The Spiritual Meaning Of October’s Super Full Blood Moon

Spooky season’s theatrics are hitting before Halloween this year, as the full moon on Oct. 17 is ready to stir the cauldron and force you to face all of the emotional ghosts you’ve been running from. But this full moon is a special one, as it’s the first lunation to hit since eclipse season, and it’s also taking place closer to the earth than any other full moon this year, granting it supermoon status. Also dubbed the Hunter’s Moon or Blood Moon, this red-hot lunation is here to help activate your inner warrior, and its spiritual meaning is about braving the darkness and fighting your way back into the light.

In astrology, full moons are the energetic peak of the moon’s monthly cycle through the zodiac, so they tend to be illuminating periods and can cause emotions to surge. Because of the climactic energy of these lunations, it can be a good time to bring situations in your life to a natural conclusion or turning point and also help let go of things that are no longer working for you.

The October full moon takes place in the bold and brazen sign Aries, packing it with fiercely fiery energy to help you stand up for yourself and own your power. The spiritual meaning of the Hunter’s Moon is about chasing down what you want and need in your life, even if you must push past some major hurdles and make tough decisions along the way — so get ready for battle.

Aligning yourself with the spiritual energy of October’s full moon is a great way to ground yourself in earth’s natural cycles amidst an otherwise chaotic cosmic period. Here’s everything you need to know about the Hunter’s Moon and how you can harness its symbolic power.

What’s The Spiritual Meaning Of October’s Hunter’s Moon?

October’s full moon is this year’s Hunter’s Moon, and this traditional nickname has to do with the date of the autumn equinox. Whatever full moon occurs nearest to the autumn equinox is always dubbed the Harvest Moon, and the Hunter’s Moon is always the full moon that follows it. Because this year’s Harvest Moon occurred in September, a few days before the autumn equinox, October’s big lunation is the Hunter’s Moon. It’s named for the fact that this period of autumn was historically an important time to pull some late nights and hunt for game before the winter season drew near. Symbolically, the primal and warrior-like energy of Hunter’s Moon aligns with the spiritual meaning of this full moon, too.

According to Almanac, October’s full moon is also traditionally nicknamed the Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon, Freezing Moon, or Falling Leaves Moon — all of which foreshadow the darker and less forgiving aspects of this lunation. The full moon in Aries is teaming up with the wounded-healer comet Chiron, illuminating some deep and sensitive emotional wounds. The sun, moon, and Chiron are also collectively squaring off with warrior planet Mars and power-hungry Pluto — the latter two approaching a dramatic face-off — forming a frustrating but powerful aspect known as a grand cross.

Full moons tend to bring tension and feelings to the surface, so you may feel trapped between a rock and a hard place. But like a hunter braving the dangers of the wild, now’s a time to gear up and start facing all the challenges that lie before you. Finding balance isn’t easy, but if you show courage, the universe will reward you with clarity.

And not to fear: There are some silver linings to this stormy lunation, too. In addition to the heavy grand cross, there will be a beautifully positive grand water trine between lover Venus, passionate Mars, and dreamy Neptune. This paves the way for an easy flow when pursuing romantic relationships, creative projects, or spiritual endeavors.

How To Work With The Hunter’s Moon Energy

This fiery lunation is full of hard corners and rough edges, but with a beautiful grand trine in the intuitive and deep-feeling water signs, it also brings lots of potential to help you overcome obstacles and experience emotional breakthroughs, too. There are a slew of planetary activations taking place in the realm of the initiatory and action-oriented cardinal signs during this full moon, so the urge to push forward on new things is probably quite strong — but you might want to temper that for now and try moving in a slower-paced stealth-mode instead.

Aries zodiac energy is headstrong and impulsive, which could create a sense of urgency to act on whatever emotions are at the forefront of your heart. However, making moves when you’re feeling sensitive, triggered, jealous, or frustrated isn’t going to serve you well now. Instead, see if you can honor the spiritual meaning of October’s full moon by channeling the bravery, patience, and skill of a hunter. If you can align with the symbolism of the Hunter’s Moon, you can use this full moon’s intensity to your advantage, pushing past the barriers that have been keeping you from being a leader in your own life.