The Flower Moon of May

The bonds between the moon, the natural world and human kind here on earth cannot be broken. It’s a connection that is mutually dependent– and as ancient as the universe itself. Their connectedness has inspired people for millennia and affects our everyday world and lives.

Since our earliest days, people have tracked the seasons through the lunar cycle, naming each moon with natural annual occurrences it was associated with. Some of the more common moon names used by Native and Colonial Americans were adopted by the modern calendar and continue to be used today.

The full moon of May is the sixth of 13 moons in the lunar calendar, most commonly known as the Flower Moon. It refers to the countless wildflowers that bloom during the month of May in the Northern Hemisphere. Other lunar names used to refer to this month’s moon are Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Flower Moon “marked a time of increasing fertility, with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom.”

So when you look up at the moon tonight, send up a renewed, spirited gratitude for the flowers, the earth and the universe.