August’s Sturgeon Moon: Spiritual Meaning and Full Moon Ritual

August’s Full Moon will be at its fullest on August 19, 2024. This year’s Sturgeon Moon is not just a Full Moon. It’s also a seasonal Blue Moon and Supermoon, meaning that it will look larger and brighter in the sky than usual when full, and will be the fourth Full Moon in the season.

The Sturgeon Moon’s spiritual meaning represents a rising from the deep, whether that’s of emotions, your authentic self that’s been hidden for too long, or your strength and resilience.

The Full Moon rituals, spells, and correspondences for the Sturgeon Moon are related to these energies. In August 2024, the Full Moon is in Aquarius, the creative thinker who likes to find innovative, unexpected solutions. If you are facing challenges, consider adopting that attitude in your approach.

Why Is August’s Full Moon Named the Sturgeon Moon?

We call August’s Moon the Sturgeon Moon because it is the name some Indigenous American tribes gave to the time of the year when these large fish were easy to catch.

These silver-green freshwater fish live in the streams, rivers, lakes of North America and have been on Earth since the Cretaceous period. They’re strong, powerful, and resilient.

Here are some other names for August’s Full moon relate to the end of summer and the first foods of the harvest season.

August’s Full Moon is also known as:

• Blackberry Moon (Ojibwe)
• Flying Moon (Ojibwe)
• Dry Moon (Catawba)
• End of Fruit Month (Cherokee)
• Corn Moon (Mahican)
• Fresh Corn Moon (Oneida)
• Hot Moon (Tunica and Seneca)
• Lynx Moon (Celts)
• Dispute Moon (Celts)
• Grain Moon (Anglo-Saxon)

When is the Full Moon in August 2024?

The 2024 Sturgeon Moon will be at peak fullness on Monday, August 19 at 2:26 PM ET. It will be in the sign of Aquarius.

If you are located in another time zone, it will be full on August 19 at 18:26 UTC. The next Sturgeon Moon will be on August 9, 2025 in Aquarius.

What Is the Sturgeon Moon’s Spiritual Meaning?

Spiritually, the Sturgeon Moon is the time for learning into your strength, power, and resilience. As we move into harvest season, it’s also a time to consider what is coming to completion for you. What are ready to release or give that final push on to realize your goal?

Like those magnificent fish rising from the deep, consider what has been swimming underneath the surface for you and what is ready to leap from the water. Is there an emotion or need you are ready to express? Is there an aspect of your authentic self that is ready to step into the light?

The sturgeon is known as the stirrer, so now is the time to let whatever is meant to rise come up from the deep.

Also, since in 2024, August’s Full Moon falls in Aquarius, consider some innovative, creative ways to work with what is coming up in your life.

The energy of the Sturgeon Full Moon is:

• Resilience
• Power
• Strength
• Release
• Breaking Through
• Gratitude for your hard work
• Flourishing

August Correspondences

If you are looking to decorate your altar or create a spell jar for the Full Moon, here are some of the flowers, colors, and deities that correspond with this Moon and the month of August. You may also incorporate them into your Full Moon ritual.

• Colors: Dark green, yellow, gold
• Gods and Goddesses: Diana, Vulcan, Athena, Venus, Jupiter, Aphrodite, Zeus, Artemis, Hekate, Hephaestus, Nut, Ra, Thoth, Isis
• Animals: Lion, sphinx, dragon, phoenix, eagle, sturgeon
• Plants: hazel, sunflower, alder, chamomile
• Crystals: Amethyst, ruby, rose quartz, tiger’s eye, citrine, sunstone, amber

If you feel called to do so, also consider adding objects that connect to Aquarius or Uranus to your altar. Just remember to never leave a lit candle burning unattended.

What Kind of Magic Should I Do In My Full Moon Ritual?

The energy of the Sturgeon Moon is a good time for fire and air-based spells and rituals connected to strength, perseverance, and asking for the support to refocus on your goals with determination. If you’ve been feeling burnt out, a spell to help you find balance and the ability to push through resistance to reach your goals may be most effective now.

You may find it helpful to journal your thoughts as well. Here are some prompts to consider:

Journal Prompts for August’s Full Moon

1. What does your most authentic self look and feel like?
2. What resistance are you facing in reaching your goals and how can you push through?
3. What do you need to release?
4. How can you find more balance?
5. What do you need to do to mentally or practically prepare for winter?

Sturgeon Moon Activities

If you’re looking for other ways to honor or celebrate the energy of August’s Full Moon, here are some activities to consider trying on the 2-3 days surrounding it.

• Evaluate where you are in the goals you set for the year and see what you can do to reach those.
• Write in a journal about the things you’re grateful that have come to harvest this year.
• Give the final push on any lingering, unfinished projects.
• Do or wear something that makes you feel like your most authentic self.

Simple Full Moon Ritual for the August Moon

1. Meditate or take a ritual bath to center and focus your energy on your intention. As the energy is more Earth-based this month, if you can meditate safely outside, you might find it more rewarding.
2. Cleanse the space using smoke from your preferred cleansing herb. Move the smoke around your altar in a clockwise manner. You may also create a circle using salt, flowers, or herbs. Create the circle in a clockwise fashion.
3. If you wish to charge Moon water, place water on your altar or where it will be bathed in the Moon’s light. Place any crystals you want to charge on your altar or where they will be under the moonlight.
4. Light the candles on your altar.
5. Use the journal prompts above or begin to journal about what you wish to let go of this Full Moon on one page. Write about what you wish to bring in on another. Do not judge yourself, simply let your intuition and higher self guide you. If you feel scattered, take a break to bring your focus back to your breath. Breathe slowly and mindfully, then begin again.
6. If you feel compelled to do so, you may burn the page containing what you wish to release. Do so in a fireproof bowl.
7. Stay in the calm, focused energy as long as desire, then thank the Moon, any deities you’ve worked with. In doing so, you will close the circle. If you have created a physical circle, remove it slowly and with intention in a counterclockwise fashion.