Why did the moon rise in the north

1. the Earth's rotational axis is tilted from the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun (about 23 degrees)
2. the moon's orbit is inclined off of Earth's orbit about the sun (about 5 degrees)


Right now, since the moon was very recently full, the moon is in the opposite direction from Earth as the sun. During October through February, the sun will rise slightly south of due east and will set slightly south of due west. During April through August, the sun will rise slightly north of due east and it will set slightly north of due west.

So, with the moon being opposite the sun as per the present phase, the moon will follow the sun's path as if it were "lunar summer".