The Upcoming Friday the 13th Harvest Moon, Explained by a Young Person

If you're experiencing a ton of erratic energy, it's probably not this, but who really knows?

harvest moon falls on friday the 13th
The full Harvest moon rises over the ruins of St Michael's Church, a scheduled monument on the top of Burrow Mump on October 5, 2017 in Somerset, England.
(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Sometimes the internet goes over our heads. Luckily, we have a college student on staff to help us navigate those times. This is one of the biggest astrological phenomena of 2019, youthsplained.

If you’ve been feeling some type of way this week, it migh be due to your everyday stressors likely being amplified by the overall instability of our current world order — but it could also just be the moon! 

This Saturday, at 12:33 a.m. (so Friday night if you’re cool) you’ll be able to look up at the sky and see the full Harvest Moon — the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox, which is just a fancy term for the first day of fall (this year it falls on September 23rd). Why is it called the Harvest Moon? According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon closest to the equinox rises closer to the time after sunset. This provides an abundance of moonlight earlier in the evening — a helpful aid to farmers harvesting their summer crops. 

What makes this full moon extra spooky, though, is that for the first time since 2000, the Harvest Moon will fall on Friday the 13th, and the next time this happens won’t be until 2049. 

What does a Harvest Moon falling on Friday the 13th mean, exactly? Well if you’re boring and deal with your feelings like a rational, mature adult, it means nothing. But if you’re like me and blame all your erratic emotions on the universe and full moons, it means everything! 

On top of all this, there’s a full moon in Pisces, and I won’t go too fortune-teller-y on you, but this calls for even more shifting vibes. Pisces is known to be emotionally sensitive and have an affinity for the psychic. Combining this with the crazy, changing energy of a full moon, things could get confusing and emotional but above all transformative. If nothing else, a full moon on Friday the 13th could just mean even more excitement for the impending spooky season. 

So go on, harvest all your feelings and attribute them to the moon. And this Friday, when it’s a little past midnight and you’re out somewhere a little bit drunk, don’t forget to look up.

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