Full moon in autumn

🌕 September Full Moon 2025: An Evening Under Red Moonlight
There are full moons – and then there are magical full moons. September 2025 will bring us just such a moment. It is known in this country as the “autumn moon,” but this time it has a second, breathtaking facet: it coincides with a total lunar eclipse. The result? A reddish shimmering moonrise that many may only see once in their lifetime.

As clear as the moon,
as deep as the night permeated
by the autumn wind.
(Matsuo Basho)

A special Sunday evening
On September 7, 2025, it will be particularly worthwhile to look towards the east. The moon will reach its full phase at 7:09 p.m. CEST. Just half an hour later, at around 7:39 p.m., it will appear above the horizon – but not in its usual light, rather deep in the Earth's shadow. Those who look up will witness a rare spectacle: the moon will rise dark red.
The maximum eclipse will be visible at 8:11 p.m. CEST, before the moon emerges from the umbra again at around 8:52 p.m. and regains its usual brightness. For a whole hour, you can enjoy a spectacle that combines astronomy and poetry.
 
Autumn moon, harvest moon – or Otsukimi?
The question of the name is also interesting. In Germany, people like to refer to it as the “Herbstmond” (autumn moon), while in English-speaking countries it is called the “Harvest Moon.” Strictly speaking, however, this refers to the full moon closest to the beginning of autumn. In 2025, that would be October 7. In Japan, the September full moon is considered one of the most beautiful of the year. For centuries, people there have celebrated Otsukimi (お月見, “moon viewing”). Families and friends gather, set up decorative grasses (susuki), eat small rice dumplings (tsukimi dango), and gaze at the full moon together. This ritual is a celebration and an expression of gratitude for the harvest, as well as a moment of contemplative silence.

Autumn wind blows -
the leaves in the garden
tremble to the sound.
(Yosa Buson) 

Haiku and moon poetry
Poetry is also a traditional part of Otsukimi. Poets have celebrated the autumn moon in countless haiku: short, concise, but full of depth. The moon represents beauty, transience, and the quiet connection between humans and nature.

A classic haiku image, for example, is:
"Clear autumn moon—
in the still water of the lake
a mirror trembles."

Such verses were recited on moonlit nights, accompanied by music or tea ceremonies. The full moon thus became an occasion to feel the transience of life – an aesthetic known in Japan as “mono no aware” (the “tender sadness of transience”). So when we talk about the “harvest moon” in this country, the focus is primarily on its practical use. In Japan, on the other hand, the moonlit night becomes an aesthetic and spiritual experience that is still cultivated today.

Of dragons and sleepless nights
Lunar eclipses have always captured people's imaginations. In China, it was said that a dragon had swallowed the moon. The Incas saw it as a sign of divine wrath. Today, we are more enlightened, but the full moon continues to influence us—and in a measurable way. Studies show that it shortens sleep duration by around 20 minutes and reduces deep sleep phases by about a third. A small but noticeable effect that reminds us that the moon not only affects the tides, but also ourselves.

🌕 To summarize:
The September full moon in 2025 is no ordinary full moon. It is an evening full of symbolism and beauty, a cosmic spectacle that combines astronomy, culture, and myth. Anyone who finds a clear spot with a view to the east can experience a piece of magic – just as people have been doing for centuries, whether here as the “harvest moon” or in Japan at the Otsukimi festival, accompanied by poetry and quiet admiration.

These two arrangements and other ikebana can be viewed in the online exhibition Full Moon in Autumn.