The Hunter’s Moon, ushers in the heart of autumn, peaks just after midnight on Monday, October 26. The full moon will rise in the east after sunset on October 25, carrying almost peak brightness, and on the 26th, rising roughly an hour after sunset, just slightly past its official peak.
Bare hardwood, stubble fields after the corn comes off and the last warm afternoons of the year: October is a sensory month, and a bright full moon sits at the center of its five nights preceding Halloween.
Game animals, fattened for autumn, were easier to spot in the bare stubble fields under a bright moon. The Hunter’s Moon has also been referred to as a Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Sanguine Moon, and Falling Leaves Moon.
Major moon phases — October 2026
• Third Quarter October 3
• New Moon October 10
• First Quarter October 18
• Full Moon October 26
This full moon on October 25–26 falls in the astrological sign of Taurus. In astrology, a full moon always occurs in the sign exactly opposite the Sun. Because the Sun will be traveling through Scorpio during late October, the moon reaches its peak directly across the zodiac wheel in earthy, grounded Taurus. This Taurus–Scorpio axis highlights themes of stability, personal security, and finances.
by Kathryn McMudie