A Lunar Calendar System
Below is the Key Chart to the Lunar Calendar we use here in the Garden of the Midnight Moonchild. You will notice that some moons are listed in more than one place on the key chart. This is because the moon has a famously inconsistant orbit in comparison to the way earth orbits the Sun, and therefore, this inconsistancy will be reflected in the movability of certain moons from one year to the next. This means that in some years the Mystery Moon will be the 8th moon of the year and in other years the Mystery Moon may be the 7th or the 9th moon of the year.
This Key Chart attempts to order this apparent inconsistancy through placing the eight moons of the Quarter and Cross Quarter celebrations first. These are the CONSTANT moons.
To add further stability to so flexible a system it is important to note that in each year the first constant moon of any given year will contain Yule. This means that if December 21st falls within any phase of the moon, whatever the phase of the moon, (anywhere from New Moon to the final crescent just before Dark Moon), this then, is the first constant moon of your Lunar Calendar.
From there you may go through the coming year to determine where the remaining Quarter and cross-Quarter Moons have aligned themselves. Now you will be able to see what Moonphases are left between those already named. The following keychart will help you to know what names to give these remaining moons. If you have selected your own personal names for each of the thirteen moons, please feel free to substitute them wherever appropriate.
Because the eight moons of the quarters and cross quarters are constant and the other moons are more movable moons, it is best when establishing a lunar calendar for any given year to determine the constant moons first and then use that determination as a guide to the correct placement of the movable moons.
The Mystery Moon is the most movable of all the moons and will find a place in your calendar after all other moons have been determined according to this key. As with many of the movable moons, The Mystery Moon may not appear in each and every solar year, however when it does, it is best that the placement of the Mystery Moon be your final determination.
To return to the Lunar Calendar page, select the image icon to the left.
If you wish to learn more about the individual thirteen moons of a lunar calendar, please click on the image links to the left of the Keychart.
