The Hunter Moon: Shedding our Summer Skin
“I long for the days
Of pumpkins and ghosts
When the dead use homes
And people as hosts.”
– E. Reyes, “Devil’s Hill: An Anthology”
On October 9th, we welcome the 10th full moon of the year.
On this first full moon since the Autumn Equinox, we meet the Hunter Moon. Also called the Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Winter Nights Moon, Blood Moon, or similarly, Sanguine Moon, traditionally October's Moon speaks to the raw, ruddiness of the season and ancestral food cycles.
In the old world (and in parts of our modern world), humans collected, stored, and preserved food beneath the Hunter Moon. While Mother Earth was busy shedding her summer skin and preparing for her winter slumber, humans labored harder than ever.
Gardeners would take to their fields, where the wheat was already wilted and browned but root vegetables flourished. Pumpkins and gourds of every color would creep and climb toward the light, eventually claiming a sunny perch to enjoy the sun's weakening rays.
Hunters would take to the woods, where animals and spirits mingled freely. This year, if you're feeling adventurous, ask the Hunter to take you along for the ride. Perhaps he'll share a few tales of Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter, the Oak King, or the demise of the Horned God…
According to Wheel of the Year lore, the God takes his first breath at the Winter Solstice. He matures, marries the Goddess in spring, and like the sun, grows stronger and more radiant as Midsummer nears. After the Summer Solstice, the God's life force begins to wane. The earth is in full bloom, but with each harvest, the God grows older and weaker. When the Fall Equinox arrives, he hands the Wheel of the Year to his beloved, the moon. At Samhain, when shadow season returns, the Dying God sacrifices himself to the land. He passes through the veil with a heavy heart, but knows that come Midwinter, he'll return once more.
As an archetype, the Hunter asks that we support our communities, take no more than we need, and respect all that we carry. The Hunter represents death, and on the earthly plane, he's the compost from which new life arises. In her book, The Spiral Dance, Starhawk suggests that the Hunter is just one of the many masks worn by the Dying God:
“The Dying God puts on horns and becomes the Hunter, who metes out death as well as suffering it. Few of us today directly participate in life processes; we no longer raise or hunt our own meat, but get it plastic-wrapped at the supermarket. It is difficult for us to understand the concept of the Divine Hunter. But in a culture of hunters the hunt meant life, and the hunter was the life giver of the tribe. The tribe identified with its food animals; hunting involved tremendous skill and knowledge of the habits and psychology of the prey. Animals were never killed needlessly, and no parts of the kill were wasted. Life was never taken without recognition and reverence for the spirit of the prey.”
We might also consider one of the Hunter's other guises, like that of the student or seeker:
“…the Hunter has another aspect: that of searching, of seeking. He embodies all quests, whether physical, spiritual, artistic, scientific, or social. His image is poemagogic: It both symbolizes and sparks the creative process, which is itself a Quest. The God seeks for the Goddess, as King Arthur seeks for the Grail, as each of us seeks for that which we have lost and for all that has never yet been found.” – The Spiral Dance
For modern Witches and Pagans, the Hunter Moon is an opportunity to work with the spirit of the Hunter or Huntress, invite our shadows in for tea, and discuss which projects we need to wrap up before winter sets in.
For us at Little Witch Books and Pointy Hat Press, a full moon always encourages a bit of self-reflection, and the Hunter Moon is no exception., Right now, we're asking ourselves: How many layers of summer skin do we still need to shed? What mask(s) am I wearing right now? Shall I remove it for good – or swap it for another? Is there anything I'm carrying that would be better off donated, retired, or composted? This shadow season, what quests await my inner Hunter or Huntress?
October's moon is also a great time to work with pumpkin magick (in the form of stories, seed spells, plant divination), Dark Goddesses (the Crone, Baba Yaga, Cerridwen, Hecate), not to mention huntresses (Diana, Artemis), or a divinatory practice like bibliomancy – remember, the veil wanes thin...
And if you'd like to be part of a full moon circle, this Monday, October 10th, Little Witch Books' creators (Kristin & Caitlyn) will be guest hosting a virtual moon gathering with astrologer Marisa Cottrill! Kristin & Caitlyn will be discussing the magick of October and sharing a ritual for the Hunter moon. (You know those monthly moon spells you love so much - here's an opportunity to join live!)
Marisa (Riss) will share her interpretation of the Moon-Chiron conjunction and how it illuminates our sense of self, identity, purpose, and drive, as well as other cosmic alignments.
From her forecast:
“It's time to get honest about where we're identifying with our wounds rather than the truth of who we are. We are reclaiming the phrase “I AM”.
A sextile to Saturn brings maturation and an invitation to release the child archetype so we can take responsibility for our lives. Allowing childhood or past wounds to dictate our potential keeps us in a disempowered mindset, however, this full moon is about stepping into true courage and confidence. A square to Pluto points to death and rebirth - the fire of the phoenix allows us to release ego so we can step into who we are, and always have been. Venus forming a conjunction to the sun reminds us that our relationships should compliment who we authentically are, and not DEFINE us.”
Register for the October 10th full moon ceremony at MarisaCottrill.com.
Hope to see you there – enjoy the Hunter Moon, Witches!
Crowdfunded by you and published by Pointy Hat Press, ‘Little Witch Hosts Samhain Supper’ is a Pagan Children's book about autumn, ancestors, and the Season of the Witch. No matter our age or occupation, we hope that Little Witch serves as an archetype for the inner child, liminal living, and the magick that exists betwixt and between each season of life. Order today!