In the month of January
A great moon rises slowly
And at night the Wolf pack howl out plaintively
For food is scarce and the wolves are hungry.
From the poem, "Wolf Moon"
By Chris Lane
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the first full moon
of the new year will rise tonight at 5:22 pm (EST) and reach
peak illumination by 6:51 (EST). Unfortunately, due to more
inclement weather on the way, Luna's silver dollar shimmer,
which was visible during the brief clearing of the skies after
Winter Storm Izzy passed by earlier this morning, will
probably not be visible from my neck of the woods tonight.
In the tradition of my Cherokee ancestors, January was called,
"du no lv ta ni" or Month of the Cold Moon. In centuries past,
during the freezing cold nights of mid-winter, the Indian villages
were often surrounded by the piteous howling of starving
packs of wolves on the prowl for food.
Although it has been long thought that wolves regularly howl
at the moon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, howling and
other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate
pack members, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting.
While this might be true I would not want to cross paths with
a pack of howling and hungry wolves during the full moon
or at any other time of the year! 🐺
I hope the skies are clear where you are tonight!
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