The Spiritual Meaning of the Hunter’s Moon

October’s full moon has long been linked to preparation, focus, and inner release.

By Nitya Rao, Oct 18, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Trick-or-treating might cater to the gatherers of the world, but the full moon that falls just before Halloween is for the hunters. The Hunter’s Moon will join millions of jack-o’-lanterns across America to light up the night sky on October 26, 2026, peaking just after midnight.

The moniker “Hunter’s Moon” refers to the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon, which is the one that falls closest to the fall equinox. This mid-autumn moon goes by many names in different cultures, but its symbolic associations with introspection, preparation, completion, and clarity are universal.  

How the Hunter’s Moon Got Its Name

The Hunter’s Moon is to the Harvest Moon as meat is to potatoes. Equally important for seasonal nourishment, the Harvest Moon represents the traditional time for farmers’ final crops, while the following full moon centers on acquiring meat ahead of the winter months.

Moonlit fields that are cleared of crops and filled with plumped-up, pre-hibernation animals make for favorable hunting conditions. They were in fact so ideal that hunters regularly turned to the light of October’s full moon to help them stock up on a whole winter’s worth of meat for the family. While we can now turn to Costco for our seasonal hoarding needs, the deeply-rooted survival practice linked to the Hunter’s Moon has made the name stick.

Like most other full moons, the Hunter’s Moon goes by different monikers depending on who you talk to. In various Native American cultures, names for this moon reflect everything from harvest traditions to changing weather.

The Dakota dub it the Drying Rice Moon in honor of rice preparations that take place prior to winter, while the Anishinaabe call it the Falling Leaves Moon for the crunchy, windswept leaves that color the air in autumn. The Ojibwe and Haida, meanwhile, know this full moon as the Freezing Moon or Ice Moon, and the Cree call it the Migrating Moon, a reference to southward-bound migratory birds. Other names for this moon are the Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon, and Sanguine Moon.

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