Chapter 230603: Flambé’s latest Misadventure ………………. The Full “Strawberry” Moon of June.   

mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm ….. 

Strawberry Fields Forever ……. John Lennon

I tried to resist, but why? And that’s exactly what Flambé thought when on this night of the Full June Moon, a delectable “forever” buffet of royal red strawberries glistened with sweet goodness before her. Read on to discover how Kat finally decided which one of the countless strawberry confectioneries sprawling before her, she indulgently picked. Spoon optional! 

The Full “Strawberry” Moon of June.   June 3, 2023  

P.S. Flambé counts each of you as friends! So while you are enjoying your dish of strawberries, continue reading to learn a bit about the June Full “Strawberry” Moon

June’s Full “Strawberry” Moon. On the evening of Saturday, June 3rd, a wee bit after sunset, gaze towards the southeast as the full moon glides silently above the horizon.  

Full “Strawberry” Moon trivia. The Strawberry Moon represents blooming flowers, ripening fruit, and bountiful harvests. And it also symbolizes abundance and prosperity, marking the end of Spring and ushering in a bright Summer.  Although the Strawberry Moon arrives in early June 2023, about once every 20 years it coincides with the Summer solstice, June 21st-ish. 

Why is June’s Full Moon Called the “Strawberry” Moon? The origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has absolutely nothing to do with the Moon’s color, hue or appearance. In fact, it is named after the wild strawberries that ripen his month and could be gathered by Native Americans (more about wild strawberries, at the end of this post). The “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples specifically to mark the ripening of June-bearing strawberries.

Alternate June Full Moon Names. Reflecting the season of blooming flowers, ripening fruit, and tending crops, alternate names for the June Full Moon are Berries Ripen Moon (Haida), Green Corn Moon (Cherokee), Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe), Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki), and Hot Moon. 

Other names highlight June as the month of new life. The name Birth Moon (Tlingit) referred to the time when certain animals were born in the Pacific NW region.  Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon (Cree), suggest June as the time when many bird chicks are born. 

Celtic names for the June Full Moon are Horse Moon, Dylan Moon, and Rose Moon.  Other English names include Flower Moon and Planting Moon.  Mead Moon has been used to represent the time for mowing meads, or meadows.  And then there’s the month of June, named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno, which was considered the traditional month of marriage. The Full Moon name, Honey Moon, marks the celebration following marriage, or the “honeymoon” which ties directly back to this alternative name! Pretty cool, huh?

June Moon Folklore  ……. Did you know that a growing moon and a flowing tide are lucky times to marry?

And a bit about wild strawberries ….. There are several varieties of wild strawberries that grow in the US (including Alaska) and Canada.  The most abundant (Fragaria virginiana) is the one commonly called Virginia strawberry or mountain strawberry. The native wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) found throughout Europe is known as the alpine strawberry, woodland strawberry, European strawberry, or fraisier des bois

Until next month and our next Full Moon, don’t forget to look up!

As always, Flambé invites you to follow her Zentangle-inspired antics (ZIAs) by visiting her page called Tangled Up, to see what trouble she always seems to find, past and present.