Hunter's Moon 2026: October 26 Full Moon in Taurus and the Libra-Scorpio Shift

The October 2026 full moon carries two labels that are easy to mix up. The Hunter's Moon reaches full phase on Monday, October 26, at 12:12 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time; in the tropical zodiac it peaks in Taurus, while the same night's location is in the constellation Aries. The Sun moves from Libra into Scorpio on October 23, and Venus is retrograde across that boundary. Published forecasts for the week of October 22 to October 29 give specific dates, placement details, and planning advice.

When the Hunter's Moon peaks

The Farmers' Almanac gives peak illumination at 12:11 a.m. EDT on October 26, while Star Walk and The Old Farmer's Almanac list 12:12 a.m. EDT (04:12 UTC). The best viewing night is Sunday, October 25, with the Moon looking nearly full from about October 25 through October 27. No telescope is needed; find an open eastern horizon around sunset. The name Hunter's Moon comes from the autumn hunting season, when fields had been cleared and game fattened on summer harvest stood out under a bright rising Moon. Other traditional names include Drying Rice Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Freezing Moon, Ice Moon, and Migrating Moon.

The sky signs behind the date

At peak, the tropical Moon sign is Taurus and the Sun sign is Scorpio, the same Taurus-Scorpio axis the almanacs track each late October. Astronomically, Star Walk places the full Moon in the constellation Aries, near Sheratan and Hamal. The difference is between the tropical zodiac used by most Western horoscope writers and the visible constellation. Mercury and Venus are already in Scorpio as October begins, and Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 3 before re-entering Libra on October 25. If you want a quick reference while reading sign-by-sign forecasts, printable zodiac vocabulary flashcards define the key terms.

The Libra-to-Scorpio transition and retrogrades

The Sun enters Scorpio on October 23, and Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24. Venus retrograde re-enters Libra on October 25, the same date as the full moon in Taurus. Cosmopolitan and Refinery29 describe Venus retrograde as a relationship test that can surface unresolved feelings, old resentments, and power dynamics, while the Libra New Moon on October 10 offers a reset around partnerships and decision-making. Astrology Zone's Libra forecast warns that the October 26 full moon lights the eighth house of shared money and the second house of personal income, and says to hold off on financial matters until next month because Mercury turns retrograde two days earlier. Some readers follow public legal timelines during news-heavy retrograde weeks; for that, a Caleb Kennedy timeline collects reported court dates in one place.

Planning the week without overreaching

Farmers' Almanac treats the Taurus full moon and Scorpio Sun as a planning tool, not a fortune. Its guidance suggests using the week of October 22–29 to put money decisions on paper, lock in the household budget for winter, clear an old argument, and step outside to look up. The same source warns against treating any of this as certainty. If you do keep a weekend budget or compare two-sided numbers for recreation, a sports betting arbitrage calculator shows the stake and liability clearly. The key is to use the moon as a calendar prompt, not a predictor.

Keep the week simple

Choose Sunday evening, October 25, for the best view of the Hunter's Moon. Read your Sun, Moon, and rising sign forecasts if you follow astrology, but don't let the retrograde pile-up push you into hasty decisions. The published advice for late October is consistent: pause, review, and watch the sky.