Spiritual Meaning of the Wolf Moon

On winter nights in colder climes, a full moon illuminates vast expanses of deep snow. It isn’t hard to imagine the sound of howling wolves piercing the silence and adding a sense of eerie desolation. As the first full moon of the new year rises, recognize the spiritual meaning of this Wolf Moon as one of protection, introspection, and a deeper connection to the intuitive sense that lives within.

Wolf Moon’s Spiritual Meaning

This full moon was named the Wolf Moon by Native American tribes for the wolves that would howl during winter nights. Long thought to be howling from hunger, current knowledge reflects that wolves howl for a variety of reasons, including to communicate with their pack and to protect their territory.

As this full moon rises into the night sky, it offers an opportunity to go into a place of deep self-reflection. The spiritual meaning of the Wolf Moon is a reminder that there is an unseen connection to your own “pack” that is worth recognizing and honoring.

Howling at Your Pack

As you delve into this meaning of the Wolf Moon, reflect on the ways you’re connected to the community you care about. While protection at one point meant going to battle against intruders, it means something very different in the world today.

[Read: “How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community.”]

Protection means putting the needs and safety of your community above your own personal agenda. It also means reaching out to others to let them know you are connected. You might call up a friend or loved one to check in—the human version of howling at the moon.

The long nights of this season lend themselves to going within. To honor this Wolf Moon, consider spending some time in self-reflection. Light a candle and bring out your journal. Write about what community means to you, and write down the ways you are grateful for the people who show up for you and allow you to show up for them. Basking in the light of the moon, acknowledge this sacred connection to the sentient beings in your life. For you, this might include four-legged friends as part of your pack.

A Wolf Moon Practice for Returning to Center

We all carry within us an innate knowing, a core sense of what is true and right. The Wolf Moon brings an opportunity to deepen that connection, or for some, to reawaken it. There is so much happening in the world that is distracting. The vast array of opinions, directives, and conflicting advice can easily knock you off your center. Use this time to turn off those outer messages and to return to your own inner knowledge.

Sit in a comfortable position, eyes closed with your spine tall and your body relaxed. Settle into your breath, allowing the inhale and exhale to flow naturally. Feel your breath breathing you without any directive. Bring your attention to the center of your head, your seat of intuition, and imagine that you are able to see in all directions.

Feel your feet on the ground and your hips in the chair, and sense your connection with the center of the earth. Acknowledge the bond between your energy and the energy of the earth beneath you. It may feel like roots going down, or like a cord that connects you to that powerful place. Draw the energy of the earth up through your legs and into your hips and belly. Allow it to swirl there and then release it back down into the earth through your grounding.

As you settle into this sense of connection to the earth, allow any thoughts or ideas that come into your mind to be released. Bring your awareness to your center, the seat of your inner knowing. Notice how the messages you receive from there are very different from the thoughts that come into your mind. As you deepen your connection with the powerful energy of the earth, you will begin to return to your own wisdom.

Let the spiritual meaning of the Wolf Moon and its powerful energy guide you back to your community and to your intuition.

Deepen your moon practice: Try hand reflexology for the full moon.