December Full Moon names and lore

December Full Moon for 2013-OKLAHOMA

Also called Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Moon of Long Nights, Long Night's Moon, Wintermonat (Winter Month), Heilagmonoth (Holy Month), Big Winter Moon, Moon of Popping Trees.

December was the tenth month on the old Roman calendar, the month containing the care free Saturnalia. The Franks called it Heilagmanoth, or Holy Month, because of its large number of sacred festivals. On the old Tibetan calendar December 1 was the beginning of a new year.

The ancient Mayan goddess Ixchel is still honored in
southern Mexico with processions and rituals that bless boats and fields. She was also known as Lady Unique Circular Darkness, Lady Splotch of Blood, Lady of the Night, and Lady All Embracer. Her worship at one time extended trough southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and as far as El Salvador.

The Winter Solstice, a time when the Sun turns from its fall into darkness back into gaining light, was and is celebrated around the world. Around the world it is the time when Virgin mothers give birth to sacred sons: Rhiannon to Pryderi: Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone.

In Japan it was the time when the hiding Sun goddess Amaterasu came out of her cave. The birth of Horus was celebrated about December 23, shortly after Winter Solstice, the time of Osiris's final entombment.
At this time of the year, Isis and Nephthys were said to have circled the shrine of Osiris seven times, symbolizing their mourning and search for his scattered body parts.
Set was driven away by the shaking of Isis's sistrum.

Correspondences

Nature Spirits:
snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries

Herbs: holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe

Colors: black red, white and black

Flowers: holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus

Scents:
violet, patchouli, rose geranium, frankincense, myrrh,
lilac

Stones: serpentine, jacinth, peridot

Trees: pine, fir, holly

Animals: mouse, deer, horse, bear

Birds: rood, robin, snowy owl

Deities:
Hathor, Hecate, Neith, Athene, Minerva, Ixchel, Osiris,
Norns, Fates

Power Flow:
to endure, die, re-born; Earth tides turning. Darkness. Personal alchemy. Spiritual paths. Reach out to friends and family, the lonely and needy.

Old Sayings & Lore

The Irish say never cut your hair, begin a journey, move into a new house, start a business, or cut out a dress on a Friday in particular, and especially if a New or Full Moon falls on a Friday.

In Ireland it is said that if you walk nine times around
a faery rath or hill at the Full Moon, you will be able
to find the entrance.

The name Mount St. Helens means "Moon Mountain."

The Word "create" comes from the same word-root as the word "crescent."

In some legends, The Egyptians said that the Dark Moon and the Full Moon were the two eyes of Horus.

The horseshoe is a symbol of the Lunar crescent. Certain ancient British coins had the horse and the crescent on them. For the horseshoe, and the Crescent Moon to be lucky and hold the luck, the horns must be turned upwards.

The natives of Madagascar call their isle the Island of
the Moon.

To aim at the Moon means to be very ambitious, to set your sights extremely high.

The eastern branches of the Eskimo clans say that their people came from the Moon to Earth.

Traditional Name: Hunting or Cold Moon

Neo Pagan Name: Long Night Moon

Colonial American Name: Christmas Moon

English Medieval Name: Oak Moon

English Name: Oak Moon

Celtic Name: Cold Moon

American Indian (Cherokee) Name: Snow Moon

American Indian (Choctaw) Name: Peach Moon

American Indian (Dakotah Sioux) Name:
Twelfth Moon

Chinese Name Bitter Moon

Hindu Name: Margashirsha Poornima