Also called February full moon, Hunger Moon, Bear Moon
The Snow Moon is the popular name for February's full moon, recorded by Jonathan Carver in the 1760s for the month with the heaviest snowfall. Its rite is a late-winter rest and restock, honoring the lean time before spring.
Tonight's moon is read when the page loads.
Take care: Keep any candle on a fireproof dish and never leave it burning unattended. If you go outside at night, dress for the weather, take a light and tell someone where you are. Moon names tied to specific Native nations belong to living languages and ceremonies. Read them as those nations' own knowledge, not as rites to copy; the steps here are an open seasonal practice anyone can do.
Carver's list, gathered while he wintered among Dakota bands he called Naudowessies, names February the Snow Moon because the most snow falls then. The Old Farmer's Almanac credits the name to the Dakota through Carver.
The almanac lists Cherokee names for this moon meaning Bony Moon and Hungry Moon, pointing to how thin the food stores could get by late winter. Names like these are a reminder that February was often the hardest month to get through.
Ojibwe language sources give February names including Sucker Moon (Namebini-giizis), Bear Moon (Mkwa-giizis) and Crust-on-the-Snow Moon. They track what was happening on the land and in the water, and vary from one community to the next.
In 1778 the Connecticut-born explorer Jonathan Carver published the moon names he had heard during his travels west of the Great Lakes in 1766 to 1768. February in his list is the Snow Moon, the month when the most snow falls. His book sold widely in Europe and America, and his names fed later collections, including the fraternal Improved Order of Red Men in the 19th century and the 1930s Maine Farmers' Almanac.
Today the Snow Moon headline comes mostly from the Old Farmer's Almanac and from news coverage built on it. The almanac also lists other nations' names for the same month, such as Bear Moon for the Ojibwe and Hungry Moon for the Cherokee. These names come from different peoples and climates, and each one belongs to its own calendar rather than to a single shared Native list.
On the eve of 1 February, Irish and Scottish households invited Brigid into the house: they made her a bed, set out a doll of rushes or oats, smoothed the ashes to look for her mark, and left a cloth outside for her to bless as a healing charm.
The belief that fair weather on Candlemas, 2 February, means winter is not done, told through rhymes and through animals that look at their shadows: the badger in Germany, the bear in Hungary, the hedgehog in Ireland, and the groundhog in Pennsylvania.
A full moon ritual is a simple monthly practice done at home on the night of the full moon to give thanks, release what is finished and charge water or tools in the moonlight. This is a complete solo version for beginners, separate from the Wiccan coven esbat.
Tell us what you need and we will craft a custom spell, charm or reading for it. Or call to book a reading or a road blessing in person.
