The Hunter's Moon is October'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 Hunter's Moon in 2026?
In 2026 the Hunter's Moon reaches fullness on Monday 26 October 2026, 2:12 pm AEST, in the sign of Taurus. 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 Hunter's Moon?
Following the Harvest Moon, October's Hunter's Moon lit the nights when hunters tracked game grown fat for winter and stocked their stores. Like the Harvest Moon, it rises soon after sunset for several evenings in a row.
You may also see it called the Blood Moon, Sanguine 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 Hunter's Moon
In grounded, sensual Taurus, the Hunter's Moon is a moon of security and the body. It asks what you truly need to feel safe and provided for, and invites you to enjoy the simple, solid pleasures already in your life. 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 Hunter's Moon ritual
Gather or tidy something that makes you feel secure, then enjoy one simple pleasure slowly and on purpose: good food, a warm blanket, soft music. Match the practice to the exact phase, or find a ritual for any night, with our moon phase ritual tool.
The Hunter's Moon in the southern hemisphere
In Australia the Hunter's Moon rises over mid spring rather than the approach of northern winter. Let its theme of gathering become one of tending what is growing.
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 Hunter's Moon, and gently leave the rest. See every full moon of the year in our full moon calendar for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
The Hunter's Moon, October's full moon, is on Monday 26 October 2026, 2:12 pm AEST, in the sign of Taurus.
Following the Harvest Moon, October's Hunter's Moon lit the nights when hunters tracked game grown fat for winter and stocked their stores. Like the Harvest Moon, it rises soon after sunset for several evenings in a row.
In grounded, sensual Taurus, the Hunter's Moon is a moon of security and the body. It asks what you truly need to feel safe and provided for, and invites you to enjoy the simple, solid pleasures already in your life.
