Today marks the Full Moon for the month of October, and with it the Blood Moon, the first full moon after the Harvest Moon.  This moon can occur in September when there is a Blue Moon or second full moon of the month, but we commonly see it in October.  The full moon in October has also been known as the Sanguine Moon and the Hunter’s Moon, both names calling on the association of blood that comes with this moon.  It’s thought that this moon got its name because this was the last possible time for many people around the world to do their final hunting and gathering for the winter season.  The Native Americans would have used this as their chance for hunting deer before the animals would begin to prepare for their own winter season, often meaning they would be out fewer times because of the cold so the chances of killing dinner on a daily basis was unlikely.  Other animals would be easy to spot this time as well because of the lack of leaves on the trees and the dying landscape.  Small animals like rabbits and foxes would be idea to hunt now as well.  This particular moon gave them the light they needed to not only find their prey but also track them at night with ease.

Today in Wiccan and other Pagan traditions the October full moon is known by other names as well such as the Falling Leaf Moon, the Harvet Moon (thought this is more commonly used in association with September’s full moon as this is the last grain harvest), and the Shedding Moon, so named for the process of placing the food stores in storage sheds during this time.

When the Blood Moon falls so close to Samhain like it does this year, it often creates a special energy that we feel as a pre-cursor to the Samahin Sabbat.  Many people use the full moon as a time for divination, psychic work, and connecting with the spirit world.  However, since it’s October and Samhain is right around the corner, this can seem like an extra special full moon for such work.  It’s a great time to begin the process of opening the doors to the ancestral spirits that we might like to connect with in our Samhain rituals.

As modern Pagans and followers of the moon’s cycles, we sometimes have to adapt the moon’s meanings into our technology driven lifestyle.  While our ancestors might have spent these last day of October focused on filling their sheds with food and making sure they would survive through winter, we don’t have that concern as much today.  Naturally some people do have financial situations today that have them in a position where they have to re-budget their money to accommodate higher heating costs for the winter months and then possibly rearranging other finances, including a food budget.  For many others these aren’t major concerns or worries but we can use this time to access other points of survival for the coming dark months.

How are you prepared to go through these darker times?  Times when, for those in snowy climates, you could be dealing with days without heat or power or the ability to leave the house? With the winter holidays coming up are you prepared for things like family gatherings, the financial issues around gift giving, and maybe affording holiday travel?  Now is the perfect time to many plans for these things.  Taking the time to use this moon to being the process of clearing out stress in your life to make room for the natural stress of the holidays is another wonderful way to prepare for your winter season.

The coming winter season is the ideal time for going inward and dealing with issues of reflection.  It’s a time where we get things in order for the rebirth of the sun and we prepare for a new mundane/calendar year.  Are you prepared for your inner journey, for the slowing and quieting of the mind and body?  Consider using this moon to mark the beginning of a new meditation schedule that you can work to keep through the winter seasons to take advantage of this inward energy.

Here are some Blood Moon correspondences to help you prepare for your rituals:

Colors: Black, deep blood or crimson red, purple
Stones: Black tourmaline, amethyst, obsidian, bloodstone
Herbs: Mint, pennyroyal, catnip, apple blossom, thyme
Oil/Incense: Apple blossom, strawberry, rose
Element: Air
Deities: Kore, Astarte, Demeter, The Horned God, Hathor

My personal favorites here are an altar in black and crimson red with black candles and a small red votive for the moon; obsidian stones as energy receptors and the use of a magick mirror during ritual; incense made of mint, catnip, and strawberry leaves; rose oil to anoint the candles and self.  I also like to call on Kore and Demeter for the Blood Moon.