According to the Astronomical Calendar 2011, by Guy Ottewell, the Hunter's Moon is thus named because "...the fields had been reaped, hunters could ride over the stubble, and could more easily see the fox; also other animals which had come out to glean could be caught for a thanksgiving banquet after the harvest."
One reason for my interest in the moon and the night sky is that my husband and I have a telescope, and we used to enjoy taking it out and observing the night sky. Most astronomers will tell you that fall and winter are the best times to observe the night sky because you can see so much more. In the fall and winter there aren't all the clouds and constant humidity that we have during the summer.
When I looked up October holidays, one of the first that jumped out at me (after Halloween, of course) was Columbus Day, observed on October 10th. According to Wikipedia, during Columbus' time, the techniques of celestial navigation, which use the position of the sun, moon and stars in the sky, were widely used by mariners. Celestial navigation is another of those terms I find fun to pronounce. It has a certain flow to it, and I happen to think celestial is a beautiful word...(1) of, relating to, or suggesting heaven or divinity; (2) of or relating to the sky or visible heavens.
What do you like best about October? There's a lot to choose from -- blue skies, cool evenings, the trees slipping into their fall wardrobe, colorful pumpkins and Mums, and Halloween. Me...I love them all.
Thanks for visiting the House at Forest Manor. Have a great Wednesday!
Denise
