The romance inspired by moonlight was first given voice back in 1908 when the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth debuted Shine On, Harvest Moon in the Ziegfeld Follies. It was one of several moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era, but Shine On was received with special acclaim. It became a romantic pop standard and it continues to be performed and recorded even now into the 21st century.

          Oh, Shine on, shine on, harvest moon Up in the sky;

          I ain’t had no lovin’ Since April, January, June or July,

          Snow time ain’t no time to stay Outdoors and spoon;

          So shine on, shine on, harvest moon, For me and my gal.

     Songs have been written about it, photographers have chased it, superstitions have arisen around it, and cultures and societies have relied on it since ancient times: it is the Supermoon, a full moon rising closest to the September equinox. It appeared this week on October 6-7 and it is the first of three Supermoons we’ll see before the end of 2025. But this one is special because this one is the famous Harvest Moon.

     Some astronomical facts explain why that’s special. The moon’s orbit around the earth is not a perfect circle; rather, it is elliptical. So a full moon always appears bigger and brighter because it is closer to the earth at that point in the month. The Supermoon appearing near the September equinox, however, is at the closest point to the earth and has the smallest differences in rise times of the entire year. On the evenings surrounding this particular phenomenon, the Harvest Moon rises at virtually the same time every night and sets roughly 12 hours later. Cloud cover notwithstanding, we can usually still see the moon shining in the Western sky when we get up in the morning.

     Reflections called moon illusions make the Harvest Moon appear exceptionally bright and full on the horizon and causes it to illuminate everything around and below it. Beyond the illusions, though, the Harvest Moon is, in fact, about 30 percent brighter than average full moons and about 14 percent larger in diameter.  The vivid orange and yellow colors come from atmospheric particles and, on a clear night with a magnifying lens (such as on a good camera) you can actually see some of the contours on the moon’s surface. (Photo above taken this year on the night of Oct. 7.)

     The Harvest Moon is also known as the Hunter’s’Moon, again due to the dazzling illumination lasting long into the night. In ancient times, October was traditionally the month when hunters would be busy gathering meat for the long winter ahead and so it became known as the Hunter’s Moon. In subsequent agrarian societies, farmers were able to harvest their crops and work to prepare them for winter storage late into the evening hours, so the name Harvest Moon became more common.  

     Over time, full moons, especially Supermoons, begat all sorts of superstitions and beliefs. One of the earliest associations, which still holds sway today, is that of a full moon’s effect on human behavior. In fact, the word lunacy comes from the Latin “luna” and references the Roman moon goddess Luna. Craziness, madness, accidents, and bad luck are all likely to befall humanity during full moons while all those folkloric manifestations of pure evil such as werewolves, vampires and zombies emerge to roam the world. Not surprisingly, all sorts of rituals developed to ward off some of the evil spells and spirits, rituals such as bonfires, candle lightings, singing, dancing, and crystal cleansing (in the moonlight, of course)..

     Yet, the Harvest Moon can also present an occasion for good, for making wishes and achieving that perfect balance between light and dark. It is a time for gratitude and abundance, for celebrating the “inner harvest” of what has been cultivated in one’s life, and for synchronizing one’s spirit with the never-ending cycle of nature. For me, the Harvest Moon (yet another sure sign of my favorite season even in Texas) is a time of reflection, a time of letting go of the past and what no longer matters, and a time of reordering and reckoning as I prepare for the winter darkness to come.

     This week of the Harvest Moon was also my birthday week, as it often is because my birthday is early in the month of October. In spite of their association with lunacy and craziness, I often find that I feel especially grounded and in synch with nature whenever a full moon is in the sky. The metaphor prompted by a Harvest Moon on or around my birthday is particularly meaningful. 

     When I was younger, birthdays were big celebrations — huge parties, special excursions, unexpected surprises. I claimed “birthday girl” deference not only for the week, but for the whole month, sometimes even for the whole season! Fall was always my favorite time of year, and since Halloween was also my favorite holiday, the Supermoon around my birthday became the ultimate symbol for the Halloween theme that dominated my days and my decorations.  You know the look — the silhouette of a witch on a broom flying in front of the big, orange moon: I even made a front door wreath with that image one year. The Harvest Moon spoke of mystery and excitement, of another year of new adventures and new challenges ahead. 

     Big birthdays (40, 50, 60) sometimes presented some existential pauses over the years, but I always managed to adjust to the new seasons of my life. (I do remember saying, though, that I didn’t get over turning 30 until I was 35!)  While not quite at a “landmark birthday” yet this year, I am getting close to a big one and there is no denying that I am now well into the autumn of my life. I’m slowing down and pulling back and not always able to meet new challenges with enthusiasm. Curiously, though, I also find myself calm and peaceful, truly in synch with the season, as I take stock of my own “inner harvest.” I am proud of what I have sown and reaped, and I am filled with gratitude for the life I’ve had with my little family.

     “So, shine on, shine on, harvest moon, For me and my [guys].”