According to The Farmer’s Almanac, every full moon has a name, including English translations of Native American names and others rooted in Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic languages. The name hints at something about the natural world at the time of the moon. The August 1 Sturgeon Moon originated when the large fish were easiest to catch in the Great Lakes. Known as living fossils, sturgeon have had an exceptionally slow evolution, undergoing little change in appearance over time. Perhaps as mentioned in Spirituality and Health, the fish represent the vulnerable parts of us that have been frozen in the past until it is time to rise to the surface and be held with gentleness. “Greet them with kindness and listen for what they may have to teach us, rather than trying to force them back into the dark. It doesn’t have to be a struggle,” says Barraco. 

The August 29 Blue Moon is designated whenever two full moons occur within a calendar month every two to three years. Considered a rare and magical event in astrology, the blue moon is said to bring about a heightened sense of awareness and intuition. It is an ideal time for healing, meditation and spiritual practices. Both August 1 and August 29 are super- moons that appear slightly larger than usual and cast about 30 percent more light on the Earth. Closer than usual in its elliptic orbit at the same time the moon is full, more of the sun’s rays are reflected from its surface. 

“At my full moon ceremonies, I’ll talk about the different energies of each moon,” says Barraco. “The August 1 full moon is in Aquarius, which is about the collective energies, the greater good, what are we here for and what we have to share with our fellow journeyers. The August 29 moon in Pisces is about intuition and recalibration with your divine self and fine-tuning your spiritual gifts. In the middle of the super moons there is the 8:8 Lions- gate Portal, which appears to be spirit’s way of moving each of us along on our path, bringing up certain things to help realign and reevaluate where you’re going with your purpose.” 

Rituals that Barraco performs at the full moon are cord-cutting, lighting candles, forming intention and bringing a closure to unfinished business. Ceremonies on a full moon are good, but sometimes it is cloudy or just not doable. Barraco notes, “You can work with the energy of the full moon the day before, the day of and the day after, but if you can look at the beautiful moon and do ceremony, why not? It’s very mystical.” 

The $25 full moon ceremony at 7 p.m., Aug. 1, will take place at the Mystical Moon, 8951 Bonita Beach Rd. SE, Ste. 255, in Bonita Springs. For information on the Aug. 29 moon celebration, call 239-301-0655. Barraco will speak for about the two full moons and the Lion’s Gate Portal at 10 a.m., Aug. 7, online (free) at Ti-nyurl.com/LaurieBarraco. Visit TheMysticalMoon.com for online calendars and to sign up for the newsletter.