Full Sturgeon Moon

"I see the bad moon arising.

I see trouble on the way.

I see earth-quakes and lightnin'.

I see bad times today.

(John Fogerty, Creedence

Clearwater Revival)

The full moon in August has many names - "Dog Days Moon", "Fruit Moon", "Corn and/or Green Corn Moon", "Women's Moon" and "Full Sturgeon Moon".

Native Americans gave tonight's full moon the name of Sturgeon Moon because the large fish of the Great Lakes were easiest to catch in August. I don't know if Doug and Shelly will be fishing for sturgeon when they go sailing on Lake Superior next week, but maybe they will enjoy the remains of the full moon as they anchor in some bay for the night.

Dog Days Moon is easy to understand - we are in the 'dog days of summer' - the hottest, muggiest time of the year. When I was a kid, I thought they were called 'dog days' because it was so hot the dogs were panting all the time. That was before I knew about Sirius.

Fruit Moon and Corn Moon are also understandable - it is the time of the year when fruit ripens and is plentiful. It was also the month native Americans harvested their corn.

I don't know the reason for 'Women's Moon' - unless it was because it was the time of the year when women had even more work than usual with the gathering, preserving and storing of food. I know we did an awful lot of canning during August.

One of the Celtic names for the August full moon is "Dispute Moon". This one, I had not heard before. Are there more arguments in August? Is it because the heat causes short tempers? Or does it have more to do with ancient astrological myths?

My full moon picture is actually of the "Full Wolf Moon" taken last January. Tonight promises to be clear - perhaps I'll try to get a picture of "Full Red Moon" - yet another name for August's full moon.