falling leaves moon / harvest moon
Sep/Oct 2025
Hello All,
This lunar month is the Falling Leaves Moon in the North American version of my 2025 lunations calendars and the Harvest Moon the UK version.
American History
The Falling Leaves Moon marks the peak of fall foliage. It's a period of abundance's end, signaling preparation for dormancy and the hardships of winter ahead. Mother Earth now vibrantly adorns herself—a time described in Anishinaabeg stories as her grandest display of color and gratitude for the growing season's bounty.
During the Falling Leaves Moon, Anishinaabeg communities are harvesting the last crops, gathering medicines like birch bark or late-blooming herbs, and collecting acorns or hazelnuts for storage. Tracking game is made easier as visibility improves in the cleared fields, while families process wild rice from earlier moons and store food in birchbark containers.
Culturally, it's a reflective phase: elders share stories around the fire about resilience and change, teaching the value of letting go—like the leaves releasing from the trees. Rituals might include offerings of tobacco to the four directions or ceremonies honoring the colors of the season.
In the broader context of Indigenous knowledge, the Falling Leaves Moon embodies the Anishinaabeg philosophy of living in harmony with cycles of growth and release. As leaves fall to nourish the soil, so too do people reflect on personal "shedding"—releasing old habits or grief to make way for renewal.
British History
Despite the common belief that the Harvest moon is always in September, it is actually the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, falling either in the two weeks prior or the two weeks following. That puts this year’s full Harvest moon in early October.
This moon brings the peak of the grain reaping season. The Oxford English Dictionary cites references to the "Harvest Moon" in English texts as early as 1706, describing it as the "Moon whose shining is most useful to Farmers," while the Victorian Almanacs emphasized the Harvest Moon as a vital astronomical and practical event.
This is because the full Harvest moon has a unique trait. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the only time of year that a full moon exhibits the minimal rise-time delay. This means that, due to the shallow angle of its orbit, the full moon rises near the time of sunset for several consecutive nights, providing more evening and early night moonlight. The more northerly you go, the shorter the delay. So, in places like the UK, moonrise happens only 10-20 minutes later each consecutive evening, as opposed to the normal 50 minutes. This ensures the lights are kept on, so to speak, while farmers complete work that is so vast it spills into the dark hours. In times preceding artificial light this was vital.
Old Moore's Almanack provided Victorians with notes on how this prolonged evening glow extended harvest hours—crucial for gathering wheat, barley, and root crops before frost. The almanac's editor, often pseudonymously called "Old Moore," wove in proverbs like "If the Harvest Moon rises red, expect wet fields ahead," linking it to weather forecasts derived from lunar positions. This reflected Victorian anxieties over crop yields amid poor seasons, such as the 1879 "Long Depression" harvests, where almanacs sold over 100,000 copies annually as morale boosters. Folklore sections evoked Celtic roots, portraying the moon as a harvest guardian, with rituals like "horkey suppers" (feasts with moonlit dances) evolving into church-led Harvest Festivals.
Lunar Science
The New Moon on September 21 coincides with a partial solar eclipse, during which the Moon will cover up to 82% of the Sun’s disk. Visibility will primarily be in the southern hemisphere.
The Full Moon on October 6/7 brings a total lunar eclipse. This eclipse is bound to be an even more fantastic spectacle due to its supermoon status. The eclipse will span over 5 hours, with totality lasting 82 minutes. If you’re a UK resident, the Moon rises during the partial phase around 7:33 p.m. BST on October 6, so early stages may be visible low on the horizon. If you’re out and about in the wee hours, totality will occur from 3:19–4:41 a.m. BST. Unfortunately, the action will happen out of view for most of North America.
These two eclipses along with the full lunar eclipse of September 7/8 make what is called an “eclipse season”. This clustering is typical, as eclipses often come in pairs or trios within a 35-day period, when the Moon’s orbit aligns closely with the ecliptic (the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun), allowing the Moon’s shadow to hit Earth (solar eclipse) or Earth’s shadow to cover the Moon (lunar eclipse).
Lunar Astrology
The new moon in Libra on September 21st and the full moon in Aries On October 6th/7th will activate the self/other axis. This can create a dynamic interplay between partnership and independence.
As one of the two signs ruled by Venus, Libra encourages balance in relationships, whether romantic, professional, or platonic. The new moon here is an ideal time to negotiate partnerships, give a troubled relationship a diplomatic reset, or begin creative projects that emphasize collaboration. Beware of Libra’s tendency towards indecision—focus on clear, attainable goals to avoid overthinking or prioritizing others’ needs over your own.
The Full Moon in Aries brings in bold, self-sure energy that contrasts with Libra’s cooperative vibe. Governed by Mars, your personal desires will be illuminated by this full moon. This is a good time to release anything stifling your authenticity, such as outdated roles or suppressed ambitions. This Full Moon may spark moments of courage or confrontation. Channel Aries’ fiery nature to assert yourself and bring your personal goals to fruition. Just try to avoid leaning too hard into the impulsiveness of Aries -that could disrupt any relationships you’ve just given a gentle Libran makeover.
All my best, and until the next lunar month,
Claire
