limited by darkness.
Lunar Astrology
The new moon on May 26th/27th will be in Gemini, while the full phase on June 11th will be in Sagittarius. Gemini and Sagittarius form an axis that, among other things, is based on knowledge and learning. While Gemini focuses on the details, Sagittarius is concerned with the broader scope of things.
Ruled by Mercury (the messenger god), Gemini is the sign of communication. A new moon in Gemini is a great moment to begin writing that novel that’s been secretly simmering in the back of your mind, or to start the journaling project you’ve been procrastinating, or to finally call all the old friends you’ve been meaning to catch up with, or just to get something off your chest so you can begin anew. It’s all about getting the word out, and the communication god is in your favor!
However, beware the restlessness of Gemini. (William Blake associated Gemini with the flea - always jumping around). Whatever you begin on the new moon, keep in mind that it is building up to a full phase in Sagittarius. Sagittarius demands a more measured and thoughtful communication, so get your ideas ship-shape by the 11th if you want them to carry any weight.
Speaking of weight, Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter (growth, expansion, opportunity, good fortune), so when it meets the full moon (when things reach their peak and come to fruition) you can expect it to be a loud one.
All my best, and until the next lunar month,
Claire
