your lunar love letter for the sturgeon moon*
estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Important dates this cycle (ET):
New Moon: 8/4
First Quarter Moon: 8/12
Full Moon: 8/19 Sturgeon Moon*
Third Quarter Moon: 8/26
Last Day of this Lunar Cycle: 9/1
Happy new moon to your beautiful heart —
The lunar cycle we’re entering has the first of a series of four supermoons in a row – that means we’re entering a period of time where the moon is its closest to Earth, so it looks bigger and brighter. Let’s take this as a reminder of the tremendous influence this lunar body has on our lives.
I often hear jokes about people acting strangely during full moons, but there’s something to it, right? There’s a pull — some energetic shift that gets activated. Even my cat howls for days as each full moon approaches, and there’s something to be said about such a common and shared experience.
After all, we are all made of stardust.
This lunar cycle’s full moon is often referred to as the Sturgeon Moon*, hailing back to times where large numbers of the typically bottom feeding fish rose closer to the surface of the Great Lakes. It was a time of abundance in hunting and also marks the beginning edges of the harvest season where plants are ripening and maturing toward their summer peaks.
This time of year is a magical boon — a time to notice what’s naturally being lit up and to immerse ourselves in those things with less hesitation.
What opportunities are in front of you?
What do you keep seeing or hearing?
What’s been constantly popping up in your awareness?
Maybe you call them synchronicities, messages, coincidences, or results of the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon. Whatever name you give them, what you’re seeing or experiencing is real. There’s a reason your attention is pulled to those places.
Do you have to know why? Maybe. Maybe not.
That’s really up to you. But I don’t think not fully understanding why the sturgeon swam closer to the surface stopped people from fishing and using an abundant resource. They just worked with what was right in front of them.
This means shifting from asking ‘why’ to asking ‘what’.
In terms of things that are popping into your field of awareness, ask yourself what you can do with it. What can you learn from it? What use is it to you right now? What challenge is it creating? What can you see because of it?
This is a powerful mindfulness practice.
Your energy and mental capacity aren’t wandering off to places that your body physically isn’t. There’s no getting lost in worry about the past or future. No overshadowing something by overanalyzing. And this feels freeing.
I’m interested to know how this lands and what you encounter during this practice. Keep in touch and share what’s coming up.
✨ May this lunar cycle hold us in expansive awareness ✨
With bright and curious energy 💚
photo credit: Stephanie Harvey on Unsplash
*The moon names and phase details given here are as given on the Farmers' Almanac website. There are many other moon names and stories from other cultures that are not included here, but I encourage you to do your own research. It’s fascinating!
All resources mentioned in this newsletter are included for research purposes only and are not affiliated with Zenful Mindings LLC.
