The Beaver Moon is November's full moon, one of the twelve named full moons of the year. This is your guide to when it rises in 2026, where its name comes from, what it is traditionally said to mean, and a simple ritual to mark it. You can always see tonight's exact moon phase in the Almanac.
When is the Beaver Moon in 2026?
In 2026 the Beaver Moon reaches fullness on Wednesday 25 November 2026, 12:54 am AEST, in the sign of Gemini. A full moon is the moment the moon is fully lit and directly opposite the sun, the brightest night of her cycle and, in tradition, a time of culmination and release. Watch her grow round night by night with our moon phase tool.
Why is it called the Beaver Moon?
November's full moon is named for the beavers busy building their winter dams, and for the season when trappers once set their traps before the waters froze. It marks the turn toward true winter in the north.
You may also see it called the Frost Moon, Mourning Moon. Different cultures kept different names for the same moon, each tied to what the land was doing that month.
The spiritual meaning of the Beaver Moon
Rising in curious, quick witted Gemini, the Beaver Moon is a moon of the mind and the word. It shines on your conversations, ideas and messages, and asks what needs to be said, written down or finally spoken aloud. For more on working with any full moon, see our guide to what to do on a full moon and our full moon affirmations.
A Beaver Moon ritual
Write a letter you may never send, or say the thing you have been holding back. Let the full moon carry the words. Match the practice to the exact phase, or find a ritual for any night, with our moon phase ritual tool.
The Beaver Moon in the southern hemisphere
The Beaver Moon builds toward northern winter; in Australia it rises over late spring, with summer close behind. Read its industriousness as a nudge to finish what you started this year.
A gentle note
The names and meanings we give the full moons are old, human traditions, ways of marking time and mood, not forecasts of fixed events. The one thing the moon reliably moves is the ocean tides. Take what feels true from the Beaver Moon, and gently leave the rest. See every full moon of the year in our full moon calendar for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
The Beaver Moon, November's full moon, is on Wednesday 25 November 2026, 12:54 am AEST, in the sign of Gemini.
November's full moon is named for the beavers busy building their winter dams, and for the season when trappers once set their traps before the waters froze. It marks the turn toward true winter in the north.
Rising in curious, quick witted Gemini, the Beaver Moon is a moon of the mind and the word. It shines on your conversations, ideas and messages, and asks what needs to be said, written down or finally spoken aloud.
