Lizard Moon
You might want to check your almanacs for this one.
Throughout the ages people have given names to the recurring celestial events
they witness, including the 12 or 13 full moons that occur every year, once
every 29.5 days. That adds up to 354 days, leaving about 11 days. So if the
first full moon in a year falls within the first week and a half or so in
January, there will be 13 that year. One of those will be a Blue Moon, defined
either as the second one in a calendar month, or the fourth in any season.
Blue moons can also occur in a year with the ‘normal’ 12 full
moons.
February never hosts a Blue Moon. It sometimes doesn’t even have a full
moon, as happened in 2018. That gave January and March each two full moons,
for a total of two Blue Moons that year. I’m not sure we will even keep
February. It’s not pulling its weight, and is never even here here for
a full month. But that is another battle.
The names given to full moons generally reflect events or seasonal conditions
that coincide with each one. There is usually nothing different about the
moon’s physical appearance that distinguishes one full moon from another—a
‘Blue Moon’ is not blue.
The names vary by region and historical period, so each month’s full
moon can have many different names. Some are more commonly used. Many more
are uncommon or have been long forgotten over the millennia.
Normally occurring in June, and surprisingly celebrated by almost no one since
the ancient Saurians, today’s illustration depicts the Lizard Moon.
Unlike last week’s drawing, this one comes with an apology. I am truly
sorry, both for the illustration, and for bashing February. It is a perfectly
lovely month. It gets the job done and goes home early. Like me, except for
the getting the job done part.
© 2023 Scott Wright
