The Full Wolf Moon – An Invitation To Howl

image original by Moha’ Al-Bastaki

A howl slices through the deep darkness of the January night, its plaintive note striking upon our heartstrings, causing our pulse to stumble erratically before breaking into a run. The tiniest of bumps appear across our skin as each individual hair rises apparently of its own volition. We grasp each other in rough embraces, seeking comfort in company, our shoulders raised in tension as we hold our collective breath.

And there it is. The answering howl reverberates around the small village, even closer than expected. It does not need the wind to carry it to our ears, because it sounds like it is everywhere. The howl has no sooner issued from the mouth of the hungry animal, than it is joined by another and another, until we are surrounded by a cacophony of sound. We snuggle closer and wait for the time of the wolf to pass.

We often associate wolves with negative connotations. Well, at least we did until the glorious Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes wrote her wonderful book, Women Who Run with the Wolves (1992), shared her rich stories and revolutionised the way we think of wolves forever. She helped us to see that the wolf was not the creature of nightmares, but was in fact, a deeply sacred expression of wild femininity.

The descriptions that I have read about the Wolf Moon have all referred to the approach of the wolves to the villages as the harshest winter conditions hit the northern hemisphere. However, it is important, I think, to really tap into this wolf archetype. What is it that is wonderful about this animal? Why has it left so deep an impression upon our psyches? How can we honour this part of ourselves at this time of year?

Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of the wolf is that it is a pack animal. It is embedded within a community where it finds security, comfort, competition, connection. Just as the baying wolves approached the village as a collective, it necessitated a similar response: the villagers would close ranks and come together seeking safety in numbers. The tribe and the pack, each looking out for one another, each operating from the perspective of the collective.

Another wolf reference springs to mind: ‘Keeping the wolf from the door’. We often use this phrase to signify that we only have a small amount of resources, a metaphor for the worst that could happen if we lost it all. That somehow we would find that the wolf had made it through all defences to take up its position on our front doorstep. And it forces us to ask the question, what do we need to do for ourselves to ensure that our defences remain in tact and effective.

This should be extended to all areas of our life as we explore the establishment of healthy boundaries and processes of self-protection. Are we safe-guarding our time, our energy? Are we over-committing when we should be conserving our strength? Are we exposing ourselves to unnecessary anguish, hurt, pain? Could we be taking better care of ourselves? Of our loved ones?

Maybe the Wolf Moon is a warning to reinforce the bonds of community, not to leave anyone out in the cold. That every soul is precious and that we can extend our boundary line to include all those in need of our protection.

Maybe it’s an invitation to join the howl…

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