What Does The Beaver Moon Look Like?

It's finally here! The annual event you've been waiting for since it came and went last year. No, I'm not talking about Thanksgiving. I'm talking about a far more splendid and painfully underrated event — the Beaver Moon, which will hang in the sky Wednesday night. The once-a-year celestial phenomenon can feel more like a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, because how often do we get to celebrate anything named after a semiaquatic rodent? I don't know about you, but the Beaver Moon has got me feeling some type of way. With all this trumpeting, I bet you're wondering, "What exactly does the Beaver Moon look like anyway?" OK, so it might be a very common and familiar sight, but that's what imaginations are for.

So let me give it to you straight: the Beaver Moon is just another name for the full moon in November. Yup, that's it. What were you expecting? A super blue-blood-harvest moon eclipse? It may have a peculiar name, but the Beaver Moon will look just like any other full moon, as in a fully round, bright pie in the sky. Just like every other full moon, the Beaver Moon is a lunar phase where the moon, the earth, and the sun are in a straight alignment, so that the side of the moon facing the earth is completely illuminated by the sun. But, as my grade school English teachers always drilled into my head, "show, don't tell."

There she is.

Sure, the Beaver Moon may not be anything new or profoundly extraordinary, but its true beauty lies in its humble simplicity, kind of like the beaver. Or, if you're the type who looks at a puddle and sees an entire world swirling inside, then the Beaver Moon won't look like any ordinary moon to you. In fact, if you squint, you can probably make out the regal and proud silhouette of a beaver inside that bright orb. (If you can't, then you might want to work on freeing your mind.)

Besides having an intensely gratifying name that never gets old, there is another interesting layer to the Beaver Moon on Wednesday. This year, it will be full in Gemini, which, according to astrology, is a sign that reflects duality and a potential pivotal moment in one's life. Whether or not you believe in astrology, it can't hurt to be extra mindful of the decisions you make under the Beaver Moon. However, other analyses point out that Gemini also symbolizes twins and therefore a full moon in Gemini could also signal a great time for partnership.

Either way, the Beaver Moon definitely is more than meets the eye.

Images: Giphy