NoJoMo – The Wolf Moon

The closest I’ve ever been to a wolf, that I can remember, is in the zoo. Looking at these creatures and seeing them measure me up was an unnerving experience but showed me their intelligence. In a lot of ways, wolves are not all that different from human beings in that they care for their young, have a hierarchy, and are fiercely loyal.

My pagan name, Alban Riverwolf, is one that picked me more than I picked it. I was concentrating on the road when it hit me. So, I adopted that name as my pagan name and, in doing so, gave myself an almost instant bond with these noble creatures.

The Wolf Moon
January 15th

Many Wiccans dedicate their January esbat to the Wolf Moon, for these shy creatures were once especially evident in European villages at this wintry time, when hunger drove them to scavenge within humankind’s dangerous domain. Now that we are no longer threatened by wolves, we have come to appreciate their wild beauty and intelligence, and they are today popular powerful animals. Wolves were also linked with witchcraft, partly because they are nocturnal creatures that howl at the moon, and partly because magical adepts were thought to be able to transform themselves into wolves at the full moon.

Lupine Learning

Channel the lupine spirit today by learning about wolves and how they live in the wild or by immersing yourself in lycanthropic lore. The novel Der Steppenwolf (1972) by German author Hermann Hesse, or the movie An American Werewolf in London (1981) are good examples.

The proceeding information was taken from The Wiccan Books of Days: Observances, Traditions, and Lore for Every Day of the Year by Selena Eilidh Ash.

Blessings!