Flower Moon: May’s full moon

4 min read

8 months ago Leo S

Originally written by Leo on May 2021, updated 2025

As we already know, the full Moon names come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.
May’s Flower Moon name should be no surprise, because flowers spring forth in abundance this month.
Its name has been attributed to Algonquin peoples, but also May’s Moon other names tend to speak to the arrival of spring and all that it entails.
The Cree names “Budding Moon” and “Leaf Budding Moon” celebrate the awakening of local flora, which really begin to leaf out now in many areas and, similarly, “Planting Moon” (Dakota, Lakota) marks the time when seeds should be started for the farming season ahead.
The activities of animals marked spring’s arrival, too, which is highlighted by the names “Egg Laying Moon” and “Frog Moon”, as well as the Oglala term “Moon of the Shedding Ponies”. Other names include the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon, from the Old English Rimilcemona which means Month of Three Milkings, when cows were milked three times a day.
All names indicate that warmer weather is on the way.

In any case, once April’s rains and winds have subsided, the sun begins to warm up the earth and we’re able to get the gardens planted.
Not by chance, May is the month in which we begin to sow our crops, but this is also a fiery month, full of lust and passion.
It’s sometimes called also the month of the Hare Moon, and we all know what hares are busy doing in the spring. Celebrate once the sun goes down with a big bonfire.

As usual, your May might not see the same weather as other people’s, because your place depends on a number of factors.
Either way, according to popular folklore, this is a good time to work on magic related to careers and jobs.
Thinking about switching to a new position, or perhaps trying a new field altogether? Want to take a class or get your degree? Take the seeds you’ve planted last month, and allow them to bloom and grow in your favor.
If you want to bring fertility into your life, this is a great time to do magical workings also related to conception and fruitfulness.
Gemstones such as ruby, garnet, amber, and Apache tear are associated with fertility, and May itself is often a time of great fertility.
Colors like red, orange, and yellow represent the sun as it draws nearer to the earth, warming the gardens and the soil, while trees like the hawthorn and rowan are tied deeply to magic and witchcraft in many folkloric traditions.
Gods and goddesses like Kali, Priapus, Cernunnos, and Flora are all represented at this time of year, as they are associated with the blooming gardens, the greening forest, and the crops that begin to grow in the fields.
Herbs, such as members of the mint family, and spices like cinnamon, are great to use during the Beltane season that is, after all, a fire festival, an element deeply connected to Beltane.
Do you remember this tradition?
The Bale fire, or Bel fire, is a tradition that goes back a long time, and a bonfire lit at Beltane is said to bring about both protection and prosperity.

Whatever your purpose is, do some fire divination this month to help guide you on your way, in a time in which we need to plant the seeds for later success:
for instance, begin tending your garden, or planting seeds in containers, and take some time to cultivate each of your herbs, flowers, and plants.
Remember that May is also the season of Beltane.
If you want to bring fertility into your life, think about planting tubers, such as yams, which are believed to increase lust and fertility. In some West African nations, the white yam has been linked to high birth rates, particularly that of twins and other multiples.
You can also plant beans, squash and corn in the arrangement that Native Americans call Three Sisters: in addition to being a self-sustaining ecosystem, in which each plant helps the others, the planting of this trio is associated with the concept of happy families, abundance, and community.