summer major goose moon / gentle moon
jun/jul 2026
Hello All,
Welcome to the new moon in Gemini — a light and communicative energy that sparks fresh ideas, conversations, and connections. Gemini doesn’t wait around, so let’s dive in!
☽O☾
British History – Gentle Moon
The Anglo-Saxons called this lunar month “Litha”. As discussed in last month’s newsletter, Litha means “gentle” or “navigable,” referring to the soft, warm breezes and calm seas that made sailing easier at this time of year.
This year is special because it is a “Trilithi” year — a year with an extra, third Litha month inserted to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the seasons. The Anglo-Saxons added this intercalary month during summer in certain years, creating three gentle months instead of the more typical two. Similar to the practice of naming an “extra” moon a “blue moon”, it was a practical way to prevent the lunar calendar from drifting too far afield of the solar year.
The lovely thing about a Trilithi year? More days and nights under the gentle moon. While the summer may not actually be any longer than other years, the Anglo-Saxons knew what they were doing when they picked this season for their “extra” month. Enjoy the long and peaceful days, there are plenty more to come.
☽O☾
American History – Summer Major Goose Moon
For the Kiowa people of the Great Plains, this is Pai Gañhíña P'a Sȧn, the Summer Major Goose Moon.
The northern migration of geese that began last month is in full swing now. Though this may seem a bit late in the year considering the Kiowa’s eventual settlement in Oklahoma, James Mooney suggests that “the name may have kept this place from the time when the Kiowa lived in the far north, where the seasons are of course later.”
Either way, the message is clear: summer has arrived. The Summer Major Goose Moon reminds us that we have changed gears to the season of abundance, and we should not waste this precious time. Summer’s gifts of long days, warm nights, and the burst of life all around us don’t last forever. What joy, adventure, or simple pleasure - that is uniquely of this season - will you make time for and embrace while you can?
☽O☾
Lunar Astronomy
This new moon arrives just days before the Summer Solstice on June 21st, when the Sun reaches its highest point and we celebrate the longest day of the year.
At this time of year, we don’t think of the Moon nearly as much. She feels much more at home in the dark half of the year — the long nights of autumn and winter. Right now she is almost an afterthought, like a transparency projected onto the bright daytime sky.
And yet, even as she fades into the background of these long summer days, the Moon remains intimately connected to us - she still faithfully conducts our planet’s waters in their tidal rhythm. Even in her quiet summer phase, she continues her ancient, invisible conversation with us. A fascinating recent study has revealed that she has also been quietly “stealing” tiny particles from Earth’s atmosphere for billions of years. Solar wind and our planet’s magnetic field funnel small amounts of oxygen and nitrogen toward the Moon, where they become embedded in the lunar regolith — a lovely reminder of the deep and ongoing relationship between our world and its constant companion.
☽O☾
Lunar Astrology
This new moon is exact at ~24° Gemini — a highly restless and communicative energy that has an insatiable appetite for fresh ideas, and connection. Gemini season reminds us not to grow weary because there is always something new waiting for us if we have the drive to seek it out.
The visionary artist William Blake had a wonderfully strange take on this sign. During a session with his friend, the astrologer John Varley, Blake claimed to see the ghost of a flea. Varley later recorded that this vision represented the sign of Gemini, linking the flea’s agility and quickness to Gemini’s nature.
This Gemini New Moon carries that same spirit of vitality and cleverness. This is the time to start that writing project you have been sitting on, or to take a short spur-of-the-moment trip to reset your sense of freedom. All things mercurial (for the messenger god Mercury is the ruler of Gemini) will be smiled upon under this fleeting energy. Write those letters, call that person you wish you hadn’t lost touch with, hop on a train or a bus and pay someone a surprise visit. Better yet, do them all - the flea is quick and can fit it all in!
The full moon arrives on June 29th/30th in Capricorn — a grounded, judicious energy that favors structure, responsibility, and long-term goals. Capricorn answers Gemini’s frisky explorations with the expectation of practical achievement. Inspiration and play are all very well, but what will you build from it that is lasting and of real worth?
☽O☾
All my best, and until next lunar month,
Claire
