May 2026
Like most words, they get tossed around a lot and I absorb them. I never truly understand what they mean. One could argue the people who were saying them, don’t understand either. It was time to do a Google deep dive (without the “helpful” AI summary at the top.)
“Once in a Blue Moon.” Depending on which definition you pick, it can actually be a fairly regular and scheduled occurrence. However, the way the phrase has been used, always made it seem to me it was only a few times in a lifetime – some planetary (and magical) alignment. In the first (definition) case, it is every 19 years. That’s a few times per lifetime but more known than I realized. Not with the randomness (and magic) I always imagined with it.
The more commonly used definition, a Blue Moon is once 2-3 years. Or the other definition, it is when there are two full moons a season and that happens every year or even multiple times a year. By these definitions, it’s a much more regular and scheduled thing as opposed to a rare opportunity throughout ones lifetime.
I did and still do, use these sorts of events to do something out of the ordinary (stay up past 10 pm WOO HOO! And immediately regret it for at least 2 days after.) I have been in and out of astronomy and astrology my entire life. I’ve come to the conclusion that these things do affect the living – without a doubt. I control my own life and actions no matter what is going on in the heavens. I believe that it doesn’t matter what the planets or anything else (like religious holidays) say, we get to make the choices that we make in our lives.
Still “Once in a Blue Moon”, implies something rare, wild or out of normal character. I’m still all for jumping on the impulse to break out socially. I’m all for taking a break on being who you have to be to function in daily life for a brief time. We all do live in cages of our own and societies making. Some are able break out and live free. I hold the two-three-more selves I need to be, to live and do the things I need to do. In many ways I don’t want a full moon to be a fully scheduled regimented thing, I want that to be the way I live my whole life.
Being honest about who I am, what I believe, what I know, how I want to live has been a life long struggle. It’s no surprise I’ll jump on any excuse (Blue Moon or not), to live the way I really want. To live in a way that gets me out of the pressure and responsibility of all the masks and the personas. I have never used the excuse in the way I wanted. I took some fairly big swings when I was younger. For me, they weren’t radical enough and I knew I had to come back to “reality”, just like after a Blue Moon to the way things were.
The “Blue Moon” (and earlier) changes were also exterior changes. They were safe in a lot of ways. Instead of making those changes on the inside and then living it out. That isn’t a “Once in a Blue Moon” change. It would be permanent. That’s the kind of change I want. I don’t want to have these moments of having to let off steam because I’m not living how I want to live and being who I don’t want to be.
And granted, I have it fairly easy compared to millions of others and to my earlier self. It’s the secrets that you have to keep, to survive, to play nice, to keep at least being able to be yourself every once in awhile. A little over here, safe over there, on the periphery of regular life. Maybe doing it more often as you can.
Maybe all the definitions aren’t so wrong after all…
This Full Moon’s Listening Exercise
What does “Once in a Blue Moon” mean to you?
Which definition do you use of “Blue Moon”? 19 years? 2-3 years or every few months?
How does the change to “break free” and do something different land in you? How does it feel?
Keep Listening…