Deep in winter, the nights of January are still long and dark, and much of the world around us is blanketed with snow, as we hunker down in the warmth and coziness of our homes and our beds, protected from the harshness of the cold. The Wolf Moon approaches, set to arrive on the 28th, a moon which derived this name because it occurred at a time when the howls of hungry wolves would echo through valleys and across plains as they hunted for prey in the dead of night under the glow of the moon. It is also the start of their breeding season, and their lonesome calls signal to other wolves their location, their desires, and that their territory is vast - and well protected. The scent of livestock and food scraps are a temptation far too difficult for many wolves in search of an easy meal to ignore, drawing them ever closer to villages and lodges where people are tucked cozy and safe within. For our ancestors, the need to protect themselves and their livestock became of utmost importance during the month of January, for their success in staving off the hungry wolves was imperative to the success of their village in the year to come and beyond. Thus, the Wolf Moon is a time where we must reflect on our weaknesses and what, if any, dangers or threats we need to protect ourselves from to ensure success and abundance in our new beginning: the new year.
But wolves, despite their reputations, are not only to be feared; these are noble, complex, creatures, both fierce and wild, but also devoted, intelligent and loyal. The befriending of wolves gave humankind an advantage of immeasurable proportions over the animal kingdom, providing them with a protector, a warning system, and a partner in the hunt. Every domesticated dog we know and love today - from the tiniest Chihuahua to the largest Great Dane - is descended from the wolf. But it was not brute force or aggressive tactics that turned these deadly predators into “man’s best friend”; it was patience, understanding, love, and kindness. With these powers, humankind was able to turn one of our greatest enemies into the most loyal of friends; a lesson we must draw from in the months and years to come as we transition back into a society that is united in love, and not divided with fear.
In order to make room for new opportunities and growth, and to prepare ourselves for manifesting our triumphs during the Wolf Moon, we must take the opportunity of the first new moon of 2021, on January 13th, to release all the residual negativity of 2020. Negative habits, behaviors, and toxic thought patterns that are holding us back will need to be cleared before we can truly begin our own personal growth and transformation into the bringers of light we were born on this Earth to become. 2020 has been a crazy, disruptive and unfortunate ride, and its effects will linger for many years to come, which is precisely why we must use this time to purify ourselves and set up the necessary protective barriers in order to ensure we triumph over any and all obstacles thrown our way in the new year.
Due to its placement at the beginning of the new year, January is often seen as a time of new beginnings, and in Modern Wiccan traditions, it is the time when the horned god is reborn of the goddess. While this is certainly a time of new beginnings in a spiritual (and even political) respect, we must first be aware of the importance of being cleansed of the traumas of the past year - lest they return to bite us - and to protect ourselves in preparation for changes this new beginning might bring that we may not entirely be prepared for. Change is hard, even in the best of times; It is even harder when you are not ready, or worse, you think you’re ready, but realize in the midst of it that you underestimated the depth and intensity of the changes at hand. When we are first born, we are delicate, fragile, and need to be nurtured and kept safe from the harshness of the outside world; In this respect, we are like the newborn horned god of the Wiccan belief system; we are infants who must first be cleansed of our emotional and spiritual vernix caseosa, and protected by our inner mother goddess in preparation of what we will face in the months and years to come.
As the midpoint between winter and spring, the ancient Celts, as well as modern Wiccans, use the month of January to prepare for the sabbat of Imbolc, which falls on the first and second day of February, a Sabbat of fire and light, of protection, purification, and fertility. Imbolc is a time where many pagans celebrate the Celtic hearth goddess, Brigid. Brigid is associated with the season of spring, fertility, healing, poetry, and blacksmithing and also is considered the guardian of domesticated animals. Aside from their own children, these animals were the wards our ancestors needed to protect the most during the cold winter months, not only from the cold, but from those hungry wolves as well, which is likely why Brigid became associated with this Sabbat, and why magic related to protection in both the physical and spiritual realms should be included in January ritual work, particularly this year.
Once you have shed the weight of 2020’s traumas and cleansed and protected yourself during the new moon, it is time to prepare for the Full Wolf moon and how to manifest the strength, patience, understanding, and love we will need to make this year the year we all collectively begin to change our world for the better. There is hard work to come, especially in North America starting January 20th, as we transition to new leadership - a rebirth, if you will - which comes with entirely different energies and vibe than the previous administration. Our incoming president has been obstructed by the outgoing one and has not been allowed access to vital information he needed in order to hit the ground running and keep us protected during this rebirth, both from domestic and foreign terrorism and a still surging pandemic, so now you understand my emphasis on protection in the first half of the month. This disregard for the security and safety of our people out of ego, spite, and malice is just one reason why we must do the extra work to physically and spiritually protect ourselves, for there are those who still stand by willing to defend the honor of a man who has none, based on nothing more than outright lies and sheer denial of the truth. There is no way to convince these people they have been had, and just like the hungry wolves seeking to snatch away our livestock, they will lunge at any opportunity to paint any who oppose them as the villain; which is why we must give them no opportunities to do so.
I touched upon this more in-depth in our previous articles, where I discussed how we must be prepared for the reactionary and hostile energies that are still going to be desperately clinging to the old, familiar power structures as the world moves on, with or without them; which is why we must use this time to develop and fortify our understanding of our inner selves and advance ourselves spiritually, so we can gain a deeper understanding of what we need to do to counter this negativity without giving up our values and with the intention of healing rather than dividing. Our faith in ourselves and our personal choices will be tested, and we will be taunted, tempted, and lured to revert back into the hateful rhetoric riddled fray of oppositional party politics of the last 4 years, and faced with aggression and ignorance of great magnitudes. However, we must dig deep and manifest the strength to redirect this hostility and work to DIFFUSE it rather than avoid it. To react with aggression in kind would only feed into the rhetorical jaws of the hungry wolves, and provide them with more reasons to bite us. We cannot ignore hostility when directed at us or at those we care for, and indeed we must face it, but our resolve must be strengthened and our tone kept amicable to the best of our abilities, in order to bring humankind together again, rather than further the divide. We must be ready, willing, and unafraid to tell people exactly where we stand and who we are and protect ourselves from the negativity of others if they cannot accept or understand our perspectives. To ensure you are showing people your true self, use waxing or full moon meditation in January to ground yourself, and look inward to find what it is you really desire from life and from the coming year.
Meditations like these should lead us to realize exactly what it is we truly need and desire from life, and aid in the simplification of our lives. As noted early on in this article, January is a good time to cleanse both your home and your soul of unnecessary clutter and things and emotions that do not serve your innermost desires and goals. Organize your physical space to get the ball rolling, and then donate the items you decide to release. Follow up by doing the same on a spiritual and emotional level, teaching your mind to let go of the heavier things that are weighing down your spirit and soul. Shed the old and outdated in order to make space for the new, and leave you open to welcoming the new beginning and positive vibrations that are coming our way. The winter solstice has just passed us, and light is beginning to once again conquer the darkness of winter, as it is to be within us all as well. On the 28th, as the Wolf Moon shines down upon our Earth, take a moment to journal your thoughts and meditate on this significant day and what you wish to manifest in the year to come. Prepare for rebirth in the spring, and use this time to gestate your inner self. It may be hard to muster up the magical motivation to go outside under the full moon, especially when the weather during January is cold and the possibility of rain or snow is inevitably higher, but do not fear; We know we do not need to be under the moon freezing our butts off for our magic to be effective, and when were doing introspective and protective work, staying in the comfort of your home can actually help you focus and feel more comfortable with your rituals.
The intentions we set now during the first full moon of 2021 are especially important, for they will set the tone for the year to come. This is why we must set aside our winter lethargy and focus some energy on developing our intuition and wisdom before setting our boundaries, cleansing, and protecting ourselves. Our focus, outside of our independent goals, should be magic to manifest clearer communication, promote better understanding between individuals, and magic that will heal rifts. These three things are always important themes for January, however, as we now enter into the Aquarian age and stand on the precipice of a rebirth of our nation after a very traumatic birthing process, changes will be hitting us from all sides, and we need to ensure we can communicate clearly with each other, and that we are understanding of those who are afraid of these changes rather than being upset at them for fearing what they do not understand. We must encourage and foster an environment of openness and healing, so we can repair the lasting damages from the previous age.
During this month of witches and the Wolf Moon, I implore you to visualize the moment when the first human-made contact with a wild wolf with the intention of friendship, love, and understanding. A moment when, for the first time in millennia of living in fear and uncertainty of each other, both human and canine looked past those fears, and forged a connection with the stranger before them that had once been their enemy. The wolf protected by its speed and sharp teeth; the human by wits and weapon; both souls cleansed and released from the burden of fear, and open to developing a bond and understanding with the creature before them. This first small triumph over fear opened up a means of communication between species that has now transformed into one of the most incredibly magical and lasting companionships humans have formed with animals throughout our entire existence on this earth. Let the thought of this magical new beginning inspire you in the coming year to manifest what you desire while ensuring you are protected and cleansed of negativity, confident in your intentions, and open to communication, understanding, and growth.
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