The Turning of Summer

The Sturgeon full moon marks the turning of summer. Late summer has arrived, and the moon symbolizes the harvest beginning. Fruits are at their peak of readiness and fish are abundant as well.

The Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a freshwater fish and was a staple for Native North Americans. While not as prominent today, they are found throughout the Great Lakes regions and the Lake Champlain area between Vermont and New York.

The Sturgeon full moon of August 2023 is also a Supermoon. The natural satellite’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle and travels in a slightly elliptical shape. A Supermoon occurs when the moon is full and has reached its point closest to Earth in its orbit at about 363,396 km. The official name for this point is called the perigee. It’s opposite position, at 405,504 km, is known at the apogee. A full moon at apogee is called a Micromoon. A Supermoon looks 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a Micromoon.

Since the Sturgeon moon happens at the peak of summer, energies and emotions tend to rise. We can experience exhaustion from the heat and activities of summer and look forward to the cooler and quieter times of September.

This August moon also brings up old memories and feeling from the past that we didn’t know were there. Dreams can become intensified. Just like the abundant fishing, we should catch our old thoughts and face them. But there is no need to have a negative and angry reaction towards them. Instead, sit with these thoughts, even thought they might be uncomfortable. Hold space for them, reflect and learn, and then release them.

And just like the fruits that have matured, efforts from previous seasons are going to yield results. Those seeds that we planted for our ideas and dreams are ready to be harvested. This full moon is shedding light on new ways of thinking and offers the challenge of letting go of old patterns that are no longer serving us.

Essential oils are wonderful as assisting in releasing old thoughts and feelings. They can bring in abundance as well. And peppermint is always a great choice for cooling you off and perking you up.

Essential oils for the Sturgeon moon:

Abundance: cinnamon bark, bergamot, cypress

Clearing emotions: juniper

Opening the mind: frankincense, sandalwood, cedarwood

Grounding: black spruce, fir