Ahh, the Eccentric Moon. Thats what my Shawnee people call this lunar orb, and it can be strange. Traditional American Indians are a spiritual people, and each full tepekikiisthwa (moon) of the year is pretty special to us for this reason. The Creator sends all two-leggeds signs some consistent and some new and we need to know their true meaning if we are to know His true message. So while one Indian title for the January moon may be Wolf the reason for the naming may not be what you think. To be sure of the Great Mysterys meaning, a two-legged must look closer than first glance. First glances are what many of us do when we are harried and hurried. Yet, not paying close enough attention can cause us more harm than we know. This is why the Great Good Spirit wants us to meditate and pray each day, so that we see beyond the first glance.
Now, according to Merriam-Websters Dictionary, the definition of eccentric is a: deviating from an established or usual pattern or style b: deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways. Well, for me, thats January in spades. Its often this way, sometimes January dumps oodles and oodles of freezing conee (snow) on one day. Then, the Kiisthwa (Sun) busts out into a flat-out thaw the next, melting all of the snow. This is why we Shawnee call this Moon Eccentric see? But all 12 moons of the year have varying names given them by other Woodland Indian nations and that brings me to a question from an old buddy of mine.
Ed Kruska is recently retired from the Coast Guard. Hes my former military boss at the U.S. Coast Guards The Reservist Magazine, and hes a pretty savvy dude. He said that their local weather guy in Washington D.C. calls the full orb in this January sky the Wolf Moon. Yep, and not only that, but the weatherman said its called the Wolf Moon because when the snow piles up the wolves come down out of the mountains. This seemed odd to Ed, so he told his keewa (wife) that he would check with me on this, and so, well, here we go.
Since the lunar month is roughly 29.5 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. From the beginning, American Indians have named Full Moons. All of the tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon, which was a Consistent Sign. This consistency alone, made them spiritual. Their names are applied to the entire month in which each occurred, and spiritually, these names hold great significance. Theres some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes of America. Now, European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. The geese-haab-ikizi (full moon) of January is known by them as the Full Snow Moon, Ice moon, Cold Moon, and Snow Moon, or the Old Moon, and even The After Yule Moon. How bout that, eh? But as noted, there is a reason for everything that the Creator does, and therefore, we must look closer than first glance.
The Farmers Almanac is an aged and favored tome for the explanation of many things American. Yeah, and I suspect that it was the Almanacs depiction that the D.C. weatherman alluded to in regard to the Wolf Moon. The encyclopedia says that January became known as the full Wolf Moon because amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, they reasoned that Wolf Moon became common in Native American culture. Ohhh-kay. I guess that I didnt know that. Good thing that the Almanac cleared it up for me, eh. See, after a little meditation and prayer, I wouldve thought that the reason that the January moon is called for the mweowa (wolf) is because wolves are vastly expressive and are therefore a sign sent from the Creator. See, their very manner is symbolic of the Creators mastery, and while their vocalizations are legendary, wolves also have a complex system of body language and a steady eye contact to convey intent and current state of being. Discipline in the pack is seldom physical it doesnt have to be. Rather, behavior is admonished or reinforced by intricate expressions. One look from the Alpha or lead male wolf can convey as much power as a physical blow. Theres big medicine in this, and therefore, a clear conveyance that even though the month of January is erratic its still being controlled by the Creator the greatest Alpha of all, and, as strange as it seems it is His will, so all will be well. Not only that but jeeze wolves bay all night long in every month not just January.
So, while I do like the Farmers Almanac, I always go deeper than first glance. As far as Im concerned, their reason for calling the January lunar orb the Wolf Moon is just a repeated old homesteaders story. See, the Indians wouldnt misunderstand what the mweowas were doing during Papoonwi (winter) because the Great Good Spirit wants us to meditate and pray each day, so that we see beyond first glance