summer migrating goose moon / early gentle moon
May/jun 2026
Hello All,
Today’s new moon brings us a mid-spring fresh start. The earth feels fully awake and the promise of summer is humming in the air.
☽O☾
North America: Summer Migrating Goose Moon
For the Kiowa people of the Great Plains, this is the Summer Migrating Goose Moon.
At the very beginning of the calendar year (late December/early January), the Kiowa observed the Migrating Goose Moon as the great flocks flew south for winter. Now, in this complementary spring moon, we witness the reverse journey — the geese returning north as summer approaches. It’s a beautiful full-circle moment in the Kiowa calendar: the same birds that marked the arrival of winter now signal its end and the coming of warmer, more abundant days.
The Summer Migrating Goose Moon reminds us of life’s natural cycles. Do you remember all of the times in your life when summer departed, and all of the times that it returned after its long absence? What else have you missed that is returning to you this season?
☽O☾
Britain: Early Gentle Moon
The Anglo-Saxons called this lunar month Ærra Litha or “Early Litha”.
Litha may sound familiar due to the neopagan adoption of the term for their summer solstice celebration. The word means ‘‘gentle’’, or perhaps ‘‘navigable’’, likely referring to the soft warm breezes and the calm seas the Anglo Saxons would have experienced at this time of year. This is supported by its similarity to another Old English word līðan (lithan), meaning ‘to sail’ or ‘to go by sea’.
The Early Gentle Moon marks the approach to the threshold: the land is lush, the days are long, and we stand in easy reach of the height of summer.
This moon asks us: Where can you find gentleness in your life right now? What softness does the world around you offer as we move far from the harshness of winter toward the lightest days of the year?
☽O☾
Lunar Astronomy
There are two full moons this May, on the first and last days of the month. You’ve probably heard the phrase “once in a blue moon,” and many people now believe it refers to the second full moon in a calendar month. But the story is more interesting — and the modern definition isn’t quite as “real” as we think.
The expression “blue moon” is very old. For hundreds of years it simply meant something rare or impossible (like the moon actually appearing blue, which can occasionally happen due to smoke or dust in the atmosphere).
The calendrical meaning we use today has two layers:
The older definition (found in the 1937 Maine Farmers’ Almanac) called the third full moon in a season that has four full moons a “Blue Moon.” This helped farmers keep their seasonal naming system consistent.
The popular modern definition (second full moon in a single calendar month) actually comes from a mistake. In 1946, an amateur astronomer named James Hugh Pruett wrote an article in Sky & Telescope magazine. He misinterpreted the old almanac and declared the second full moon in a month to be a Blue Moon. The magazine later adopted his definition, and it spread through radio shows and Trivial Pursuit. By the 1980s and 90s, it had become the standard understanding.
So while we love celebrating Blue Moons, the version most people know today is largely modern folklore born from a happy accident in 1946. The Moon doesn’t care about our calendars — it simply follows its own ancient rhythm.
☽O☾
Lunar Astrology
This new moon is exact at 25°57' Taurus — a mature, grounded, and deeply sensual energy that encourages us to slow down, reconnect with our bodies, and focus on what brings lasting security, pleasure, and self-worth. Taurus reminds us that real abundance is built slowly, with patience and steady care.
The full moon arrives on May 31 in Sagittarius — a fiery, expansive energy that highlights growth, truth-telling, and the balance between freedom and commitment.
Together, this Taurus New Moon and upcoming Sagittarius Full Moon create a powerful duo capable of building something stable and beautiful in the material world (Taurus) while remembering to stay open to adventure, meaning, and expansion (Sagittarius).
This Taurus New Moon offers a beautiful invitation to make a new start grounded in the nurturing process of slow, steady growth. With Sagittarius looming at the full phase, whatever you begin now could come to a big fruition in a couple of weeks’ time.
☽O☾
All my best, and until next lunar month,
Claire
